Book of Testimonies
Introduction
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Book of Testimonies
Undertaking a testimony—when the right involved is other than Allah’s right—is a communal obligation; if only the minimum number required can be found, it becomes individually binding on them.
Delivering the testimony is an individual duty upon the one who has borne it whenever he is summoned and able to do so without harm to his person, honor, property, or family—and the same applies at the moment of first bearing the testimony. It is unlawful to conceal it, and one may not testify except to what he knows[1] by direct sight or hearing, or by recurrent, widespread report in matters that cannot be otherwise established, such as lineage, death, unrestricted ownership, marriage, endowment, and the like.
Whoever testifies to a marriage contract or any other contract must state its conditions.
If he testifies to breastfeeding, theft, drinking[2], or slander, he must describe the act in detail; likewise, in the case of adultery he must specify the time, place, and the woman involved, and mention every factor relevant to the ruling, each of which varies from case to case.
Section
The qualifications of a person whose testimony is accepted are six[3]:
- Puberty—the testimony of minors[4] is not admissible.