Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/105)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

established in al-Bukhari (1). This applies whether the teacher is blind or sighted; however, if he is sighted, there must be a partition between him and the women.

Likewise, the ruler has the authority to discipline a pregnant woman among his subjects. If the discipline is administered to a pregnant woman, she herself is not harmed, but she miscarries her fetus, then the one who disciplined her is liable for it. The amount of the blood-money due for a fetus, and when liability is incurred, will be discussed later, Allah willing.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that the one administering discipline is liable for it in all cases, because the injury here has extended to another party. The fetus has done nothing that would make it deserving of discipline, such that it could be said that it perished as a result of disciplining it. Since the effect of the discipline has extended to another party, compensation is due for it. For liability for harm done to a human being does not require that the act itself be prohibited: a person may be liable even when doing something permissible. We have previously mentioned that if a person shoots at game and strikes a human being, he is liable for him. Accordingly, if a man disciplines a pregnant woman and she miscarries her fetus, he is liable for it. As for the woman herself, if the five conditions are fulfilled, there is no liability.

If the ruler summons a woman to establish a right due to Allah Most High, or if a man calls the police against her concerning a claim he has against her and she miscarries, the ruler and the complainant are liable. But if she dies from fright, neither of them is liable, ................

His statement, “If the ruler summons a woman to establish a right due to Allah Most High”: that is, if she is accused of something involving the rights of Allah, so he summons her and orders her to appear, and she miscarries her fetus out of fright, then he is liable for it, because this order has extended its effect to another party.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that this applies whether he summons her concerning a right due to Allah while she is in the wrong, or summons her while he is the wrongdoer, or summons her before the matter has become clear,

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Knowledge, chapter: “Should a separate day be designated for women to receive knowledge?” (102), on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri.

ثابت في البخاري (١)، وسواء كان المعلم أعمى أو مبصراً، لكن المبصر لا بد أن يكون بينه وبين النساء حجاب. وكذلك السلطان يملك أن يؤدب امرأة حاملاً من رعيته، فإن كان التأديب لحامل، وهي لم تتضرر، ولكن أسقطت جنيناً فإن المؤدب يضمنه، وسيأتي ـ إن شاء الله ـ مقدار دية الجنين، ومتى يضمن. وظاهر كلام المؤلف أن المؤدب يضمنه مطلقاً؛ لأن الجناية هنا تعدت إلى الغير، والجنين لم يفعل ما يستحق التأديب عليه حتى نقول: إنه تلف بتأديبه، فلما تعدى حكم التأديب إلى الغير صار مضموناً؛ لأن ضمان الآدمي لا يشترط فيه التحريم، فيضمن حتى لو فعل الإنسان ما يباح له، وقد سبق لنا أن الإنسان لو رمى صيداً فأصاب إنساناً ضمنه، فعلى هذا إذا أدب الرجل امرأة حاملاً فأسقطت جنيناً، فعليه ضمانه، وأما هي فإذا تمت الشروط الخمسة فلا ضمان. وَإِنْ طَلَبَ السُّلْطَانُ امْرَأَةً لِكَشْفِ حَقِّ اللهِ تَعَالَى، أَوِ اسْتَعْدَى عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ بالشُّرَطِ فِي دَعْوَى لَهُ فَأَسْقَطَتْ ضَمِنَهُ السُّلْطَانُ وَالْمُسْتَعْدِي، وَلَوْ مَاتَتْ فَزَعاً لَمْ يَضْمَنَا، ................ قوله: «وإن طلب السلطان امرأة لكشف حق الله تعالى» بأن اتُّهِمَت بشيء من حقوق الله ﷿، فطلبها وأمرها أن تحضر، فأسقطت جنينها من الروعة، فإنه يضمنه؛ لأن هذا الأمر تعدى إلى الغير. وظاهر كلام المؤلف سواء طلبها لحق الله ﷿ وهي ظالمة، أو طلبها وهو الظالم، أو طلبها قبل أن يتبين الأمر،

(١) أخرجه البخاري في العلم/ بابٌ هل يَجْعَلُ للنساء يوماً على حدة في العلم؟ (١٠٢) عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه.