and if the original witnesses attest to the probity of the substitute witnesses, their testimony is accepted. If they remain silent about the substitutes’ character, it is still accepted, but the judge must look into their reliability; yet if the original witnesses deny the testimony altogether, the testimony of the substitutes is rejected.

Abu Hanifah said concerning the perjurer, “He is to be paraded through the marketplace, and I impose no discretionary punishment on him.” Abu Yusuf and Muhammad replied, “We would give him a painful beating and imprison him.”