1217 – ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr (may Allah be pleased with them both) related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The testimony of a treacherous man, a treacherous woman, or of one who harbors rancor against his brother is inadmissible, and the testimony of a household servant who depends on its members is likewise unacceptable.” Reported by Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd (1).

Hadith grading
This ḥadith is ḥasan (sound).
It was recorded by Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd, al-Dāraquṭnī, and al-Bayhaqī. Its chain of transmission is ḥasan; al-Ḥāfiẓ said, “Its isnād is strong.” Al-Tanqīḥ states: “Muḥammad ibn Rāshid—one of its narrators—was declared reliable by Aḥmad, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, and others, and no criticism applies to him.”

Glossary of terms
• Khāʾin (traitor): one who breaks a trust, violates a covenant, or fails to discharge an entrusted right.
• Dhī ghamar: with ghayn, followed by open mīm and then rāʾ—rancor and malice.
• Qāniʿ: spelled qāf–alif–nūn–ʿayn—a servant devoted to a household, attending to their needs; because they exercise authority over him and he benefits from them, suspicion of partiality on their behalf persists.
• Li-ahl al-bayt (“for the household”): the preposition lām is linked to an omitted verb meaning “in the company of,” serving as a circumstantial qualifier for “qāniʿ.”

Lessons derived from the ḥadith
1 – It sets out some of the impediments to admissible testimony: whenever any of these qualities is found in a person, his