the side of the defendant. Likewise, when a homicide claim is backed by circumstantial indications and grounds for suspicion, all of which are signs that tip the balance toward the claimant—the slain person’s heirs swear fifty oaths, and on that basis judgment is entered in their favour according to most jurists, in keeping with the established Sunnah.

The same holds true in a case of liʿān: if the husband swears and bears witness four times by Allah that he is indeed telling the truth, then confirms it with a fifth oath, he has thereby produced proof for his allegation. Should the wife counter by testifying four times, reinforcing it with a fifth, that he is lying