—indeed, they would even seek the lives and wealth of innocent people, taking them completely unawares.
Yet the All-Wise, All-Knowing has laid down boundaries and rulings so that the weight of evil might be lightened and injustice and corruption reduced.
Lessons derived from the ḥadith:
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Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd said: “This ḥadith is proof that a judge may rule only by the prescribed Sharʿī code; no other standard is permissible, even when he is almost certain of the claimant’s truthfulness.”
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The oath is incumbent upon the defendant. In the wording reported by al-Bayhaqī: the evidence is upon the claimant.
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The oath is placed on the defendant because his side is stronger: the basic presumption is that he is free of liability, so an oath from him suffices.
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The wisdom in refusing to accept the claimant’s allegation without proof, while deeming an oath from the defendant sufficient, is what the Prophet ﷺ pointed out when he said, “If people were given merely on the strength of their claims, men would seize the blood and wealth of other men.”
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From this you realize that this ḥadith is one of the great foundational maxims of judicial procedure; most legal rulings revolve around it.
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Bayyina (evidence) is a broad term for anything that makes the truth manifest—witnesses, circumstantial indicators, or describing the claimed item, as in the case of a found object.
Ibn Rajab said, “Any property that the person in possession does not claim: if someone comes and describes it by its hidden features, it is his.” Among the recognized proofs is the presumption created by physical possession.
If someone disputes what is in another’s hand, it remains with the possessor upon his oath, unless the claimant produces evidence stronger than the presumption of possession.