Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

526 Financial andjudiciay institutions at the time of 'Ali
stolen something, so 'Ali (&) cut off his hand. The next day,
another man was brought, and they said: "We made a mistake with
the first man. Tnis is the one who did it." He regarded their testimony
against the second man as invalid, and he penalised them by making
them pay the compensation for the first man.z92 The reason for that is
that they caused loss of limb, and the fact that they caused it dictated
that they were liable, like one who digs a well in the road?93
According to another report, he said: "If you had done that
deliberately, I would have cut off your hands."
3.3.7. When a number of people kill
one another by mistake
If a number of people kill one another by mistake,
responsibility for the harm caused is shared among all of them, each
one according to his actions, taking out what the deceased brought
upon himself?94 It was narrated that Khallb said: "A man hired four
men to dig a ditch for him; they dug it, then it collapsed on them, and
one of them died. The case was referred to 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&),
and be imposed three-quarters of the indemnity on them, taking out
one-quarter of it."295
3.3.8. One who employs a minor or
a slave without permission
If a person employs a minor without the permission of his
guardian, or a slave without the permission of his master, to do some
task, or he makes him ride a mount, and he dies as a result of that,
then he is liable, according to 'Ali (4). It was narrated that al-
Hakam said: "Ali (&) said: 'The one who employs the slave of
some people, whether he is old or young, is liable."'296 He (&) also
said: "Whoever seeks the help of a child who is free is liable, but
whoever seeks the help of an adult is not