from among your men, but if there are not two men, then a man and two women from those you approve as witnesses." All scholars are in consensus on acting according to this. We have already mentioned the reports of Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Abbas regarding it.
Section: The majority of the scholars of knowledge hold the view that wealth is established for its claimant by a witness and an oath. This has been narrated from Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them. This is the opinion of the Seven Jurists, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, al-Hasan, Shurayh, Iyas, Abdullah ibn Utbah, Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman, Yahya ibn Ya'mur, Rabia, Malik, Ibn Abi Layla, Abu al-Zinad, and al-Shafi'i. Al-Sha'bi, al-Nakha'i, the proponents of opinion (Ashab al-Ra'y), and al-Awza'i said: Judgment is not given by a witness and an oath. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan said: Whoever judges by a witness and an oath, I will invalidate his ruling; because Allah the Almighty said: "And call upon two witnesses from among your men, but if there are not two men, then a man and two women." So whoever adds to that has added to the text, and an addition to the text is abrogation (naskh). Furthermore, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The burden of proof is upon the claimant, and the oath is upon [the defendant]." He restricted the oath to the side of the defendant, just as He restricted the burden of proof to the side of the claimant. Our evidence is what Suhayl narrated from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) judged by an oath along with a single witness. This was narrated by Sa'id ibn Mansur in his Sunan, and the Imams of the Sunan and Musnads. Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan (good) gharib (uncommon) hadith.
(2) Surah al-Baqarah 282. (3) They were mentioned previously on pages 128, 129. (4) That which was narrated from Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman was recorded by al-Daraqutni, in: Kitab al-Aqdiya wa al-Ahkam [Book of Judicial Decisions and Rulings] and others. Sunan al-Daraqutni 4/215. (5) Omitted from [B]. And it was recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter of what has been mentioned regarding the oath with the witness, from the Chapters on Rulings. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 6/90. And al-Daraqutni, in the previous book. Sunan al-Daraqutni 4/212. And al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter of Judging by the Oath and the Witness, from the Book of Testimony. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/169, 170, 171. (6) In [B] and [M]: "man ankhar" (the one who denied). And the hadith was previously documented in 6/587. See: 6/525, 10/530. (7) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter of Judging by the Oath and the Witness, from the Book of Judicial Decisions. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/277. And al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter of what has been mentioned regarding the oath with the witness, from the Chapters on Rulings. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 6/89. From the same chapter. And Ibn Majah, in: Judging by the Witness and the Oath. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/793. And al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter of Judging by the Oath and the Witness, from the Book of Testimony. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/168, 169. (8) Omitted from: Al-Asl and [B].
