The Book of Testimony
The Case of Man who is Summoned to Testify
3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلا يَأْبَ الشُّهَداءُ إِذا ما دُعُوا فَقَالَ إِذَا دَعَاكَ الرَّجُلُ لِتَشْهَدَ لَهُ عَلَى دَيْنٍ أَوْ حَقٍّ لَمْ يَنْبَغِ لَكَ أَنْ تَقَاعَسَ عَنْهُ.
3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Muhammad ibn al- Fudayl who has narrated the following: “This is about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious. ‘. . . the witnesses must not refuse to testify when they are summoned to testify,’ (2:282) abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘When the man calls you to testify for him about a loan or a right, it is not proper for you to refuse and step back to delay.’”
4- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلا يَأْبَ الشُّهَداءُ إِذا ما دُعُوا قَالَ قَبْلَ الشَّهَادَةِ.
4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “This is about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious. ‘. . . the witnesses must not refuse to testify when they are summoned to testify,’ (2:282) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is before the presentation of testimony.’”
5- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ جَرَّاحٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ قَالَ إِذَا دُعِيتَ إِلَى الشَّهَادَةِ فَأَجِبْ.
5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Sulayman from Jarrah al-Madi’iniy who has narrated the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘When you are called to present your testimony you must accept to testify.’”
6- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ سِرْحَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَأْبَ الشُّهَدَاءُ أَنْ تُجِيبَ حِينَ تُدْعَى قَبْلَ الْكِتَابِ.
6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Dawud ibn Sarhan who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Witnesses must not refuse to present their testimony when they are called before it (the case and testimony) is written down.’”
The Book of Testimony
Hiding the Testimony
1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَنْ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً أَوْ شَهِدَ بِهَا لِيُهْدِرَ لَهَا بِهَا دَمَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَوْ لِيَزْوِيَ مَالَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلِوَجْهِهِ ظُلْمَةٌ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ وَفِي وَجْهِهِ كُدُوحٌ تَعْرِفُهُ الْخَلائِقُ بِاسْمِهِ وَنَسَبِهِ وَ مَنْ شَهِدَ شَهَادَةَ حَقٍّ لِيُحْيِيَ بِهَا حَقَّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلِوَجْهِهِ نُورٌ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ تَعْرِفُهُ الْخَلائِقُ بِاسْمِهِ وَنَسَبِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَلا تَرَى أَنَّ اللهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ وَأَقِيمُوا الشَّهادَةَ للهِ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Najran and Muhammad ibn Ali from abu Jamilah from Jabir who has narrated the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said this. ‘One may hide a testimony, or testify to invalidate the case of the murder of a Muslim, or to turn away from its rightful course the assets of a Muslim. He on the Day of Judgment will be brought with darkness before him as far as eyes can see, with bruises on his face whom all creatures will know by his name and genealogy. One who presents the right testimony to revive a right of a Muslim, he on the Day of Judgment will be brought with light before him as far as the eye can see, and all creatures will know him by his name and genealogy.’ Abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, then said, ‘Have you not seen that Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, says, ‘. . . you must present the testimony for Allah.’ (65:2)”
2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَنْ يَكْتُمْها فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ قَالَ بَعْدَ الشَّهَادَةِ.
2. Afi ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “About the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . one who hides a testimony his heart is sinful,’ (2: 283) abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘It is after having witnessed a case.’”
3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ السَّائِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَتَبَ أَبِي فِي رِسَالَتِهِ إِلَيَّ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الشَّهَادَةِ لَهُمْ فَأَقِمِ الشَّهَادَةَ للهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأقْرَبِينَ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُمْ فَإِنْ خِفْتَ عَلَى أَخِيكَ ضَيْماً فَلا. الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ النَّهْدِيِّ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ مِثْلَهُ.
3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ’Isma‘il ibn Mehran from Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Khuza‘iy from Ali ibn Suwayd al-Sa’iy who has narrated the following: “My father wrote to me in his letter and I asked abu al-Hassan, Alayhi al-Salam, about testimony for them. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must present a testimony for Allah, even if it is against your own soul or parents or relatives between you and them, but if you fear injustice to your brother then do not do so.’” Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nahdiy from ’Isma‘il ibn Mehran a similar Hadith.
The Book of Testimony
The Case of a Man who hears a Testimony but does not Witness it
1- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّجُلُ الشَّهَادَةَ وَلَمْ يُشْهَدْ عَلَيْهَا فَهُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ شَهِدَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ وَقَالَ إِذَا أُشْهِدَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ إِلا أَنْ يَشْهَدَ.
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’If a man hears a testimony but has not witnessed it, he has the choice to present it or not, but if he has witnessed it, has no choice but to present his testimony.’”
2- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّجُلُ الشَّهَادَةَ وَلَمْ يُشْهَدْ عَلَيْهَا فَهُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ شَهِدَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ.
2. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has narrated the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man hears a testimony but has not witnessed it, he has the choice to testify or remain silent.’”
3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الرَّجُلُ الشَّهَادَةَ وَلَمْ يُشْهَدْ عَلَيْهَا فَهُوَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ شَهِدَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ إِلا إِذَا عَلِمَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِ فَلْيَشْهَدْ وَلا يَحِلُّ لَهُ إِلا أَنْ يَشْهَدَ.
3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has narrated the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man hears a testimony but has not witnessed it, he has the choice to testify or remain silent, unless he knows that a rightful party suffers injustice, in which case it is not lawful to remain silent.’”
