‘Our testimony is more truthful than their testimony, and the bowl belongs to their companion.’ Then, it was revealed concerning them: {O you who have believed, testimony between you...} – the verse. It is narrated from al-Sha'bi that a Muslim man was approached by death in Daquqa (9), and he could not find any Muslims to witness his will. He called two people from the People of the Book as witnesses. They arrived in Kufa and came to al-Ash'ari, informed him, and brought his inheritance and his will. Al-Ash'ari said: ‘This is a matter that did not happen after what occurred during the time of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him).’ He made them swear after the ‘Asr prayer that they had not betrayed, lied, replaced, concealed, or changed anything, and that it was indeed the man’s will and his inheritance, so he executed their testimony. Abu Dawud narrated both of them in his “Sunan” (10). Al-Khallal narrated the hadith of Abu Musa with his chain of transmission. Interpreting the verse to mean 'from outside your clan' is incorrect, because the verse was revealed concerning the case (11) of Adi and Tamim, without disagreement among the exegetes. It has been interpreted according to what we have said by Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin, 'Abida, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Sha'bi, Sulayman al-Taymi, and others, and the hadiths we narrated point to it. Furthermore, if what they mentioned were true, the oaths would not be necessary, because there is no qasama (oath-taking) required for two Muslim witnesses. Interpreting it as referring to the procurement of testimony (al-tahammul) is incorrect because he commanded them to take an oath, and there are no oaths in the procurement of testimony. Interpreting it as referring to the oath is incorrect, due to His saying: {Then both of them shall swear by God if you have doubt, 'We will not purchase a price with it, even if he is a near relative, and we will not conceal the testimony of God.'} – the verse. Also, because He coupled it with the just men from among the believers, and they are both witnesses. Abu 'Ubayd narrated in “al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh” (13) that Ibn Mas'ud ruled accordingly during the time of ‘Uthman. Ahmad said: The people of Medina do not possess the hadith of Abu Musa; from where would they know it? This ruling has been established by the Book of God, the ruling of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him), and the ruling of the Companions with it (14), and their action in accordance with what was established (14) in the Book and the Sunnah, so turning to it and acting upon it became mandatory, regardless of whether it agrees with analogy or contradicts it.