The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disliked what he had brought, and it weighed heavily upon him. Then [the following verses] were revealed: {And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, then the testimony of one of them shall be four testimonies by Allah}—both verses (9). So the distress was lifted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said: "Rejoice, O Hilal! Allah has granted you relief and an exit." Hilal said: "I was indeed hoping for that from my Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Send for her." So they sent for her, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited [the verses] to both of them (11), admonished them, and informed them that the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe than the punishment of the world. Hilal said: "By Allah, I have indeed spoken the truth against her." She said: "He has lied." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Perform Li'an between them." Hilal was told: "Testify." So he testified four times by Allah that he was among the truthful. When it came to the fifth, it was said: "O Hilal, fear Allah, for the punishment of this world is easier than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this is the decisive [testimony] that brings down the punishment upon you." He said: "By Allah, Allah will not punish me for it, just as He did not have me flogged for it." So he testified the fifth time that the curse of Allah is upon him if he were among the liars. Then it was said to her: "Testify." She testified four times by Allah that he was among the liars. When it came to the fifth, it was said to her: "Fear Allah, for the punishment of this world is easier than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this is the decisive [testimony] that brings down the punishment upon you." She hesitated for a while, then said: "By Allah, I will not disgrace my people." So she testified the fifth time that the wrath of Allah is upon her if he were among the truthful. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then separated them and decreed that she had no right to housing or maintenance from him, because they were separated without a divorce and without [the husband] having passed away. And he said: "If she brings him [the child] reddish, small-boned(13), with a protruding back(14), and thin(15) shanks, then he is for Hilal."
(8) Appeared in the first of them. (9) In [A], [B], [M]: "kilayhima" (both of them). (10) Omitted from: The original. (11) In the original, [A], [B]: "alayhim" (upon them). The version confirmed in [M] and Sunan Abi Dawud is "alayhima" (upon both of them). (12) In [A], [M]: "yaftariqan" (they are separated). (13) In [A], [B], [M]: "uraysih". "Al-uraysih" is the diminutive of "al-arsah", which means one who is light/thin in the buttocks. (14) "Al-uthaybij" is the diminutive of "al-uthbaj", which is the projecting upper back, i.e., the area between the shoulder blades and the middle of the back. (15) In [M]: "ahmash". "Hamsh al-saqayn" means having thin shanks.
