الشَّهادَةُ فِي القَضاءِ
BEARING WITNESS (IN A COURT OF JUSTICE)
الشَّهادَةُ بِالقِسطِ / Bearing Witness with Fairness
1ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّي عَدلٌ لا أشهَدُ إلّا على عَدلٍ.
1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily I am just and only ever bear witness with justice.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 17735]
2ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): القِسْطُ رُوحُ الشهادَةِ.
2– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Fairness is the spirit of bearing witness.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 356]
الحَثُّ عَلى أداءِ الشَّهادَةِ / Enjoinment of Bearing Witness
الشَّهادَةُ فِي القَضاءِ
BEARING WITNESS (IN A COURT OF JUSTICE)
3ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن شَهِدَ شهادَةَ حَقٍّ لِيُحيِيَ بها حَقَّ امرِئٍ مُسلمٍ أتى يَومَ القِيامَةِ ولِوَجهِهِ نُورٌ مَدَّ البَصَرِ ، يَعرِفُهُ الخلايِقُ بِاسمِهِ ونَسَبِهِ .
3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘He who bears witness in truth for the sake of restoring a fellow Muslim’s rights, will come on the Day of Resurrection with a light emanating from his face spreading as far as the eye can see, and all will know him by name and lineage.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 104, p. 311, no. 9]
4ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ أيضا ـ: لا يَنبَغِي لِأحَدٍ إذا ما دُعِيَ للشهادَةِ شَهِدَ علَيها أن يَقولَ: لا أشهَدُ لَكُم.
4– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) with regards to Allah’s verse in the Qur’an: “The witnesses must not refuse when they are called”, said, ‘When called to bear witness to something that one has indeed witnessed, nobody has the right to say, ‘I refuse to bear witness to you.’
[Tafsir al-`Aayyashi, v. 1, p. 156, no. 524]
5ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا دُعِيتَ إلى الشهادَةِ فَأجِبْ.
5– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘When you are called to bear witness, do respond.’
[al-Tahdhib, v. 6, p. 275, no. 752]
كِتمانُ الشَّهادَةِ / Concealing One’s Testimony
6ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن كَتَمَ شَهادَةً إذا دُعِيَ إلَيها كانَ كَمَن شَهِدَ بِالزُّورِ .
6– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever conceals his testimony when he is called to give it is as one who bears false testimony.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 17743]
7ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن رَجَعَ عن شهادَتِهِ وكَتَمَها ، أطعَمَهُ اللّهُ لَحمَهُ على رُؤوسِ الخَلائقِ ، ويَدخُلُ النارَ وهو يَلُوكُ لِسانَهُ .
7– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever revokes his testimony and conceals it, Allah will let other creatures feed on his flesh and he will enter the Fire chewing his own tongue.’
[Thawab al-A`amal, no. 333]
مَن تَجوزُ شَهادَتُهُ / Those Whose Testimony is Deemed Valid
8ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِشُرَيحٍ ـ: اِعلَمْ أنّ المسلمينَ عُدولٌ بعضُهُم عَلى بَعضٍ ، إلّا مَجلوداً في حَدٍّ لَم يَتُب مِنهُ، أو مَعروفاً بشهادَةِ الزُّورِ، أو ظَنِيناً .
8– Imam Ali (AS) said to Shurayh, ‘Know that Muslims are equitable
[and admissible as witnesses] towards one another, except for one who has been lashed on account of a crime and has not repented for it
[and is therefore, still resentful as a result], one who is known to give false testimony, and one who is a suspect himself.’
[al-Faqih, v. 13, p. 15, no. 3243]
9ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا أقبَلُ شهادَةَ الفاسِقِ إلّا على نَفسِهِ .
9– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘I do not accept the testimony of a corrupt person, unless it be against himself.’
[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 395, no. 5]
10ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ أميرَ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) كانَ لا يَقبَلُ شهادَةَ فَحّاشٍ، ولا ذِي مُخْزِيَةٍ في الدِّينِ.
10– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily the Commander of the Faithful (AS) never used to accept the testimony of an obscene person, nor one who brought shame on religion through his disgraceful acts.’
[al-Kafi, p. 396, no. 7]
أدَبُ الشَّهادَةِ / The Etiquette of Giving Testimony
11ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ وقد سُئلَ عن الشهادَةِ ـ: هل تَرَى الشمسَ ؟ على مِثلِها فَاشهَدْ أو دَعْ.
11– The Prophet (SAWA) was once asked about bearing witness, to which he replied, ‘Do you witness the sun? Thus must you bear witness or else do not.’
[Wasael al-Shi`aah , v. 18, p. 250, no. 3]
12ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا تَشهَدَنَّ بشهادَةٍ حتّى تَعرِفَها كما تَعرِفُ كَفَّكَ.
13– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Do not ever bear witness to something unless you know it like the back of your hand.’
[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 383, no. 3]