Judicial Ruling Based on One Witness and an Oath in Islamic Law

Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri — by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri

❖ Question​

Can a judicial decision be made based on one witness and one oath?

❖ Answer​

If the claimant possesses one witness, then the judge may take an oath from him (the claimant) and issue a ruling in his favor. In this situation, no oath will be taken from the defendant.

❀ Narration of Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما​

قضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بشاهد ويمين
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم gave judgment based on one witness and an oath.”


(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1712)

❀ Narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه​

إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قضى باليمين مع الشاهد الواحد
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم issued judgment with an oath along with a single witness.”


(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3610; Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 1343 — sanad ṣaḥīḥ)


Imām al-Tirmidhī graded it ḥasan gharīb, and Imām Abū ʿAwanah (6015) and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (5073) declared it ṣaḥīḥ.

❀ Narration of Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه​

إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قضى باليمين مع الشاهد
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم passed judgment with an oath along with a witness.”


(Musnad Aḥmad: 3/305; Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 1344; Sunan Ibn Mājah: 2369 — sanad ḥasan)