Musnad Imam Shafi'i

It is narrated from Hisham bin Urwah that Uwaymir Al-‘Ajlani came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he was a man of red complexion, straight hair, and a weak body. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! What do you think about my partner, Sharik bin Sahma’, that is, my cousin? He was a man with large buttocks, black eyes, strong limbs, and much flesh. He approached such-and-such woman, that is, my wife, and now she is pregnant, and I have not gone near her since that day.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called Sharik, but he denied it, and then he called the woman, but she also denied it. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed li’an (mutual cursing) between the woman and her husband, while the woman was pregnant. Then he said: “Watch, if she gives birth to a black child with large buttocks, then I will consider that her husband has spoken the truth, and if she gives birth to a red child like a lizard, then I will consider that he (the husband) has accused her falsely.” Then she gave birth to a black child with large buttocks. What has reached us is that then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If Allah’s decree had not been passed, the matter would have been clear.” That is, this child is from the one with whom she committed adultery, if it were not for Allah’s command that the decision is made by confession or self-admission, therefore, the decision is not valid on the accusation of either one against the other, even if the matter is clear. And if Allah’s decree had not been passed, I would have made another decision (i.e., stoning). Afterwards, neither did you say anything to Sharik nor to the woman, and better knowledge is with Allah. And the implementation of Allah’s command is better, even though you knew that one of the two was lying. Then later it became known that the husband was truthful in his claim.