trade it for a small price, {even if it concerns a near relative, and we do not conceal the testimony of God; for then we would indeed be among the sinful} (1). Ibn al-Mundhir said: This is the view of the great scholars of the past, referring to the verse in Surah al-Ma'idah. Among those who stated this are Shurayh, al-Nakha'i, al-Awza'i, and Yahya ibn Hamzah (2). Ibn Mas'ud and Abu Musa, may God be pleased with them, ruled accordingly (3). Abu Hanifa, Malik, and al-Shafi'i said: It is not accepted; because whoever has their testimony rejected [on matters other than a will, it is not accepted in a will; like a fasiq (open sinner) (4) whose testimony is not accepted] (5), therefore a non-believer is even more so. They differed in the interpretation of the verse; some of them applied it to the procurement of testimony rather than its performance, and some of them said: The meaning of His saying: {from among others than you} (1), is from among others than your own clan. Others said: The testimony in the verse is the oath. Our counter-argument is the saying of God Almighty: {O you who have believed, testimony between you when death approaches one of you at the time of bequest is [that of] two just men from among you or two others from outside you} – the verse (1). This is the text of the Book, and it was ruled upon (6) by the Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him) and his Companions. Ibn Abbas narrated that a man from Banu Sahm went out with Tamim al-Dari and Adi ibn Zayd, and the Sahmi man died in a land where there were no Muslims. When they arrived with his inheritance, they missed (7) a silver bowl inlaid (8) with gold. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him) made them swear an oath. Then they found the bowl in Mecca and said: We bought it from Tamim and Adi. Two men from the relatives of the Sahmi man stood up and swore by God:
(1) Surah al-Ma'idah, 106. (2) Yahya ibn Hamzah ibn Waqid, the judge of Damascus, reliable, narrator of many hadiths, died in the year 183 AH. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala 8/314, 315. (3) Al-Bayhaqi extracted it from Shurayh and Abu Musa in the chapter: 'Whoever permits the testimony of the People of the Dhimma...' from the Book of Testimonies. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/166. Also 'Abd al-Razzaq in the chapter: 'The testimony of the People of Unbelief against the People of Islam' from the Book of Testimonies, Al-Musannaf 8/360. And al-Tabari in his commentary on the verse, Tafsir al-Tabari 7/105. It was also extracted from Shurayh by Waki' in Akhbar al-Qudat 2/281. The report of Ibn Mas'ud will appear at the end of the issue. (4) In A, there is an addition: "and because the fasiq". (5) Omitted from the original. Note for review. (6) Omitted from M. (7) In the original: "faqada" (he missed/lost). (8) Muhawwas: decorated.
اشْتَرَيا بهَ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا {وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى، وَلَا نَكْتُمُ شَهَادَةَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا إِذًا لَمِنَ الْآثِمِينَ} (١). قال ابنُ المُنذرِ: وبهذا قالَ أكابر الماضِين. يَعنى الآيةَ التى فى سُورَةِ المائدةِ. وممَّن قالَه شُرَيْحٌ، والنَّخَعِىُّ، والأوْزاعىُّ، ويحيى بنُ حَمزَةَ (٢). وقَضَى بذلك ابنُ مَسعودٍ، وأبو موسى، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنهما (٣). وقال أبو حنيفةَ، ومالِكٌ؛ والشَّافعىُّ: لا تُقْبَلُ؛ لأنَّ مَن لا تُقبَلُ شَهادتُه [على غيرِ الوَصيَّةِ، لا تُقْبَلُ فى الوصِيَّةِ؛ كالفاسِقِ (٤) لا تُقْبَلُ شَهادتُه] (٥)، فالكَافِرُ أوْلَى. واخْتلَفوا فى تَأْويلِ الآيةِ؛ فمنهم مَن حَمَلَها على التَّحمُّلِ دونَ الأداءِ، ومِنهم مَن قال: المُرادُ بقولِه: {مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ} (١). أى مِن غَيرِ عَشِيرَتِكم. ومنهم مَن قال: الشَّهادةُ فى الآيةِ اليَمِينُ. ولَنا، قول اللَّه تعالى: {يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ آخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى الْأَرْضِ فَأَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةُ الْمَوْتِ}. الآية (١). وهذا نصُّ الكِتابِ، وقد قَضَى به (٦) رسولُ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- وأصْحابُه، فرَوَى ابنُ عباسٍ، قال: خرجَ رجلٌ مِن بنى سَهْمٍ مِع تَمِيمِ الدَّارِىِّ، وعَدِىِّ بنِ زَيدٍ، فماتَ السَّهْمِىُّ بأرضٍ ليس بها مُسْلمٌ، فلما قَدِما بتَرِكَتِه فَقَدُوا (٧) جَامَ فِضَّةٍ مُخَوَّصًا (٨) بالذَّهبِ، فأحْلَفَهما رسولُ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، ثم وَجَدُوا الجَامَ بمَكَّةَ، فقالوا: اشْتَرْيناه مِن تَمِيمٍ وعَدِىٍّ، فقامَ رجلان مِن أوْلياءِ السَّهْمِىِّ، فحلَفا باللَّهِ:
(١) سورة المائدة ١٠٦.(٢) يحيى بن حمزة بن واقد، قاضى دمشق، ثقة، كثير الحديث، توفى سنة ثلاث وثمانين ومائة. سير أعلام النبلاء ٨/ ٣١٤، ٣١٥.(٣) أخرجه عن شريح وأبى موسى، البيهقى، فى: باب من أجاز شهادة أهل الذمة. . .، من كتاب الشهادات. السنن الكبرى ١٠/ ١٦٦. وعبد الرزاق، فى: باب شهادة أهل الكفر عل أهل الإِسلام، من كتاب الشهادات. المصنف ٨/ ٣٦٠. والطبرى، فى: تفسير الآية. تفسير الطبرى ٧/ ١٠٥. كما أخرجه عن شريح وكيع، فى: أخبارة القضاة ٢/ ٢٨١. ويأتى أثر ابن مسعود فى آخر المسألة.(٤) فى أزيادة: "ولأن الفاسق".(٥) سقط من: الأصل. نقل نظر.(٦) سقط من: م.(٧) فى الأصل: "فقد".(٨) محوَّص: مُزَيَّن.
