Chapter on Whose Testimony Must Be Rejected and Whose Testimony Must Be Accepted
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 1|Chapter 18
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Volume 3, Book 1, Chapter 18
Chapter on Whose Testimony Must Be Rejected and Whose Testimony Must Be Accepted
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ اَلْحُصَيْنِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: "أَقِيمُوا اَلشَّهَادَةَ عَلَى اَلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَ اَلْوَلَدِ وَ لاَ تُقِيمُوهَا عَلَى اَلْأَخِ فِي اَلدِّيْنِ اَلضَّيْرَ" قُلْتُ وَ مَا اَلضَّيْرُ قَالَ "إِذَا تَعَدَّى فِيهِ صَاحِبُ اَلْحَقِّ اَلَّذِي يَدَّعِيهِ قِبَلَهُ خِلاَفَ مَا أَمَرَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُولُهُ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ مَثَلُ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِرَجُلٍ عَلَى آخَرَ دَيْنٌ وَ هُوَ مُعْسِرٌ وَ قَدْ أَمَرَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِإِنْظَارِهِ حَتَّى يَيْسَرَ فَقَالَ "فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ" وَ يَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تُقِيمَ اَلشَّهَادَةَ وَ أَنْتَ تَعْرِفُهُ بِالْعُسْرِ فَلاَ يَحِلُّ لَكَ أَنْ تُقِيمَ اَلشَّهَادَةَ فِي حَالِ اَلْعُسْرِ".
And it was narrated from Dawud ibn Al-Husayn who said: I heard Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, say: "Establish testimony against parents and children, but do not establish it against a brother in religion out of harm (al-ḍayr)." I said: What is al-ḍayr? Imam عليه السلام said: "It is when the claimant transgresses in demanding his right contrary to what Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Almighty, and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم have commanded. An example of this is when one man has a debt upon another who is in hardship, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, has commanded to grant him respite until ease, as He سبحانه وتعالى said: 'then a respite until ease.' (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:280), Yet, he asks you to bear witness against him while you know he is in hardship. It is not permissible for you to establish the testimony during his state of hardship."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh