Al-Li‘an (Condemnation)

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Li‘an (condemnation) does not take place until one goes to bed with his wife/”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Condemnation and swearing take place only after going to bed with her.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘Those who accuse their wives and do not have witnesses except themselves. . . (24:4) He (the Imam) said, ‘He is one who accuses his wife. If he accuses then confesses that he has lied against her, the punishment for him is whipping and his wife is returned to him. If he refuses and goes ahead he must testify four times against her, by Allah, that he is truthful. For the fifth time he must condemn himself if he is of the lying people. If she wanted to defend herself against suffering (punishment and penalty), which is to be stoned, she must testify four times, by Allah, that he is of the lying people and for the fifth time must condemn herself by saying that she must be subjected to the anger of Allah if he has spoken the truth. If she did not do it she then is stoned but if she defended herself, penalty is diverted from her and thereafter she will never become lawful for him in marriage until the day of Day of Judgment.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if they are separated and she has a child who dies? He (the Imam) said, ‘His mother inherits him and if his mother dies his maternal uncles inherit him. Those who say that he is born out of wedlock must be punished by whipping.’ I then asked, ‘Is the child returned to him if he confesses that he has lied?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not honorable. He does not inherit the son but the son inherits him.’”

“Once ‘Abbad al-Basriy asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was present, ‘How does a man go through the process of Mula ‘inah (condemnation) against the woman?’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), explained a judgment of the Messenger of Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Once a man of the Muslims came to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what happens if a man enters his house and finds a man with his wife involved in sexual intercourse? What must he do?”’ He (the Imam) said that the Messenger of Allah turned away from him and that man left. That man was the one who had faced that issue from his woman. He (the Imam) said that revelation from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, came with the commandment about them and the Messenger of Allah sent to summon that man. When he came, he (the Messenger of Allah) asked, ‘Did you see a man with your woman?’ He replied, ‘Yes, that it is true.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then said, ‘You must go back and bring your woman because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has sent a commandment about you and about her.’ He (the Imam) said that her husband then brought her and the Messenger of Allah held them in custody. He (the Messenger of Allah) said to the man, ‘Testify four times by Allah that you are truthful (of the truthful ones) in your accusing her of what you accuse her.’ He (the Imam) said that he testified; then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘You must wait.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) preached to him and gave him advice then said, ‘Be pious and have fear of Allah; condemnation of Allah is severe.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then told him to testify for the fifth time and say, ‘Condemnation of Allah will be upon me if I am of the liars.’ He (the Imam) said that the man testified and he (the Messenger of Allah) commanded him and he moved away. Then he (the Messenger of Allah) said to the woman, ‘Do you testify four times that your husband is of the lying people in what he has accused you of?’ He (the Imam) said that she then testified. Then he (the Messenger of Allah) told her to wait. He (the Messenger of Allah) preached to her, gave her good advice and told her to have fear of Allah; the condemnation of Allah is severe. He (the Messenger of Allah) then told her to testify for the fifth time saying that she will be subjected to the anger of Allah if her husband is of the truthful people in what he has accused her of.’ He (the Imam) said that she testified. He (the Imam) said that he (the Messenger of Allah) separated them from each other and told them that they can never come together in marriage after lodging condemnation upon each other.’”

