in her absence. If he does not know her, he may not testify against her in her absence. Ahmad said, in the narration of the group: He does not testify except for one whom he knows, and against one whom he knows. He does not testify except against a woman he has recognized. If she is from among those whose name he has known, and she has been called, and she has departed and arrived, then let him testify; otherwise, he should not testify. As for if he does not know her, it is not permissible to testify in her absence. It is permissible to testify against her person if he knows her person and has looked at her face. Ahmad said: He does not testify against a woman until he looks at her face. This is understood as applying to testimony regarding someone whose identity he is not certain of. As for the one whose identity he is certain of, and whose voice he has recognized with certainty, it is permissible to testify against her if he is certain of her voice, according to what we have presented in the preceding issue. If he does not know the person being testified against, and someone who knows him identifies him to him, it has been narrated from Ahmad that he said: He does not testify to the testimony of someone else except by his own knowledge of it. He also said: It is not permissible for a man to say to a man: "I testify that this is so-and-so," and testify based on his testimony. This is explicit in the prohibition of testifying against someone he does not know through the identification of another. The judge (al-Qadi) said: It is possible to interpret this as being for recommendation, because of his allowance of testimony based on notoriety (istifadah). The apparent meaning of his statement is the prohibition of it. Ahmad also said: He does not testify against a woman except with the permission of her husband. This is interpreted to mean that he does not enter upon her in her house to testify against her except with her husband's permission; because of what 'Amr ibn al-'As narrated, saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade seeking permission to enter upon women except with the permission of their husbands. Narrated by Ahmad in his "Musnad". As for testimony against her outside of her house, it is permissible; because her admission is valid, and her legal disposal, if she is of sound mind, is valid, so it is permissible to testify against her regarding it.
Section: If a witness recognizes his own handwriting, but does not remember having testified by it, is it permissible for him to testify by it? There are two narrations regarding this. One of them is that it is not permissible for him to testify by it. Ahmad said in the narration of Harb,
(10) In (M): "tashhad" (you/she testifies). (11) In (M): "ta'rif" (you know). (12) Omitted from the original. (13) In the original: "'aynayha" (her two eyes). (14) In (A), (B), (M): "bi-sawtiha" (by her voice). (15) Al-Musnad 4/203. (16) In the original and (A): "fa-ja'iz" (is permissible). (17) Omitted from (A), (B), (M).
مع غَيْبَتِها. وإن لم يعرِفْها، لم يَشْهَدْ عليها مع غَيْبَتِها. قال أحمدُ، فى روايةِ الجَماعةِ: لا يَشْهدُ (١٠) إلَّا لمَن يَعْرِفُ (١١)، وعلى مَن يَعْرِفُ (١١)، ولا يَشْهَدُ إلَّا على امرأةٍ قد عرَفَها، وإن كانتْ ممن قد (١٢) عَرَفَ اسْمَها، ودُعِيَتْ، وذَهَبتْ، وجاءتْ، فلْيَشْهَدْ، وإلَّا فلا يَشْهَدْ، فأما إن لم يَعْرِفْها، فلا يجوزُ أن يشْهَدَ مع غَيْبَتِها. ويجوزُ أن يشْهَدَ على عَيْنِها (١٣) إذا عرَفَ عَيْنِها (١٣)، ونظرَ إلى وَجْهِها. قال أحمدُ: ولا يَشْهَدُ على امرأةٍ، حتى يَنْظُرَ إلى وَجْهِها. وهذا محمولٌ على الشَّهادةِ على مَن لم يتيقَّنْ مَعرِفتَها. فأمَّا مَن تَيَقَّنَ مَعْرِفتَها، وتَعرَّفَ صَوْتَها (١٤) يَقِينًا، فيجوزُ أن يشْهَدَ عليها إذا تيقَّنَ صَوْتَها، على ما قدَّمْناه فى المسألةِ قَبلَها. فإن لم يعْرِفِ المشهودَ عليه، فعرَّفَه عندَه مَن يَعْرفُه، فقد رُوىَ عن أحمدَ، أنَّه قال: لا يَشْهَدُ على شَهادةِ غيرِه إلَّا بمَعْرفتِه لها. وقال: لا يجوزُ للرَّجلِ أن يقولَ للرَّجلِ: أنا أشهدُ أنَّ هذه فلانةُ. ويَشْهدَ على شهادتِه. وهذا صريحٌ فى المَنْعِ مِن الشَّهادةِ على مَن لا يَعْرِفُه بتَعْرِيف غيرِه. وقال القاضى: يجوزُ أن يُحْمَلَ هذا على الاسْتِحْبابِ، لتَجْويزِه الشَّهادةَ بالاسْتِفاضةِ. وظاهرُ قولِه المنعُ منه. وقال أحمدُ: لا يَشهدُ على امرأةٍ إلَّا بإذْنِ زَوْجِها. وهذا يَحْتَمِلُ أنَّه لا يَدْخُلُ عليها بَيْتَها ليَشْهَدَ عليها إلَّا بإذْنِ زَوْجِها؛ لما رَوَى عمرُو بنُ العاصِ قال: نَهَى رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- أنْ يُسْتأذَنَ على النِّساءِ إلَّا بإذْنِ أزْواجهنَّ. رواه أحمدُ، فى "مُسْنَدِه" (١٥). فأمَّا الشَّهادةُ عليها فى غيرِ بيتِها فجائِزةٌ (١٦)؛ لأنَّ إقْرارَها صحيحٌ، وتَصرُّفَها إذا كانتْ رشيدةٌ صحيحٌ، فجازَ أن يَشْهَدَ عليها به.
فصل: وإذا عرَفَ الشاهدُ خطَّه، ولم يذْكُرْ أنَّه شَهِدَ به، فهل يجوزُ له أن يَشْهَدَ له (١٧) بذلك؟ فيه روايَتان؛ إحْداهما، لا يَجوزُ له (١٧) أن يَشْهَدَ بها. قال أحمدُ فى رِوايةِ حَربٍ،
(١٠) فى م: "تشهد".(١١) فى م: "تعرف".(١٢) سقط من: الأصل.(١٣) فى الأصل: "عينيها".(١٤) فى أ، ب، م: "بصوتها".(١٥) المسند ٤/ ٢٠٣.(١٦) فى الأصل، أ: "فجائز".(١٧) سقط من: أ، ب، م.
