Jami' at-Tirmidhi

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3178

Arabic hadith text

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ سُئِلْتُ عَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ، فِي إِمَارَةِ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَمَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَقُولُ فَقُمْتُ مِنْ مَكَانِي إِلَى مَنْزِلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقِيلَ لِي إِنَّهُ قَائِلٌ فَسَمِعَ كَلاَمِي فَقَالَ لِي ابْنَ جُبَيْرٍ ادْخُلْ مَا جَاءَ بِكَ إِلاَّ حَاجَةٌ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ مُفْتَرِشٌ بَرْدَعَةَ رَحْلٍ لَهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَانِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ نَعَمْ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَنَا رَأَى امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى فَاحِشَةٍ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ إِنْ تَكَلَّمَ تَكَلَّمَ بِأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى أَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ عَنْهُ قَدِ ابْتُلِيتُ بِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الآيَاتِ فِي سُورَةِ النُّورِ ‏:‏ ‏‏(‏والَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلاَّ أَنْفُسُهُمْ ‏)‏ حَتَّى خَتَمَ الآيَاتِ قَالَ فَدَعَا الرَّجُلَ فَتَلاَهُنَّ عَلَيْهِ وَوَعَظَهُ وَذَكَّرَهُ وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الآخِرَةِ فَقَالَ لاَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا ‏.‏ ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ وَوَعَظَهَا وَذَكَّرَهَا وَأَخْبَرَهَا أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الآخِرَةِ فَقَالَتْ لاَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا صَدَقَ ‏.‏ فَبَدَأَ بِالرَّجُلِ فَشَهِدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَشَهِدَتْ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ثُمَّ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Translation

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: ‘During the governorship of Mus‘ab ibn al-Zubayr, I was asked whether spouses who had performed li‘an were to be separated. I did not know what to say, so I went to the home of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and asked permission to enter. I was told he was resting, but he heard me and said, “Ibn Jubayr, come in. You would only have come for a need.” I entered and found him lying on the saddlecloth of his mount. I asked, “Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, are spouses who perform li‘an separated?” He said, “Glory be to Allah! Yes.”’

‘The first to ask about this was so-and-so, son of so-and-so. He came to the Prophet and said, “Messenger of Allah, if one of us finds his wife committing adultery, what should he do? If he speaks, he says something grave; if he remains silent, he remains silent about something grave.” The Prophet did not answer him. Later the man came and said, “The matter I asked you about has happened to me.” Then Allah revealed the verses in Surat al-Nur: “Those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves…” through the end of the verses (Qur’an 24:6–10).’

‘The Prophet called the man, recited the verses to him, admonished him, reminded him, and told him that punishment in this world is easier than punishment in the Hereafter. The man said, “No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I have not lied about her.” The Prophet then addressed the woman similarly, admonishing and reminding her, and telling her that punishment in this world is easier than in the Hereafter. She said, “No, by the One who sent you with the truth, he is not telling the truth.”’

‘The man then testified four times by Allah that he was truthful, and the fifth time invoked Allah’s curse upon himself if he was lying. Then the woman testified four times by Allah that he was lying, and the fifth time invoked Allah’s wrath upon herself if he was truthful. The Prophet then separated them.’

A report on this topic is also narrated from Sahl ibn Sa‘d. Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih report.

Notes and open questions — unreviewed
  • Kept the initial accuser unnamed, as in the Arabic, and translated the li‘an procedure with its four attestations and fifth invocation for each spouse.