a man, so he accused her of it. They gathered before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: "[It is] the lash." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I looked until I was certain, and I listened until I quenched my thirst [of knowledge], and it would be that Allah would spare my back from the lash, for it is as [I have said]." At that, the Li'an (oath of condemnation) was revealed: "And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses but themselves, then the testimony of one of them is four testimonies by Allah that he is of the truthful ones. And the fifth [testimony] is that the curse of Allah be upon him if he were of the liars. And it shall avert the punishment from her if she gives four testimonies by Allah that he is of the liars. And the fifth [testimony] is that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful ones." He said: "So he invoked the curse," and he made him swear four times. He said: "Hold him back at the fifth, for it is binding." Then the woman invoked the curse as well four times. He said: "Hold her back at the fifth, for it is binding." She hesitated at the fifth until they thought she was going to confess. Then she said: "I will not disgrace my people for the rest of the day." So she proceeded with her statement, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) separated them.

14166 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya ibn 'Abd Allah narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata' ibn Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, regarding the saying of Allah: "Then lash them," meaning the rulers, when it is brought to them, they shall lash the accuser eighty lashes.

14167 - And with his chain of narration, regarding the saying of Allah: "And do not accept their testimony ever," he says: The testimony of the accuser shall never be accepted. His repentance is only between him and Allah. Shurayh used to say: "His testimony is not accepted."

14168 - And by it, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr: "And do not accept their testimony ever," meaning after the lashing. Meaning after they have been lashed for the accusation.

14169 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-A'la narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Thawr narrated to us, from Ma'mar, from al-Hasan: "And do not accept their testimony ever." He used to say: The testimony of the accuser shall never be accepted; it is only between him and Allah.

14170 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya ibn 'Abd Allah narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata' narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, regarding His saying: "Testimony ever," meaning after the lashing as long as he lives.

14171 - Al-'Abbas ibn al-Walid ibn Mazid informed us, my father informed me, 'Abd al-Rahman...