Chapter on Miscellaneous Matters Related to Testimonies

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 1|Chapter 34

Chapter on Miscellaneous Matters Related to Testimonies

3 hadiths · 1 commentary

Hadith #1

قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "إِذَا دَفَنْتَ فِي اَلْأَرْضِ شَيْئاً فَأَشْهِدْ عَلَيْهَا فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تُؤَدِّي إِلَيْكَ شَيْئاً".

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq said: "If you bury something in the ground, have witnesses for it, for the earth will not return anything to you."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَوَّلُ شَهَادَةٍ شُهِدَ بِهَا بِالزُّورِ فِي اَلْإِسْلاَمِ شَهَادَةُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً حِينَ اِنْتَهَوْا إِلَى مَاءِ اَلْحَوْأَبِ فَنَبَحَتْهُمْ كِلاَبُهَا فَأَرَادَتْ صَاحِبَتُهُمُ اَلرُّجُوعَ وَ قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَقُولُ لِأَزْوَاجِهِ "إِنَّ إِحْدَاكُنَّ تَنْبَحُهَا كِلاَبُ اَلْحَوْأَبِ، فِي اَلتَّوَجُّهِ إِلَى قِتَالِ وَصِيِّي، عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ " فَشَهِدَ عِنْدَهَا سَبْعُونَ رَجُلاً أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِمَاءِ اَلْحَوْأَبِ فَكَانَتْ أَوَّلَ شَهَادَةٍ شُهِدَ بِهَا فِي اَلْإِسْلاَمِ بِالزُّورِ".

Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq said: "The first false testimony given in Islam was the testimony of seventy men when they reached the water of Haw'ab, and its dogs barked at them. The woman among them intended to return and said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say to his wives: One of you will be barked at by the dogs of Haw'ab while heading to fight my successor, Ali ibn Abi Talib .' Then seventy men testified before her that it was not the water of Haw'ab. This was the first false testimony given in Islam."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Hadith #3

وَ قِيلَ لِلصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّ شَرِيكاً يَرُدُّ شَهَادَتَنَا فَقَالَ "لاَ تُذِلُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ".

It was said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq , "Sharik rejects our testimony.". Imam replied: "Do not humiliate yourselves."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Commentary #1

قَالَ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَيْسَ يُرِيدُ ع بِذَلِكَ النَّهْيَ عَنْ إِقَامَتِهَا لِأَنَّ إِقَامَةَ الشَّهَادَةِ وَاجِبَةٌ إِنَّمَا يَعْنِي بِهَا تَحَمُّلَهَا يَقُولُ لَا تَتَحَمَّلُوا الشَّهَادَاتِ فَتُذِلُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِإِقَامَتِهَا عِنْدَ مَنْ يَرُدُّهَا وَ قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي كَهْمَسٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ تَقَدَّمْتُ إِلَى شَرِيكٍ فِي شَهَادَةٍ لَزِمَتْنِي فَقَالَ لِي كَيْفَ أُجِيزُ شَهَادَتَكَ وَ أَنْتَ تُنْسَبُ إِلَى مَا تُنْسَبُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ أَبُو كَهْمَسٍ فَقُلْتُ وَ مَا هُوَ قَالَ الرَّفْضُ قَالَ فَبَكَيْتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ نَسَبْتَنِي إِلَى قَوْمٍ أَخَافُ أَلَّا أَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ فَأَجَازَ شَهَادَتِي وَ قَدْ وَقَعَ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ لِابْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ وَ لِفُضَيْلٍ سُكَّرَةَ.

The compiler of this book, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that Imam did not intend to prohibit giving testimony, as bearing witness is obligatory. Rather, he meant to avoid taking on testimonies that would lead to humiliation when presenting them to someone who would reject them. It is narrated from Abu Kahmas that he said: I approached Sharik with a testimony I was obliged to present. Sharik said to me, "How can I accept your testimony when you are associated with what you are associated with?" Abu Kahmas said: "I asked: 'What is that?' He replied: 'Rafd (i.e., being a Rafidi).' I wept and said: 'You have associated me with a group I fear I may not even be worthy of belonging to.' Then Sharik accepted my testimony." A similar incident occurred with Ibn Abi Ya'fur and Fudayl Sukkara.