Muslim concerning a bequest made while traveling, when no Muslims other than those two were present—should we rule in accordance with this?

The answer is: Yes, we do rule in accordance with it under the Sacred Law, and we must accept it as such, because the One who stated it is Allah, the Exalted. If doubt arises in us, we resort to the oath prescribed by Allah, the Exalted. Thus, this matter is an exception.

However, in the case that occurred during the Prophet’s time, the witnesses were two Jewish men. Is it a condition that these outsiders be from the People of the Book, since He says, “from outside your community,” or is this not a condition? If we consider the Noble Quran, we find that it is not a condition. Allah, the Exalted, says, “from outside your community,” leaving it unrestricted; He did not say, “from the People of the Book.” Yet when Allah intends to single out the People of the Book for a ruling, He does so explicitly: “and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you” [al-Ma'idah 5:5]; and, “The food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you” [al-Ma'idah 5:5].

His statement: “Fifth: retention; sixth: integrity. Two things are required for it: uprightness in religious practice, which is to fulfil the obligatory duties together with their regular sunnah prayers, and to avoid prohibited matters by neither committing a major sin nor persisting in a minor one.”

His statement, “Thus, the testimony of an openly sinful person is not accepted”: the fa’ indicates a consequence, and the sentence is derived