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: