Witnesses
كتاب الشهادات
Chapter 26: How to swear?
A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asking him about Islam, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You have to offer five compulsory prayers in a day and a night (24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more compulsory prayers for me?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "No, unless you like to offer Nawafil (i.e. optional prayers)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then added, "You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan." The man said, "Am I to fast any other days?' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "No, unless you wish to observe the optional fast voluntarily." Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told him about the compulsory Zakat. The man asked, "Do I have to give anything besides?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "No, unless you wish to give in charity voluntarily." So, the man departed saying, "By Allah I will neither do more nor less than that." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If he has said the truth he will be successful."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has to take an oath should swear by Allah or remain silent." (i.e. He should not swear by other than Allah.)
Chapter 27: The proof after (the defendant) has taken the oath
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You people present your cases to me and some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting their argument. So, if I give some one's right to another (wrongly) because of the latter's (tricky) presentation of the case, I am really giving him a piece of fire; so he should not take it."
Chapter 28: Whoever sees that promises should be fulfilled
Abu Sufyan told me that Heraclius said to him, "When I inquired you what he (i.e. Muhammad) ordered you, you replied that he ordered you to establish the prayer, to speak the truth, to be chaste, to keep promises and to pay back trusts." Then Heraclius added, "These are really the qualities of a prophet."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: (1) whenever he speaks, he tells a lie, (2) whenever he is entrusted, he proves to be dishonest, (3) whenever he promises, he breaks his promise.
Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "When the Prophet (ﷺ) died, Abu Bakr received some property from Al-`Ala bin Al-Hadrami. Abu Bakr said to the people, "Whoever has a money claim on the Prophet, or was promised something by him, should come to us (so that we may pay him his right)." Jabir added, "I said (to Abu Bakr), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) promised me that he would give me this much, and this much, and this much (spreading his hands three times)." Jabir added, "Abu Bakr counted for me and handed me five-hundred (gold pieces), and then five-hundred, and then five-hundred."
A Jew from Hira asked me which one of the two periods Musa (i.e. Prophet Moses) completed. I said, "I don't know, (but wait) till I see the most learned 'Arab and inquire him about it." So, I went to Ibn `Abbas and asked him. He replied, "Moses completed the longer and better period." Ibn `Abbas added, "No doubt, an apostle of Allah always does what he says."
Chapter 29: Al-Mushrikun should not be asked to give witness
Ibn `Abbas said, "O Muslims? How do you ask the people of the Scriptures, though your Book (i.e. the Qur'an) which was revealed to His Prophet is the most recent information from Allah and you recite it, the Book that has not been distorted? Allah has revealed to you that the people of the scriptures have changed with their own hands what was revealed to them and they have said (as regards their changed Scriptures): This is from Allah, in order to get some worldly benefit thereby." Ibn `Abbas added: "Isn't the knowledge revealed to you sufficient to prevent you from asking them? By Allah I have never seen any one of them asking (Muslims) about what has been revealed to you."
Chapter 30: Drawing lots to solve problems
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The example of the person abiding by Allah's orders and limits (or the one who abides by the limits and regulations prescribed by Allah) in comparison to the one who do wrong and violate Allah's limits and orders is like the example of people drawing lots for seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part while the others in the lower part ; those in the, lower part have to pass by those in the upper one to get water, and that troubled the latter. One of them (i.e. the people in the lower part) took an ax and started making a hole in the bottom of the boat. The people of the upper part came and asked him, (saying), 'What is wrong with you?' He replied, "You have been troubled much by my (coming up to you), and I have to get water.' Now if they prevent him from doing that they will save him and themselves, but if they leave him (to do what he wants), they will destroy him and themselves."
That when the Ansar drew lots as to which of the emigrants should dwell with which of the Ansar, the name of `Uthman bin Mazun came out (to be in their lot). Um Al-Ala further said, "Uthman stayed with us, and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in his clothes, and Allah's Apostle came to our house and I said, (addressing the dead `Uthman), 'O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah be merciful to you. I testify that Allah has blessed you.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "How do you know that Allah has blessed him?" I replied, 'I do not know O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! May my parents be sacrificed for you.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'As regards `Uthman, by Allah he has died and I really wish him every good, yet, by Allah, although I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I do not know what will be done to him.' Um Al- Ala added, 'By Allah I shall never attest the piety of anybody after him. And what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s said made me sad." Um Al-Ala further said, "Once I slept and saw in a dream, a flowing stream for `Uthman. So I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and told him about it, he said, 'That is (the symbol of) his deeds."
Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) intended to go on a journey, he used to draw lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot fell. He also used to fix for everyone of his wives a day and a night, but Sauda bint Zam`a gave her day and night to `Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) intending thereby to please Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If the people knew what is the reward of making the call (for the prayer) and (of being in) the first row (in the prayer), and if they found no other way to get this privilege except by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it. If they knew the reward of the noon prayer, they would race for it, and if they knew the reward of the morning (i.e. Fajr) and `Isha prayers, they would present themselves for the prayer even if they had to crawl to reach there.