regarding a right that belongs to him, for it is a purely individual right. Thus, if the individual waives his right in exchange for compensation, there is nothing wrong with that. What is there to prohibit it? If he says, “I will give you such-and-such, so waive your claim to pre-emption,” there is no objection, since it is his right. This is the correct view in this issue: it is valid to reach a settlement concerning the right of pre-emption, and the right of pre-emption then lapses.
His statement, “nor [may one settle in return for] refraining from testimony”: That is, if someone reaches a settlement with a person who is to testify against him concerning a right, saying to him, “Do not testify against me, and I will give you such-and-such.”
An example of this is a man who divorces his wife in the presence of two witnesses, then denies the divorce. The woman says, “I have witnesses—two men who will testify.” The husband then goes to the two witnesses and says, “I will give each of you one thousand riyals; do not give testimony.” This is not permissible, without any doubt, because Allah says:
“Do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it, his heart is indeed sinful.” [al-Baqarah 2:283]
It is not valid under any circumstances, even if we assume that the matter concerns a financial right rather than a marital matter; it is still not permissible.
Is it permissible to reach a settlement with someone who will testify for him falsely?
For example, a man claims that Zayd owes him one thousand riyals, yet he has no witnesses. So he goes to two men and says, “Testify for me, and I will give you such-and-such.” This is not permissible. In some countries, they say that the fee for testimony is fixed according to the value of the claim: if it is a large claim, the testimony costs one hundred riyals; if it is a small claim, it costs ten riyals. It is not permissible for a person to pay someone to testify on his behalf, for this is false testimony, one of the gravest major sins.
His statement, “and pre-emption and the prescribed punishment lapse”: That is, the prescribed punishment for false accusation of unchastity lapses, because