Toggle above to switch between keyword search and direct hadith lookup
صحيح البخاري
Bukhari
كتاب الشهاداتThe Book of Witnesses
بَابُ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ، فِي الأَمْوَالِ وَالْحُدُودِ:Chapter. The defendant must take an oath in matters concerning property or legal punishments.
Hadith 2668
اُردوEn
وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : شَاهِدَاكَ أَوْ يَمِينُهُ ، وَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ : حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنِ ابْنِ شُبْرُمَةَ ، كَلَّمَنِي أَبُو الزِّنَادِ فِي شَهَادَةِ الشَّاهِدِ وَيَمِينِ الْمُدَّعِي ، فَقُلْتُ : قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى : وَاسْتَشْهِدُوا شَهِيدَيْنِ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُونَا رَجُلَيْنِ فَرَجُلٌ وَامْرَأَتَانِ مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَدَاءِ أَنْ تَضِلَّ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَتُذَكِّرَ إِحْدَاهُمَا الأُخْرَى سورة البقرة آية 282 ، قُلْتُ : إِذَا كَانَ يُكْتَفَى بِشَهَادَةِ شَاهِدٍ وَيَمِينِ الْمُدَّعِي ، فَمَا تَحْتَاجُ أَنْ تُذْكِرَ إِحْدَاهُمَا الْأُخْرَى مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ بِذِكْرِ هَذِهِ الْأُخْرَى .
And the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to the claimant): "You should present your two witnesses, otherwise the decision will be based on the oath of the defendant." Qutaiba narrated, from Sufyan, from (the judge of Kufa) Ibn Shubruma, who said that (the judge of Madinah) Abu Al-Zinad discussed with me about the acceptance of the testimony of only one witness along with the oath of the claimant. So I said: Allah the Exalted says «واستشهدوا شهيدين من رجالكم فإن لم يكونا رجلين فرجل وامرأتان ممن ترضون من الشهداء أن تضل إحداهما فتذكر إحداهما الأخرى» "And take two witnesses from among your men; but if there are not two men, then one man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses, so that if one of the two women errs, the other can remind her." I said: If the testimony of only one witness along with the oath of the claimant were sufficient, then what would be the need to say that if one forgets, the other can remind her? What benefit would there be in the other woman reminding her?
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ ، قَالَ : كَتَبَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ، " أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ " .
Narrated Ibn Abu Mulaika: Ibn `Abbas wrote that the Prophet gave his verdict on the basis of the defendant's oath.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
It is stated in the hadith that the responsibility of presenting witnesses lies upon the claimant (mudda‘i). If he is unable to present witnesses, then the decision will be made by having the defendant (mudda‘a ‘alayh) take an oath.
From this hadith, it is understood that in every situation, it is obligatory for the defendant to take an oath, provided that the claimant does not have witnesses—regardless of whether there is familiarity or a relationship between the claimant and the defendant or not.
(2)
Imam Malik rahimahullah says:
An oath will be taken from the defendant only when there has been an exchange of dealings and other transactions between the two; otherwise, every person would keep forcing any respectable individual to take an oath, even if it requires making a false claim against him.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s position is that in both civil and criminal cases, an oath will be taken from the defendant, because there is no distinction regarding this in the ahadith; they should be maintained in their generality.
Our inclination is also towards this view.
And Allah knows best.
(1)
It is stated in the hadith that the responsibility of presenting witnesses lies upon the claimant (mudda‘i). If he is unable to present witnesses, then the decision will be made by having the defendant (mudda‘a ‘alayh) take an oath.
From this hadith, it is understood that in every situation, it is obligatory for the defendant to take an oath, provided that the claimant does not have witnesses—regardless of whether there is familiarity or a relationship between the claimant and the defendant or not.
(2)
Imam Malik rahimahullah says:
An oath will be taken from the defendant only when there has been an exchange of dealings and other transactions between the two; otherwise, every person would keep forcing any respectable individual to take an oath, even if it requires making a false claim against him.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s position is that in both civil and criminal cases, an oath will be taken from the defendant, because there is no distinction regarding this in the ahadith; they should be maintained in their generality.
Our inclination is also towards this view.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 2668
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
yurattiluha:
He would recite it slowly,
deliberately and with pauses.
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
yurattiluha:
He would recite it slowly,
deliberately and with pauses.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 1712
