عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَنَّ سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُوَيْمِرًا الْعَجْلَانِيَّ جَاءَ إِلَى عَاصِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَاصِمُ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلًا أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ سَلْ لِي عَنْ ذَلِكَ يَا عَاصِمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَ عَاصِمٌ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَسَائِلَ وَعَابَهَا حَتَّى كَبُرَ عَلَى عَاصِمٍ مِمَّا يَسْمَعُ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ عَاصِمٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ جَاءَهُ عُوَيْمِرٌ فَقَالَ يَا عَاصِمُ مَاذَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ عَاصِمٌ لِعُوَيْمِرٍ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِخَيْرٍ فَكَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَسْأَلَةَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ وَاللَّهِ لَا أَنْتَهِي حَتَّى أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا فَأَقْبَلَ عُوَيْمِرٌ حَتَّى أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَسْطَ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلًا أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ وَفِي صَاحِبَتِكَ فَاذْهَبْ فَأْتِ بِهَا قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ فَتَلَاعَنَا وَأَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَا قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَمْسَكْتُهَا فَطَلَّقَهَا ثَلَاثًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَادَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ فَصَارَتْ سُنَّةً فِي الْمُتَلَاعِنَيْنِ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ابْصُرُوا هَا فَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَسْحَمَ أَدْعَجَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ عَظِيمَ الْأَلْيَتَيْنِ فَلَا أَرَاهُ إِلَّا قَدْ صَدَقَ وَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَحْمَرَ كَأَنَّهُ وَحَرَةٌ فَلَا أَرَاهُ إِلَّا كَاذِبًا قَالَ فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ عَلَى النَّعْتِ الْمَكْرُوهِ
Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Uwaymir ‘Ajlani came to ‘Asim bin ‘Adi (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O ‘Asim! Tell me, if a man finds another man committing adultery with his wife, should he kill him? If he kills him, will you kill him (in retaliation)? What should he do? Tell me after asking the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) about this. ‘Asim asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) about this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked such questions and considered them blameworthy, until the answer that ‘Asim heard about this was hard on him (these are the words of the narrator Ishaq). When ‘Asim returned home and Uwaymir came to him and said: ‘Asim! Tell me, what did the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say? ‘Asim said to Uwaymir: You have brought me no good; the matter you inquired about, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked it. Uwaymir said: By Allah! I will not desist until I ask him about it myself. Then Uwaymir turned towards the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) until he came to him and, in the midst of the people, said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): Tell me, if a man finds someone with his wife, should he kill him? If he kills him, will you kill him (in retaliation), or what should he do? The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Allah Almighty has revealed a command concerning you and your wife; bring her to me. Sahl says: She came, and both husband and wife performed li’an (mutual cursing). I was among those present with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time of li’an. When both finished, Uwaymir said: O Messenger of Allah! Now, if I keep her, then I have lied against her. And before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gave a ruling, he divorced his wife three times. In another narration, it is mentioned that this has become the procedure for those who perform li’an. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Take care of this woman; if she gives birth to a child who is dark-skinned, with dark eyes and large buttocks, then indeed her husband has spoken the truth. And if she gives birth to a child who is reddish in complexion, like a small animal, then indeed her husband has lied. When she gave birth, the child was of the disliked appearance, that is, the first description, resembling the man who was accused.