Zaid bin Khalid al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:
"Shall I not tell you of the best witnesses ? He is the one who produces his deposition or gives his evidence (the narrator is doubtful) before he is asked for it." 'Abd Allah bin Abi Bakr dobted which of them he said.
Abu Dawud said: Malis said: This refers to a man gives his evidence, but he does not know for whom it is meant. Al-Hamdani said: "He should inform the authorities. Ibn al-Sarh said: "He should give it to the ruler. The work ikhbar (inform) occurs in the version of al-Hamdani." Ibn al-Sarh said: "Ibn Abi 'Amrah and not 'Abd al-Rahman."
We were sitting waiting for Abdullah ibn Umar who came out to us and sat. He then said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone's intercession intervenes as an obstacle to one of the punishments prescribed by Allah, he has opposed Allah; if anyone disputes knowingly about something which is false, he remains in the displeasure of Allah till he desists, and if anyone makes an untruthful accusation against a Muslim, he will be made by Allah to dwell in the corrupt fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell till he retracts his statement.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Ibn 'Umar from the Prophet (ﷺ) through different chain of narrators to the same effect. In this version he also said:
"He who assits in a dispute unjustly deserves the anger of Allah, Most High.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the morning prayer. When he finished it, he stood up and said three times: False witness has been made equivalent to attributing a partner to Allah. He then recited: "So avoid the abomination of idols and avoid speaking falsehood as people pure of faith to Allah, not associating anything with Him.
'Amr bin Shu'aib on his father's authority told that his grandfather said:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rejected the testimony of a deceitful man and woman, of one who harbours rancour against his brother, and he rejected the testimony of one who is dependent on a family, and he allowed his testimony for other.
Abu Dawud said: Ghimr means malice and enimity ; qani (dependant), a subordinate servant like a special servant.
The tradition mentioned above (No. 3593) has also been transmitted by Sulayman ibn Musa through a different chain of narrators.
This version has:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The testimony of a deceitful man or woman, of an adulterer and adulteress, and of one who harbours rancour against his brother is not allowable.
"I married Umm Yahya daughter of Abu Ihab. A black woman entered upon us. She said that she had suckled both of us. So I came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and amentioned it to him. He turned away from me. I said (to him): Messenger of Allah! she is a liar. He said: What do you know? She has said what she has said. Separate yourself from her (wife).
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by 'Uqbah bin al-Harith to the same effect through a different chain of narrators.
Abu Dawud said:
Hammad bin Zaid looked at al-Harith bin 'Umair and said: He is from reliable narrators from Ayyub.
A Muslim was about to die at Daquqa', but he did not find any Muslim to call him for witness to his will. So he called two men of the people of the Book for witness. Then they came to Kufah, and approaching AbuMusa al-Ash'ari they informed him (about his) will. They brought his inheritance and will. Al-Ash'ari said: This is an incident (like) which happened in the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and never occurred after him. So he made them to swear by Allah after the afternoon prayer to the effect that they had not misappropriated, nor told a lie, nor changed, nor concealed, nor altered, and that it was the will of the man and his inheritance. He then executed their witness.
A man from Banu Sahm went out with Tamim ad-Dari and Adi ibn Badda'. The man of Banu Sahm died in the land where no Muslim was present. When they returned with his inheritance, they (the heirs) did not find a silver cup with lines of gold (in his property). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) administered on oath to them. The cup was then found (with someone) at Mecca. They said: We have bought it from Tamim and Adi.
Then two men from the heirs of the man of Banu Sahm got up and swore saying: Our witness is more reliable than their witness. They said that the cup belonged to their man.
He (Ibn Abbas) said: The following verse was revealed about them: "O ye who believe! when death approaches any of you....."
