Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/311)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

her opponent and stronger in argument, on condition that she believes she is in the right. But if she knows that she is in the wrong, then litigation is not permissible in the first place.

His statement, “If she is required to take an oath, he sends someone to administer the oath to her”: That is, in the case of a woman who does not ordinarily appear in public: if she appoints a representative, the representative appears and litigates with her opponent, and her opponent says, “I claim ten thousand riyals from So-and-so,” the judge says to him, “Where is your evidence?” He replies, “I have no evidence.” The matter then rests upon the oath. So, is the representative made to swear? No, because oaths cannot be delegated through representation or agency.

Rather, the judge sends a trustworthy person to administer the oath to the woman. This messenger must be someone whose testimony is accepted both against her and in her favor. Thus, he should not send her father, because her father is subject to suspicion: he might say that she took the oath when she did not. If she takes the oath, the judge rules that she is free of liability. He says: “So-and-so appeared before me as the representative of So-and-so, while So-and-so appeared in person on his own behalf. The latter brought such-and-such a claim against the former’s principal, but produced no evidence. I sent someone to administer the oath to her, and she took the oath before him. Accordingly, I rule that she is free of liability.”

His statement, “The same applies to the sick person”: This means that if a sick person is required to take an oath and is unable to attend the court in person, the judge sends someone to administer the oath to him. This does not apply to every sick person; rather, it applies to the sick person who is unable to attend the court. Illness is therefore of two types:

The first: an illness with which one is able to attend the court; in that case, attendance is required.

The second: an illness with which one is unable to attend; in that case, attendance is not required, and he is told, “Appoint a representative.” If he is required to take an oath, someone is sent to administer it to him.

خصمها وأقوى حجة، بشرط أن تعتقد أنها على حق، أما إذا كانت تعلم أنها على باطل، فلا تجوز الخصومة أصلاً. قوله: «وإن لزمها يمين أرسل من يحلفها» أي: غير البرزة إن وكلت، وحضر الوكيل، وتخاصم مع خصمها، فقال خصمها: أدعي على فلانة بعشرة آلاف ريال، فقال له القاضي: أين البينة؟ قال: ما عندي بينة، فتبقى اليمين، فهل يُحَلَّف الوكيل؟ لا؛ لأن الأيمان لا تدخلها النيابة والوكالة، لكن يرسل القاضي إنساناً ثقةً يُحلِّف المرأةَ، ولا بد أن يكون هذا الرسول ممن تقبل شهادته عليها ولها، فلا يرسل والدها؛ لأن والدها متهم، فربما يقول والدها: إنها حلفت وهي لم تحلف، فإذا حلفت يحكم ببراءتها، فيقول: حضر عندي فلان وكيلاً لفلانة، وفلان أصيلاً عن نفسه، وادعى الثاني على موكلة الأول كذا وكذا، ولم يأت ببينة، وأَرْسَلْتُ من يُحلفها فحَلفت أمامه، وبناء على ذلك أحكم ببراءتها. قوله: «وكذا المريض» يعني أن المريض لو لزمه يمين، ولا يستطيع أن يحضر بنفسه إلى مجلس الحكم فإن القاضي يُرسل من يُحلفه، وليس كل مريض يُفعل به هكذا، بل المريض الذي لا يستطيع الحضور إلى مجلس الحكم، فالمرض إذاً نوعان: الأول: يستطيع معه أن يحضر إلى مجلس الحكم، فيلزمه الحضور. الثاني: لا يستطيع معه الحضور فلا يلزمه، ويقال له: وُكِّل، فإذا لزمه اليمين أرسل إليه من يحلفه.