حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ إِنَّا لَلَيْلَةُ جُمْعَةٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ إِذْ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً فَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ جَلَدْتُمُوهُ أَوْ قَتَلَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى غَيْظٍ وَاللَّهِ لأَسْأَلَنَّ عَنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً فَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ جَلَدْتُمُوهُ أَوْ قَتَلَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ أَوْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى غَيْظٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَجَعَلَ يَدْعُو فَنَزَلَتْ آيَةُ اللِّعَانِ ‏‏{‏ وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلاَّ أَنْفُسُهُمْ ‏}‏ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فَابْتُلِيَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ النَّاسِ فَجَاءَ هُوَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَلاَعَنَا فَشَهِدَ الرَّجُلُ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ثُمَّ لَعَنَ الْخَامِسَةَ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ قَالَ فَذَهَبَتْ لِتَلْتَعِنَ فَقَالَ لَهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَهْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَبَتْ فَفَعَلَتْ فَلَمَّا أَدْبَرَا قَالَ ‏"‏لَعَلَّهَا أَنْ تَجِيءَ بِهِ أَسْوَدَ جَعْدًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ أَسْوَدَ جَعْدًا

Abdullah said, "We were on the night of Friday in the mosque, when a man from the Ansar entered the mosque and said, 'If a man finds a man with his wife and speaks about it, you flog him, or if he kills, you kill him, or if he remains silent, he remains silent despite anger. By Allah, I shall certainly ask the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about that.' When the next day came, he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and asked him, saying, 'If a man finds a man with his wife and speaks about it, you flog him, or if he kills, you kill him, or if he remains silent, he remains silent despite anger.' He said, 'O Allah, grant relief.' He continued to supplicate, and the verse of cursing was revealed:

And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves

. This man was tested with this among the people, so he and his wife came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and performed the mutual cursing (li'an). The man testified four times by Allah that he was indeed of the truthful, and the fifth time that the curse of Allah be upon him if he was of the liars. Then she was about to perform the cursing, so the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to her, 'Wait.' But she refused and proceeded with it. When they turned away, he said, 'Perhaps she will bring him forth black with tightly curled hair.' And she brought him forth black with tightly curled hair."