Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (2/285)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

while travelling—relying on the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He: “Or two others from outside your community” [al-Mā’idah: 106]. For Allah says: “Two upright men from among you” [al-Talāq: 2], and: “Those whom you approve as witnesses” [al-Baqarah: 282]. Islam is a prerequisite for being deemed upright and acceptable. We stipulate uprightness because Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, says: “And call to witness two upright men from among you” [al-Talāq: 2], and: “Those whom you approve as witnesses” [al-Baqarah: 282]. There has been considerable disagreement over the definition of the uprightness and acceptability that render a witness’s testimony admissible. In my view, the best account is that such a witness avoids major sins and guards against minor ones—although no sin is minor in absolute terms, since every act of disobedience to Allah is a major sin. Sins are called minor only in comparison with major ones.

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Another condition for the admissibility of a witness’s testimony is that he be alert and cautious. If he is heedless and simple-minded, he cannot be trusted to resist manipulation by schemers and may therefore testify to what is false. There is disagreement over whether he must have independent control of his own affairs. Ashhab related from Mālik that the testimony of someone under guardianship is admissible if he is upright; Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam also transmitted this from him. Ashhab, however, said that his testimony is inadmissible, even if he is someone who would be given his property were he to request it. Muhammad ibn al-Mawwāz adopted this view, saying: “A virgin woman’s testimony concerning property is inadmissible until she is past the usual age of marriage, even if she is upright.”

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Witnesses fall into three categories:

A witness known to be upright.

A witness known to have a disqualifying defect.

A witness whose standing is unknown, being known neither for uprightness nor for a disqualifying defect.

As for a witness known to be upright, his testimony is admissible, and judgment is given in the claimant’s favour on its basis after

في السفر- تعلقا بقول الله ﷿: ﴿أَوْ آخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ﴾ [المائدة: ١٠٦]؛ لأن الله قال: ﴿ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾ [الطلاق: ٢] وقال: ﴿مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَدَاءِ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٨٢]، والإسلام شرط في صحة العدالة والرضا، وإنما شرطنا في ذلك العدالة لقول الله ﷿: ﴿وَأَشْهِدُوا ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾ [الطلاق: ٢]. وقوله: ﴿مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَدَاءِ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٨٢]. وقد اختلف في حد العدالة والرضا الذي تجوز به شهادة الشاهد اختلافا كثيرا، وأحسن ما قيل في ذلك- عندي أنه الشاهد الذي يجتنب الكبائر ويتوقى الصغائر- على أنه لا صغيرة على الإطلاق؛ لأن كل ما عصى الله به فهو كبيرة، وإنما يقال لها صغائر بإضافتها إلى الكبائر. فصل ومن شرط جواز شهادة الشاهد، أيضا: أن يكون من أهل اليقظة والتحرز؛ لأنه إن كان من أهل الغفلة والبله لم يؤمن عليه التميل من أهل التحيل، فيشهد بالباطل، واختلف هل من شرطه أن يكون مالكا لأمر نفسه، فروى أشهب عن مالك أن شهادة المولى عليه جائزة- إن كان عدلا، وهي رواية ابن عبد الحكم أيضا عنه. وقال أشهب: لا تجوز شهادته- وإن كان مثله لو طلب ماله أعطيه، واختار ذلك محمد بن المواز قال؛ "ولا تجوز شهادة البكر في المال حتى تعنس وإن كانت من أهل العدل ". فصل والشاهد ينقسم على ثلاثة أقسام شاهد معروف بالعدالة. وشاهد معروف بالجرحة. وشاهد مجهول الحال لا يعرف بعدالة ولا جرحة. فأما الشاهد المعروف بالعدالة، فتجوز شهادته ويحكم للطالب بها بعد