Chapter 20: If the judge knows that the testimony of one person is true, is it permissible for him to pass judgment on the basis of that - كتاب الأقضية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ، أَنَّ الْحَكَمَ بْنَ نَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَهُمْ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ، أَنَّ عَمَّهُ، حَدَّثَهُ وَهُوَ، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ابْتَاعَ فَرَسًا مِنْ أَعْرَابِيٍّ فَاسْتَتْبَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيَقْضِيَهُ ثَمَنَ فَرَسِهِ فَأَسْرَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَشْىَ وَأَبْطَأَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ فَطَفِقَ رِجَالٌ يَعْتَرِضُونَ الأَعْرَابِيَّ فَيُسَاوِمُونَهُ بِالْفَرَسِ وَلاَ يَشْعُرُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ابْتَاعَهُ فَنَادَى الأَعْرَابِيُّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُبْتَاعًا هَذَا الْفَرَسَ وَإِلاَّ بِعْتُهُ . فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ سَمِعَ نِدَاءَ الأَعْرَابِيِّ فَقَالَ " أَوَلَيْسَ قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهُ مِنْكَ " . فَقَالَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا بِعْتُكَهُ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " بَلَى قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهُ مِنْكَ " . فَطَفِقَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ يَقُولُ هَلُمَّ شَهِيدًا . فَقَالَ خُزَيْمَةُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَدْ بَايَعْتَهُ . فَأَقْبَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى خُزَيْمَةَ فَقَالَ " بِمَ تَشْهَدُ " . فَقَالَ بِتَصْدِيقِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَهَادَةَ خُزَيْمَةَ بِشَهَادَةِ رَجُلَيْنِ .
Narrated Uncle of Umarah ibn Khuzaymah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) bought a horse from a Bedouin. The Prophet (ﷺ) took him with him to pay him the price of his horse. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked quickly and the Bedouin walked slowly. The people stopped the Bedouin and began to bargain with him for the horse as and they did not know that the Prophet (ﷺ) had bought it.
The Bedouin called the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: If you want this horse, (then buy it), otherwise I shall sell it. The Prophet (ﷺ) stopped when he heard the call of the Bedouin, and said: Have I not bought it from you? The Bedouin said: I swear by Allah, I have not sold it to you. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Yes, I have bought it from you. The Bedouin began to say: Bring a witness. Khuzaymah ibn Thabit then said: I bear witness that you have bought it. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned to Khuzaymah and said: On what (grounds) do you bear witness?
He said: By considering you trustworthy, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! The Prophet (ﷺ) made the witness of Khuzaymah equivalent to the witness of two people.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by 'Amr bin Dinar through a different chain of narrators and to the same effect. Salamah has in his version:
The Prophet (ﷺ) gave a decision on the basis of an oath and a single witness.
Abu Dawud said: Al-Rabi' bin Sulaiman al-Mu'adhdhin told me some additional words in this tradition: Al-Shafi'i told me from 'Abd al-'Aziz. I then mentioned it fo Suhail who said: Rabi'ah told me - and he is reliable in my opinion - that I told him this (tradition) and I do not remember it. 'Abd al-'Aziz said: Suhail suffered from some disease which caused him to lose a little of his intelligence, and he forgot some of his traditions. Thereafter Suhail would narrate traditions from Rabi'ah on the authority of his father.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Rabi'ah through the chain of Abu Mus'ab and to the same effect. Sulaiman said:
I then met Suhail and asked him about this tradition. He said: I do not know it. I said to him: Rabi'ah transmitted it to me from you. He said: If Rabi'ah transmitted it to you from me, then retransmit it from Rabi'ah on my authority.
Chapter 21: Judgement on the basis of oath and one witness - كتاب الأقضية
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمَّارُ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْبِ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، سَمِعْتُ جَدِّيَ الزُّبَيْبَ، يَقُولُ بَعَثَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَيْشًا إِلَى بَنِي الْعَنْبَرِ فَأَخَذُوهُمْ بِرُكْبَةٍ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الطَّائِفِ فَاسْتَاقُوهُمْ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَكِبْتُ فَسَبَقْتُهُمْ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ أَتَانَا جُنْدُكَ فَأَخَذُونَا وَقَدْ كُنَّا أَسْلَمْنَا وَخَضْرَمْنَا آذَانَ النَّعَمِ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ بَلْعَنْبَرُ قَالَ لِي نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَلْ لَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ عَلَى أَنَّكُمْ أَسْلَمْتُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُؤْخَذُوا فِي هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ " . قُلْتُ نَعَمْ . قَالَ " مَنْ بَيِّنَتُكَ " . قُلْتُ سَمُرَةُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي الْعَنْبَرِ وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ سَمَّاهُ لَهُ فَشَهِدَ الرَّجُلُ وَأَبَى سَمُرَةُ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَدْ أَبَى أَنْ يَشْهَدَ لَكَ فَتَحْلِفُ مَعَ شَاهِدِكَ الآخَرِ " . قُلْتُ نَعَمْ . فَاسْتَحْلَفَنِي فَحَلَفْتُ بِاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَسْلَمْنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَخَضْرَمْنَا آذَانَ النَّعَمِ . فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اذْهَبُوا فَقَاسِمُوهُمْ أَنْصَافَ الأَمْوَالِ وَلاَ تَمَسُّوا ذَرَارِيَهُمْ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ ضَلاَلَةَ الْعَمَلِ مَا رَزَيْنَاكُمْ عِقَالاً " . قَالَ الزُّبَيْبُ فَدَعَتْنِي أُمِّي فَقَالَتْ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ أَخَذَ زِرْبِيَّتِي فَانْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم - يَعْنِي فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ - فَقَالَ لِي " احْبِسْهُ " . فَأَخَذْتُ بِتَلْبِيبِهِ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ مَكَانَنَا ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَيْنَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمَيْنِ فَقَالَ " مَا تُرِيدُ بِأَسِيرِكَ " . فَأَرْسَلْتُهُ مِنْ يَدِي فَقَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ " رُدَّ عَلَى هَذَا زِرْبِيَّةَ أُمِّهِ الَّتِي أَخَذْتَ مِنْهَا " . فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا خَرَجَتْ مِنْ يَدِي . قَالَ فَاخْتَلَعَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَيْفَ الرَّجُلِ فَأَعْطَانِيهِ . وَقَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ " اذْهَبْ فَزِدْهُ آصُعًا مِنْ طَعَامٍ " . قَالَ فَزَادَنِي آصُعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ .
