Muwatta Imam Malik (Riwayat Ibn al-Qasim)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d al-Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) that ‘Uwaymir al-‘Ajlani (may Allah be pleased with him) came to ‘Asim bin ‘Adi al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: O ‘Asim! What is your opinion if a man sees another man with his wife? Should he kill him, and then you would kill (the killer)? Or what should he do? O ‘Asim! Ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about this issue. Then ‘Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the issue, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked such matters and considered them blameworthy. Hearing the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), ‘Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) felt a burden upon himself. When ‘Asim returned home, ‘Uwaymir came to him and asked: O ‘Asim! What answer did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) give you? ‘Asim said to ‘Uwaymir: You did not come to me with good. When I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the issue, he disliked it. ‘Uwaymir said: By Allah! I will not stop until I ask him myself. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting among the people when ‘Uwaymir came and said: O Messenger of Allah! What is your opinion if a man sees another man with his wife? Should he kill him, and then you would kill (the killer)? Or what should he do? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The (ruling) has been revealed regarding you and your wife, go and bring her. Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then both of them performed li’an, and I was with the people in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then when both of them finished (the li’an), ‘Uwaymir said: O Messenger of Allah! If I keep her (as my wife), then I have lied against her? Then, before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave a ruling, he gave her three divorces. Ibn Shihab (al-Zuhri) said: Thus, this became the established Sunnah for those who perform li’an.