against his brother in hostility, the dependent (13) of the household, one upon whom false testimony has been proven, or one suspect in his loyalty or kinship (14)." Abu Dawud also narrated it (15), and it contains: "The testimony of a treacherous man or a treacherous woman, an adulterer or an adulteress, or one who holds a grudge against his brother, is not permitted." As for minor sins, if one persists in them, his testimony is rejected. However, if obedience is the predominant state of his affairs, it is not rejected, due to what we have mentioned regarding the impossibility of avoiding them entirely. As for chivalry (muru'ah), it is the avoidance of lowly matters that are disparaging to one's character, and this is of two types. First, regarding actions: such as eating in the marketplace—meaning one who sets up a dining table in the market and eats while people are watching. It does not refer (17) to eating a small thing, such as a piece of bread or the like. If one exposes what is customarily covered of his body, stretches his legs in a public gathering, makes a mockery of things that make people laugh, addresses his wife, slave-girl, or others in the presence of people with obscene language, or tells people about the sexual intercourse (18) with his spouse, and similar lowly actions, then the one who does this has his testimony rejected. This is because such behavior is foolish and base; whoever is satisfied with it for himself and considers it good lacks chivalry, and therefore trust in his word is not achieved. Ahmad said, regarding a man who swore at an animal: The righteous said his testimony is not accepted until he repents. Abu Mas'ud al-Badri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, among what people have attained from the words of the early prophethood is: If you feel no shame, then do as you wish (19)." Meaning, whoever does not feel shame (20) does as he wishes. This is because chivalry prevents lying and restrains one from it; thus, a person of chivalry avoids it even if he were not a religious person. It is narrated of Abu Sufyan that when Heraclius asked him about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his attributes, he said: "By Allah, were it not that I would dislike for a lie to be reported about me, I would have lied about him (21)." He was not, on that day, a religious person.
(13) In the manuscripts: "al-qati'" (the severer). The "qani'" (dependent) is the one whom the household provides for. (14) Recorded by al-Tirmidhi in: Chapter on what has come regarding one whose testimony is not permitted, from the Chapters on Testimonies. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 9/171. (15) In the aforementioned location. (16) In B: "fi" (in). (17) Omitted from the original and A. (18) In A: "bi mubada'atihi". (19) Recorded by al-Bukhari in: Chapter: "Abu al-Yaman narrated to us, Shu'ayb informed us," from the Book of Prophets. Sahih al-Bukhari 4/215. Abu Dawud in: Chapter on modesty, from the Book of Good Manners. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/552. Ibn Majah in: Chapter on modesty, from the Book of Asceticism 2/1400. (20) In the original and A: "yastahi". They both mean the same. (21) See: what preceded in the verification of the hadith of the letter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Heraclius, on page 74.
أَخِيهِ فِى عَدَاوَةٍ، وَلَا الْقَانِعِ (١٣) لِأهْلِ الْبَيْتِ، وَلَا مُجَرَّبٍ عَلَيْهِ شَهَادَةُ زُورٍ، وَلَا ظَنِينٍ فِى وَلَاءٍ، وَلَا قَرَابَةٍ" (١٤). وقد روَاه أبو داودَ (١٥)، وفيه: "لَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ خَائِنٍ وَلَا خَائِنَةٍ، وَلَا زَانٍ وَلَا زَانِيَةٍ، وَلَا ذِى غِمْرٍ عَلَى أَخِيهِ". فأمَّا الصَّغائرُ، فإن كان مُصِرًّا عليها، رُدَّتْ شهادتُه، وإن كانَ الغالبُ من (١٦) أمْرِه الطاعاتِ، لم يُرَدَّ؛ لما ذكرْنا من عَدَمِ إمْكانِ التَّحرُّزِ منه. فأمَّا المُروءةُ فاجْتِنابُ الأُمورِ الدَّنيئةِ المُزْرِيَةِ به، وذلك نَوْعانِ؛ أحدُهما، من الأفعالِ، كالأكْلِ فى السُّوقِ. يَعْنِى به الذى يَنصِبُ مائدةً فى السُّوقِ، ثم يأْكلُ والناسُ يَنْظرون. ولا يَعنى به (١٧) أَكلَ الشىءِ اليَسيرِ، كالكِسْرةِ ونحوِها. وإن كان يَكْشِفُ ما جَرَتِ العادةُ بتَغْطِيَتِه مِن بَدَنِه، أو يَمُدُّ رِجْلَيْه فى مَجْمَعِ النَّاسِ، أو يتَمَسْخرُ بما يُضْحِكُ الناسَ بِه، أو يُخاطِبُ امْرأتَه أو جارِيتَه أو غيرَهما بحَضْرةِ الناسِ بالخِطابِ الفاحِشِ، أو يُحَدِّثُ الناسَ بمُباضَعةِ (١٨) أهلِه، ونحوِ هذا مِن الأفعالِ الدَّنِيئَةِ، ففاعِلُ هذا لا تُقبَلُ شَهادتُه؛ لأنَّ هذا سُخْفٌ ودَناءَةٌ، فمَن رَضِيَه لنَفْسِه واستحسَنَه، فليستْ له مُروءةٌ، فلا تَحْصُلُ الثِّقَةُ بقولِه. قال أحمدُ، فى رجلٍ شَتَمَ بَهيمَةً: قال الصَّالحونَ: لا تُقْبَلُ شهادتُه حتَّى يَتُوبَ. وقد رَوَى أبو مسعودٍ البَدْرِىُّ، قال: قال رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "إِنَّ مِمَّا أدْرَكَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلَامِ النُّبُوَّةِ الأُولَى، إذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحِ فَاصْنَعْ مَا شِئْتَ" (١٩). يَعنى مَن لم يَستَحِ (٢٠) صَنَعَ ما شاءَ. ولأنَّ المُروءَةَ تَمْنَعُ الكَذِبَ، وتَزْجُرُ عنه، ولهذا يمْتَنِعُ منه ذو المُروءةِ وإن لم يَكُنْ ذا دِينٍ. وقد رُوىَ عن أبى سفيانَ، أنَّه حين سألَه قَيْصَرُ عن النَّبِىِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- وصِفَتِه قال: واللهِ لولا أنِّى كَرِهْتُ أن يُؤْثَرَ عنِّى الكَذِبُ، لَكَذَبْتُه (٢١). ولم يكنْ يومَئذٍ ذا
(١٣) فى النسخ: "القاطع". والقانع: هو الذى ينفق عليه أهل البيت.(١٤) أخرجه الترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى من لا تجوز شهادته، من أبواب الشهادات. عارضة الأحوذى ٩/ ١٧١.(١٥) فى الموضع السابق.(١٦) فى ب: "فى".(١٧) سقط من: الأصل، أ.(١٨) فى أ: "بمباضعته".(١٩) أخرجه البخارى، فى: باب حدثنا أبو اليمان، أخبرنا شعيب، من كتاب الأنبياء. صحيح البخارى ٤/ ٢١٥. وأبو داود، فى: باب فى الحياء، من كتاب الأدب. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٥٥٢. وابن ماجه، فى: باب الحياء، من كتاب الزهد ٢/ ١٤٠٠.(٢٠) فى الأصل، أ: "يستحى". وهما بمعنى.(٢١) انظر: ما تقدم فى تخريج حديث كتاب النبى -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- إلى قيصر، فى صفحة ٧٤.
