BOOK OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT (IQRAR) OF RIGHTS
Acknowledgment (Iqrar): It is confession. Its source is the Book, the Sunnah, and the Consensus (Ijma'). As for the Book, it is the saying of the Almighty: "And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets" up to His saying: "He said, 'Have you acknowledged, and have you taken upon that My burden?' They said, 'We have acknowledged'" (3:81). And the Almighty said: "And others have acknowledged their sins" (9:102). And the Almighty said: "Am I not your Lord? They said, 'Yes'" (7:172), in many verses similar to this. As for the Sunnah, it is what has been narrated that Ma'iz confessed to adultery, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stoned him. Likewise with the Ghamidiyyah woman, as he said: "And go, O Unays, to the wife of this man; if she confesses, then stone her" (4). As for the Consensus (Ijma'), the Imams (5) have reached a consensus on the validity of acknowledgment. Furthermore, acknowledgment is a report of such a nature that it negates suspicion and doubt, for a rational person does not lie against himself in a way that harms him. For this reason, it is more emphatic than testimony; for if the defendant acknowledges, testimony against him is not heard, but it is only heard if he denies it. If the claimant denies a piece of evidence, it is not heard, but if he denies the acknowledger and then confirms him, it is heard.
Section: Acknowledgment is only valid from a sane, voluntary person. As for the child, the insane, the pleuritic (6), the sleeper, and the one who has fainted, their acknowledgment is not valid. We know of no disagreement regarding this.
(1) Surah Ali 'Imran: 81. (2) Surah Al-Tawbah: 102. (3) Surah Al-A'raf: 172. (4) The Hadith of Ma'iz and the Hadith mentioning Unays have passed on page 201. The Hadith of the Ghamidiyyah woman was recorded by Muslim in: The Chapter on the one who confesses adultery against himself, from the Book of Legal Punishments (Hudud). Sahih Muslim 3/1322, 1323. (5) In A: "The community (Ummah)". (6) Al-Mubrasam (The pleuritic): One who suffers from an illness that causes delirium.
كِتابُ الإِقْرارِ بالحُقُوقِ
الإِقْرَارُ: هو الاعْتِرَافُ. والأَصْلُ فيه الكِتابُ والسُّنَّةُ والإِجْمَاعُ؛ أمَّا الكِتَابُ فَقْولُه تعالى: {وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ} إلى قوله تعالى: {قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا} (١). وقال تعالى: {وَآخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ} (٢). وقال تعالى: {أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى} (٣). في آىٍ كَثِيرَةٍ مثل هذا. وأمَّا السُّنَّةُ فما رُوِىَ أنَّ ماعِزًا أقَرَّ بالزِّنَى، فرَجَمَهُ رسولُ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، كذلك الغَامِدِيَّة، وقال: "وَاغْدُيَا أُنَيْسُ عَلَى امْرَأَةِ هذَا، فَإنِ اعْتَرَفَتْ فَارْجُمْهَا" (٤). وأمَّا الإِجْمَاعُ، فإنَّ الأَئِمَّةَ (٥) أجْمَعَتْ على صِحَّةِ الإِقْرَارِ. ولأنَّ الإِقْرَارَ إخْبَارٌ على وَجْه يَنْفِى عنه التُّهْمَةَ والرِّيبَةَ، فإنَّ العاقِلَ لا يَكْذِبُ على نَفْسِه كَذِبًا يَضُرُّ بها، ولهذا كان آكَدَ من الشَّهَادَةِ، فإنَّ المُدَّعَى عليه إذا اعْتَرَفَ لا تُسْمَعُ عليه الشَّهَادَةُ، وإنما تُسْمَعُ إذا أنْكَرَ، ولو كَذَّبَ المُدَّعِى بِبَيِّنَةٍ لم تُسْمَعْ، وإن كَذَّبَ المُقِرَّ ثم صَدَّقَه سُمِعَ.
فصل: ولا يَصِحُّ الإِقْرَارُ إلَّا من عاقِلٍ مُخْتَارٍ. فأمَّا الطِّفْلُ، والمَجْنُونُ، والمُبَرْسَمُ (٦)، والنائِمُ، والمُغْمَى عليه، فلا يَصِحُّ إقْرَارُهم. لا نَعْلَمُ في هذا خِلافًا.
(١) سورة آل عمران ٨١.(٢) سورة التوبة ١٠٢.(٣) سورة الأعراف ١٧٢.(٤) تقدم حديث ماعز، والحديث الذي يذكر فيه أنيس، في صفحة ٢٠١.وحديث الغامدية أخرجه مسلم، في: باب من اعترف على نفسه بالزنا، من كتاب الحدود. صحيح مسلم ٣/ ١٣٢٢، ١٣٢٣.(٥) في أ: "الأمة".(٦) المبرسم: من به علة يهذى.