Narrated Zubayb ibn Tha'labah al-Anbari:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an army to Banu al-Anbar. They captured them at Rukbah in the suburbs of at-Ta'if and drove them to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).
I rode hurriedly to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Peace be on you, Messenger of Allah, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Your contingent came to us and arrested us, but we had already embraced Islam and cut the sides of the ears of our cattle.
When Banu al-Anbar arrived, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: Have you any evidence that you had embraced Islam before you were captured today?
I said: Yes. He said: Who is your witness? I said: Samurah, a man from Banu al-Anbar, and another man whom he named. The man testified but Samurah refused to testify. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: He (Samurah) has refused to testify for you, so take an oath with your other witness. I said: Yes. He then dictated an oath to me and I swore to the effect that we had embraced Islam on a certain day, and that we had cut the sides of the ears of the cattle.
The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: Go and divide half of their property, but do not touch their children. Had Allah not disliked the wastage of action, we should not have taxed you even a rope.
Zubayb said: My mother called me and said: This man has taken my mattress. I then went to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him.
He said to me: Detain him. So I caught him with a garment around his neck, and stood there with him . Then the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) looked at us standing there. He asked: What do you intend (doing) with your captive?
I said: I shall let him go free if he returns to this (man) the mattress of his mother which he has taken from her.
He said: Prophet of Allah (ﷺ), I no longer have it.
He said: The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) took the sword of the man and gave it to me, and said to him: Go and give him some sa's of cereal. So he gave me some sa's of barley.
Chapter 22: Two men who claim something but have no proof - كتاب الأقضية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ الضَّرِيرُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ، أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ، ادَّعَيَا بَعِيرًا أَوْ دَابَّةً إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْسَتْ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ فَجَعَلَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَهُمَا .
Narrated AbuMusa al-Ash'ari:
Two men claimed a camel or an animal and brought the case to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). But as neither of them produced any proof, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) declared that they should share it equally.
Chapter 22: Two men who claim something but have no proof - كتاب الأقضية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، بِمَعْنَى إِسْنَادِهِ أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ، ادَّعَيَا بَعِيرًا عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَبَعَثَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا شَاهِدَيْنِ فَقَسَمَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَهُمَا نِصْفَيْنِ .
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Qatadah through a different chain of narrators to the effect that two men laid claim camel and both of them produced witness so the prophet (peace be upon him) divided it in halves between them.
Chapter 22: Two men who claim something but have no proof - كتاب الأقضية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ خِلاَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ، اخْتَصَمَا فِي مَتَاعٍ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْسَ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" اسْتَهِمَا عَلَى الْيَمِينِ مَا كَانَ أَحَبَّا ذَلِكَ أَوْ كَرِهَا " .
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
Two men disputed about some property and brought the case to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), but neither of them could produce any proof. So the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: Cast lots about the oath whatever it may be, whether they like it or dislike it.
Abu hurairah reported the holy prophet (peace be upon him) as saying:
When two men dislike the oath or like it,lots will be cost about it. Salamah said on the authority of Ma’mar who said: when the two are compelled to take an oath.
The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said to a man whom he asked to take an oath: Swear by Allah except whom there is no god that you have nothing belonging to him, i.e. the plaintiff.