The Book of Li'an (Mutual Imprecation)
It is derived from al-la'n (cursing), because each of the two spouses curses themselves in the fifth [testimony] if they are a liar. The Qadi said: It is named as such because the two spouses cannot avoid the situation where one of them is a liar, so the curse falls upon them, which is expulsion and distancing. The basis for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: {And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves} to the end of the verses (1). Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi reported that 'Uwaymir al-'Ajlani came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is your opinion regarding a man who finds a man with his wife, does he kill him (2) and you then kill him, or how should he act?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah has revealed (3) [concerning] you and your wife, so go and bring her." Sahl said: "They performed Li'an while I was with the people at the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When they finished, 'Uwaymir said: 'I have lied against her, O Messenger of Allah, if I keep her.' So he divorced her three times [before] the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded him." [This is] agreed upon (5). Abu Dawud (6) reported with his chain of narration from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, who said: Hilal ibn Umayya came—and he was one of the three whom Allah turned toward in repentance—and he arrived from his land at nightfall, and found a man with his wife. He saw [it] with his own eyes and heard [it] with his own ears, but he did not disturb him (7) until morning. Then he went early to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I came to my wife and found a man with her; I saw [it] with my eyes and heard [it] with my ears."
(1) From the sixth to the ninth [verse] of Surat al-Nur. (2) In [B]: "fa-qatalahu" (so he killed him). And in the Two Sahihs: "ayaqtuluhu" (should he kill him?). (3) Did not appear in: [B]. And in Sahih Muslim: "qad nazala fik" (it has been revealed concerning you). (4) In [M]: "bi-hadrat" (in the presence of). (5) Its takhrij (verification) was mentioned previously in: 10/330. (6) Its takhrij was mentioned previously in: 8/373. (7) In [M]: "yahjubuhu". "Lam yahujhu": i.e., Hilal did not disturb that man nor did he provoke him.
