may Allah be pleased with him: he used to blacken the false witness’s face, symbolizing how his lies had blackened his face. He would also seat him backwards on a mount, symbolizing how he had reversed the account, and have him paraded among the people to expose him as a false witness.

Imposing discretionary punishment on such people is not the exclusive prerogative of the judge. Rather, the judge, the official responsible for public oversight, and other authorities capable of doing so may punish them. This becomes obligatory in circumstances such as these, when widespread corruption among women has become apparent and false testimony is rife. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When people see wrongdoing and do not put a stop to it, Allah may soon afflict them all with a punishment from Him.”

And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

“Is it permissible for a father to compel his adult virgin daughter to marry?”

He replied:

Regarding a father compelling his adult virgin daughter to marry, there are two well-known views, both transmitted from Ahmad.

“The first” is that he may compel her, as is the position of Mālik and al-Shāfi‘ī. This is the view preferred by al-Khiraqī, al-Qādī, and his followers.

“The second” is that he may not compel her, as is the position of Abū Hanīfa and others. This is the view preferred by Abū Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Ja‘far, and it is the correct view. Scholars disagree over the “grounds for compelling marriage”: is it