The Prophet (ﷺ) bought a horse from a Bedouin. The Prophet (ﷺ) took him with him to pay him the price of his horse. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked quickly and the Bedouin walked slowly. The people stopped the Bedouin and began to bargain with him for the horse as and they did not know that the Prophet (ﷺ) had bought it.
The Bedouin called the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: If you want this horse, (then buy it), otherwise I shall sell it. The Prophet (ﷺ) stopped when he heard the call of the Bedouin, and said: Have I not bought it from you? The Bedouin said: I swear by Allah, I have not sold it to you. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Yes, I have bought it from you. The Bedouin began to say: Bring a witness. Khuzaymah ibn Thabit then said: I bear witness that you have bought it. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned to Khuzaymah and said: On what (grounds) do you bear witness?
He said: By considering you trustworthy, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! The Prophet (ﷺ) made the witness of Khuzaymah equivalent to the witness of two people.
The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)
Sunan Abi Dawud 3607 - Commentary by Classical Scholars
Hadith Context
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud demonstrates the Prophet's meticulous adherence to proper commercial transactions and the establishment of judicial principles.
Scholarly Commentary
The scholars explain that the Prophet's quick walking to fetch payment shows the importance of hastening to fulfill financial obligations and avoiding delay in settling debts.
The Bedouin's attempt to resell the horse after the initial sale was invalid, as the contract had been concluded. This teaches that a valid sale cannot be rescinded unilaterally.
Khuzaymah's testimony based solely on the Prophet's truthfulness demonstrates that in Islamic law, certain individuals of established integrity may be accepted as single witnesses in specific circumstances.
The Prophet's acceptance of Khuzaymah's testimony as equivalent to two witnesses established the legal principle of "testimony of equivalence" (shahadat al-musawah), applicable only by explicit Prophetic designation.
Legal Principles Derived
Contracts are binding once offer and acceptance occur, regardless of payment transfer.
Witnesses must normally be two men, but exceptional circumstances may warrant single-witness acceptance.
Judges may consider the character and reliability of witnesses when evaluating testimony.
The principle of "tazkiyah" (attesting to witness credibility) is fundamental in Islamic judiciary.