Diyah is the financial compensation available to a victim's family in cases of death, while arsh applies to bodily harm, both operating under a framework rooted in Islamic law that runs alongside criminal proceedings against the person responsible.
This is the victim-side counterpart to the firm's Criminal & Penal work on qisas matters — where that practice defends someone accused in a homicide or injury case, this one represents the victim or their family pursuing the compensation they're entitled to.
The specific amount and process depend on the nature of the harm and the circumstances of the case, and this practice guides families and individuals through the process of establishing and collecting what's owed.
This work is handled with the sensitivity these situations require, recognizing that families are often navigating this process while also processing a significant loss. Where the family also weighs pardon in exchange for diyah, that decision runs through pardon & dropping rights.
Under the Supreme Judicial Council's current framework, diyah for accidental death is generally set at 300,000 SAR, while diyah for intentional or quasi-intentional killing is generally set at 400,000 SAR, though in cases of intentional killing where the victim's family waives retribution, the parties can also agree on a different amount through mutual consent.
We help families understand exactly which figure and process applies to their specific circumstances, since the applicable amount and path depend on the precise nature of the case, and having clarity on this early removes one source of uncertainty during an already difficult time. Losses beyond the fixed diyah schedule — ongoing costs, income loss — can be claimed under material & moral damages.
Pursuing diyah or arsh is generally an independent right that a family or individual can pursue without needing to wait for the criminal proceedings against the responsible party to fully conclude, meaning a family that delays reaching out under the assumption that they need to wait may simply be extending an already difficult period longer than the process actually requires.
We help families understand this timeline clearly from the outset, so any delay in reaching out is a genuine choice made when the family feels ready, rather than based on an assumption about the process that isn't actually accurate.
Diyah is compensation for death, while arsh applies to bodily harm or injury. Both operate under Saudi Arabia's Islamic law framework and run alongside any criminal proceedings against the responsible party.
No — this practice represents the victim's family pursuing compensation, while the firm's Criminal & Penal practice defends someone accused. They're the two sides of the same underlying framework.
Yes, generally — the compensation process and criminal proceedings typically run alongside each other, and we can guide you through how they interact in your specific situation.
Generally 300,000 SAR under the current Supreme Judicial Council framework, though we can confirm exactly how this applies to your specific circumstances.
Yes — intentional or quasi-intentional killing generally carries a different figure, around 400,000 SAR, though where the family waives retribution the parties can also agree on a different amount by mutual consent.
No, generally not — pursuing diyah or arsh is typically an independent right that doesn't require waiting for criminal proceedings to conclude, so there's no need to delay reaching out on that assumption.
Expert Riyadh