“A man is placed under arrest by the Imam in the case of al-Li‘an (condemnation). He testifies twice, then refuses and confesses that he has lied before completing al-Li ‘an (condemnation). Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that he is whipped as the penalty for accusing the woman of committing fornication. He is not separated from his woman.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man accuses his wife he cannot condemn her unless he can say that he has seen a man between her legs fornicating.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) was asked about the man who accuses. He (the Imam) said, ‘He condemns her and then they are separated from each other. She will never be lawful for him in marriage. However, if he confesses against himself before al-Li ‘an (condemnation) he is whipped as the penalty and she remains his woman.’” “He (the narrator) has said, ‘I asked him (the Imam) about a free person with a slave-girl in his control and about his accusing her. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can deal with it by the process of al-Li ‘an (condemnation).’ “He (the narrator) has said, ‘I asked him (the Imam) about al-Li ‘an (condemnation) in which the husband accuses her, denies her child and goes through the process of al-Li ‘an (condemnation), separates from her and thereafter says, ‘The child is my child’ and calls himself a liar. He (the Imam) said, ‘The woman cannot return to him forever, however, I return the child if he claims him as his child but do not call him his child. He (the man) cannot inherit the child but he inherits the father and the father does not inherit the son. The legacy of the son goes to his maternal uncles. If his father did not claim him his maternal uncles inherit his legacy but he does not inherit them. If anyone calls him the son of fornication such person is whipped as punishment for such crime.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if al-Li‘an (condemnation) can take place between a free man and a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ’Yes, it can take place between a slave and a free woman, between a slave and a slave-girl, between a Muslim and a Jewish woman or a Christian woman but they do not inherit each other and there is no inheritance between a free and a slave-girl.’ ”

“About the case of a man who goes through the process of al-Li ‘an (condemnation) against his wife who is pregnant, then claims her child to be his child after childbirth thinking that the child is his. He (the Imam) said, ‘The child can be given to him without whipping because al-Li‘an (condemnation) has become a matter of the past in the case.’”

“About the case of a man who goes through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) against his wife who is speechless, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘They must be separated from each other.”’

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man and woman who are involved in al-Li‘an (condemnation) and about how they do it. He (the Imam) said, ‘The Imam sits with his back to al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) and they stand in front of him facing al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) before him and he begins with the man, then the woman. The woman on whom stoning is obligatory, is stoned from her backside and not from her front side; beating and stoning must not affect the face. Other parts of the body can be targeted in both, beating and stoning.’” [Note: Such cases are only applicable after due Islamic judicial process]

11. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, how is al-Li‘an (condemnation) completed?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Imam sits down with his back to the al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) and keeps the man on his right and the woman on his left.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who goes through the process of al-Li ‘an (condemnation) against his woman and testifies swearing by Allah four times but declines the fifth time. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he declines the fifth time she is his woman but he is whipped. If the woman declines when swearing is on her, she is subjected to the same process as he was.’ I then asked if al-Li‘an (condemnation) is completed in a sitting or standing position. He (the Imam) said, ‘Al-Li‘an (condemnation) and similar things are done in a standing position.’ “I then asked about a man who has divorced his wife before going to bed with her and then claims that she is pregnant. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he presents proof that he has uncovered a secret then denies the child to be his child, he can go through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) and she becomes stranger to him, but he must pay the mahr (dower).’”

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has gone through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) against his wife who is pregnant and her pregnancy has become clear but denies what is in her womb. When the child is born, he claims the child, keeps him close, and thinks that the child is his child. He (the Imam) said, The child is given to him and he inherits him but he is not whipped; al-Li‘an (condemnation) has become a matter of the past in the case.’”

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the case of a slave who accuses his woman. He (the Imam) said, ‘They can go through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) against each other like free people do.””

“I once asked him (the Imam), Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who falsely accuses his wife. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is whipped, then they are left alone. He does not go through the process of al- Li‘an (condemnation) who then is made to say, ‘I testify that I saw you doing so and so.’”

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘al-Li‘an (condemnation) does not take place without denying the child.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When a man accuses his woman he can go through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) against her.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘A man cannot go through the process of al-Li‘an (condemnation) against his wife in the manner of Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage).”’

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, was asked about the case of a man who accuses his wife of committing fornication and she is speechless, deaf and cannot hear. He (the Imam) said, ‘If she has witnesses who testify before the Imam in her favor, he is whipped as punishment and they are separated from each other. Thereafter she will not be lawful for him in marriage forever. If she does not have witnesses she becomes unlawful for him as long as he stays with her and there is no sin on her because of it.’”

“About the case of a woman who accuses her husband who is speechless, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘They are separated from each other and he is not lawful for her forever.’”

“About the case of a woman who is speechless and about how can he go through the process of al- Li‘an (condemnation) against her, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘They must be separated from each other and she is not lawful for him in marriage forever.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Li‘an (condemnation) does not take place unless one believes that he has seen it.’”