been concluded, and the right adjudicated now belongs to the party in whose favor it was decided. Since both witnesses are suspected of seeking to overturn the ruling, the judgment remains in force, but they are held liable: they must guarantee the value of the property concerning which they testified, for by their false testimony they removed it from its rightful owner and prevented him from taking possession of it.

If a judge passes judgment on the basis of a single witness together with the plaintiff’s oath, and that witness then retracts, he must pay the entire amount, because his testimony constituted the legal proof of the claim, whereas the oath is merely the statement of one litigant and is not itself acceptable against the other; it functions only as a procedural condition for issuing the verdict.

Should the witnesses withdraw their testimony before judgment is rendered, the testimony is cancelled, no sentence is passed, and no liability is incurred. Allah knows best.