Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/294)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and his wife (may Allah be pleased with her), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conducted the mutual imprecation between them. (1)

In sum, this matter—we ask Allah for well-being—may occur in any age and is not something unusual. The entire issue, however, is what the husband should do if he accuses his wife: Is he obliged to engage in mutual imprecation, is he not obliged to do so, must he separate from her, or what should he do?

The scholars say: If she becomes pregnant by that wicked man, he must engage in mutual imprecation in order to disclaim the child. If she does not become pregnant, then mutual imprecation is not obligatory for him, and he may conceal her sin. Then, if he is able to keep her and protect her, he should retain her; otherwise, he should divorce her, lest he be a man who tolerates sexual immorality among his household. It appears that concealing the matter is preferable, especially if she has evidently repented, has children, and there is fear that the family will be broken apart.

If she begins the mutual imprecation before him, or if either of them omits any of the five prescribed statements, or if neither a judge nor his deputy is present, or if one substitutes “I swear” or “I take an oath” for the words “I bear witness,” or substitutes banishment for the curse, or displeasure for wrath, it is not valid.

His statement, “If she begins the mutual imprecation before him”: the mutual imprecation is not valid, because this contradicts the Quran both in wording and in meaning. As for contradicting its wording, Allah says: “So the testimony of one of them shall be four testimonies by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful.” [al-Nur 24:6] As for contradicting its meaning, it is due to His saying: “And it will avert from her the punishment.” [al-Nur 24:7–8] The punishment does not become due until after the husband has engaged in mutual imprecation. Since it does not become due until after the mutual imprecation, it necessarily follows that the husband’s mutual imprecation must precede the woman’s. Therefore, if she begins before him, it is not valid.

Regarding the saying of Allah, “And it will avert from her the punishment,” some scholars say that it refers to the prescribed punishment, while others say that it refers to imprisonment, and that if testimony is given against her

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in The Book of Divorce, chapter: “Li'an and One Who Divorces after Li'an” (5308), and by Muslim in The Book of Li'an (1492), on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him.

وزوجته ﵄، فأجرى النبي ﷺ بينهما اللعان (١). فالحاصل أن هذا الأمر ـ نسأل الله العافية ـ قد يقع في أي عصر من العصور وليس أمراً غريباً، ولكن الشأن كله في أن الزوج هل يجب عليه إذا اتهم زوجته أن يلاعن، أو لا يجب، أو يجب عليه الفراق، أو ماذا يفعل؟ يقول العلماء: إن حملت من هذا الرجل الفاجر وجب عليه أن يلاعن؛ من أجل نفي الولد، وإن لم تحمل فإنه لا يجب عليه اللعان، وله أن يستر عليها، ثم إن كان قادراً على حفظها وحمايتها فليبقها عنده، وإلا فليطلقها؛ لئلا يكون ديوثاً يقر أهله بالفاحشة، والظاهر أن الأفضل الستر، خصوصاً إذا ظهر منها التوبة، وكانت ذات أولاد، ويخشى من تفرق العائلة. فَإِنْ بَدَأَتْ بِاللِّعَانِ قَبْلَهُ، أَوْ نَقَصَ أَحَدُهُمَا شَيْئاً مِنَ الأَلْفَاظِ الْخَمْسَةِ، أَوْ لَمْ يَحْضُرْهُمَا حَاكِمٌ، أَوْ نَائِبُهُ، أَوْ أَبْدَلَ لَفْظَةَ أَشْهَدُ بِأُقْسِمُ، أَوْ أَحْلِفُ، أَوْ لَفْظَةَ اللَّعْنَةِ بِالإِبْعَادِ، أَوِ الْغَضَبِ بِالسَّخَطِ لَمْ يَصِحَّ. قوله: «فإن بدأت باللعان قبله» لم يصح اللعان؛ لأنه خلاف القرآن لفظاً ومعنى، أما خلافه لفظاً فلأن الله قال: ﴿فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ [النور: ٦]، وأما خلافه معنى فلقوله: ﴿وَيَدْرَأُ﴾ ﴿عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ﴾ [النور: ٧، ٨]، والعذاب ما يثبت إلا بعد أن يلاعن الزوج، وإذا كان لا يثبت إلا بعد اللعان لزم من ذلك أن يسبق لعانُ الزوج لعانَ المرأة، فإذا بدأت قبله فإنه لا يصح. وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ﴾ قال بعض العلماء: إنه الحد، وبعض العلماء يقول: إنه الحبس، وأنها إذا شهد عليها

(١) أخرجها البخاري في الطلاق/ باب اللعان ومن طلق بعد اللعان (٥٣٠٨)، ومسلم في اللعان (١٤٩٢) عن سهل بن سعد ﵁.