Why is the blood money of a woman half that of a man in Islam?

Question

There is no strict verse in the Qur'an which clearly shows us that the blood money of a women is half that of a man. However, narrations both in Shi'ite and Sunni traditions exist regarding this case. For instance, Imam Sadiq(a.s) says that,

دیة المرأة نصف دیة الرجل>

(وسائل الشیعه، ج 19، ص 151. نشر دارلاحیا التراث العربی، بیروت، بی تا.)

Another Sunni narration says that woman's blood money is half of man's:

(کنز العمال، ج 15، ص 57. نشر دارالاحیا التراث العربی، بیروت، بی تا .)

Now my question is, why the woman's blood money is such? in other words what is the reasoning behind this judgment?

Sources:

• Vasel Al Shiah by Shekh Hor Ameli
• Kanz al Ummal

Answer 1

When is blood money applied?

• Blood money is not a price for the person killed; it is a financial compensation for the harm caused to the family of the victim, to be paid by the killer if the death was accidental, or not intentional.

why the blood money of a Women is half of the blood money of a man in Islam?

• because the financial loss to the family by the demise of a male member is greater compared to the loss of the female member.

Does this imply value of women is less than that of men?

• No, because

  1. blood money is financial compensation, NOT the body-price of the deceased
  2. in case of planned murder, the killer is punished by death, regardless of the gender of the killer and the killed.

---

SOURCE: Why Is a Woman's Blood Money Half a Man's? and Blood Money

NB: Iranian women get equal 'blood money'

Answer 2

I'm willing to add to the other good answer:

In the case of the unintentional death of one person among a husband and a wife, who receives the financial compensation? The other one. That is: A wife receives twice as much financial compensation a husband would receive.

So this rule of Islam is absolutely concerning women, and absolutely logical.

This rule is about any unintentional causing of a death, and not necessarily containing criminal recklessness or negligence(unlike the legal definition of "Unintentional Manslaughter" in the western law). So it acts like a life insurance.