Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/287)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

similar to that. If he says, “You engaged in a dubious sexual act,” or, “So-and-so kissed you,” or, “He derived pleasure from you without intercourse,” does li'an become established or not? It does not, because such statements do not entail the prescribed punishment for slander; therefore, li'an is not established by them.

His statement, “He may avert the prescribed punishment through li'an”: if a man accuses his wife of adultery, then either she confirms his accusation or denies it. If she confirms it, the prescribed punishment for adultery is due upon her. If she is a virgin—meaning that he contracted marriage with her but did not consummate the marriage—she is lashed one hundred times and banished for one year. If she is previously married, she is stoned. If she denies him, then either he has evidence or he does not. If he has evidence, no prescribed punishment is due upon him, for Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses—lash them with eighty lashes.” [Quran 24:4]

It is understood from His saying, “and then do not produce four witnesses,” that had they produced four witnesses, they would not be lashed. Thus, if the husband brings four witnesses to testify to what he alleged, the prescribed punishment is carried out upon the woman, and nothing is due from him. But if he does not bring evidence, the prescribed punishment for slander becomes due upon him. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Produce proof, or face the prescribed punishment on your back.” (1) He must therefore bring evidence; otherwise, he is lashed eighty times if the wife is legally chaste, or he may avert it through li'an.

His statement, “He may avert the prescribed punishment through li'an,” is somewhat imprecise. The correct wording is: he may avert the prescribed punishment or the discretionary punishment. For if she is legally chaste, the prescribed punishment for slander is due upon him; but if she is not legally chaste, he is subject to discretionary punishment, which is less than the prescribed punishment. Legal chastity here means that she is free, Muslim, sane, chaste from adultery, religiously observant, and of an age at which intercourse is possible.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Shahadat (Testimonies), chapter: “If one makes a claim or accusation of adultery, he may seek evidence” (2671), on the authority of Ibn Abbas.

أشبه ذلك، فإن قال: أتيت شبهةً، أو قَبَّلك فلان، أو استمتع بك بغير الوطء، فهل يثبت اللعان أو لا؟ لا يثبت؛ لأن هذه لا يثبت بها حد القذف، فلا يثبت بها اللعان. قوله: «فله إسقاط الحد باللعان» فإذا قذف الرجل امرأته بالزنا، فلا يخلو إما أن تصدقه، أو تكذبه، فإن صدقته فعليها حد الزنا، فإن كانت بكراً ـ بأن عقد عليها ولم يدخل بها ـ تجلد مائة جلدة، وتغرَّب عاماً، وإن كانت ثيباً فإنها ترجم، وإذا كذبته فإما أن يكون له بينة أو لا، فإن كان له بينة فلا حد عليه؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً﴾ [النور: ٤] فعلم من قوله: ﴿ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ﴾ أنهم لو أتوا بأربعة شهداء لم يجلدوا، فإذا أتى الزوج بأربعة شهود يشهدون على ما قال فإنه يقام الحد على المرأة، ولا يجب عليه شيء، وإذا لم يأتِ ببينة وجب عليه حد القذف، ولهذا قال النبي ﵊: «البينة أو حد في ظهرك» (١)، فلا بد أن يأتي ببينة وإلا يجلد ثمانين جلدة إن كانت الزوجة محصنة أو يسقطه باللعان. وقوله: «فله إسقاط الحد باللعان» فيه تسامح، والصواب أن يقال: فله إسقاط الحد أو التعزير؛ لأنها إن كانت محصنة فعليه حد القذف، وإن كانت غير محصنة فعليه التعزير، فيعزر بما دون الحد، والإحصان هنا أن تكون حرة، ومسلمة، وعاقلة، وعفيفة عن الزنا، وملتزمة، ويُجامَع مثلها.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الشهادات/ باب إذا ادعى أو قذف فله أن يلتمس البينة (٢٦٧١) عن ابن عباس ﵄.