Hadith 467
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Hadith.5436 - Yunus ibn Abd Al-Rahman narrated from Yahya ibn Muhammad from Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), who said
I asked Imam (as) about the saying of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic:
"O' you who believe! Witnesses between you when death approaches one of you, at the time of bequest, are two just men from among you, or two others from outside of you."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:106)
Imam (as) said: "The two from among you are Muslims, and the two from outside of you are from the People of the Book (Ahl Al-Kitab).
If you do not find two from the People of the Book, then from the Magians (Zoroastrians), because within the Magians is a tradition similar to the People of the Book regarding the jizyah (tax).
This applies when a man dies in a foreign land and no two Muslims are present. In such a case, two men from the People of the Book are made witnesses. They are detained after the Asr prayer and must swear by Allah (swt) if you doubt them:
'We will not sell our testimony for any price, even if it is for a near relative, and we will not conceal the testimony of Allah (swt), for then we would indeed be among the sinful.'"
(Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:106)
Imam (as) said: "This applies if the guardian of the deceased doubts their testimony. If it is discovered that they gave false testimony, he cannot nullify their testimony unless he brings two other witnesses. These two will then take the place of the first two witnesses and swear by Allah (swt):
'Our testimony is truer than their testimony, and we have not transgressed; indeed, we would then be among the wrongdoers.' (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:107)
If they do this, the testimony of the first two witnesses is annulled, and the testimony of the second pair is accepted.
Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, says:
'This is more likely to ensure that they give their testimony properly or fear that oaths will be taken after their oaths.' (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:108)"
5436 - وَ رَوَى يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ "يٰا أَيُّهَا اَلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهٰادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذٰا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ اَلْمَوْتُ حِينَ اَلْوَصِيَّةِ اِثْنٰانِ ذَوٰا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ آخَرٰانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ" قَالَ "اَللَّذَانِ مِنْكُمْ مُسْلِمَانِ وَ اَللَّذَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ اَلْكِتَابِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ اَلْكِتَابِ فَمِنَ اَلْمَجُوسِ لِأَنَّ فِي اَلْمَجُوسِ سُنَّةَ أَهْلِ اَلْكِتَابِ فِي اَلْجِزْيَةِ وَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا مَاتَ اَلرَّجُلُ فِي أَرْضِ غُرْبَةٍ فَلَمْ يُوجَدْ مُسْلِمَانِ أُشْهِدَ رَجُلاَنِ مِنْ أَهْلِ اَلْكِتَابِ يُحْبَسَانِ بَعْدَ اَلْعَصْرِ
فَيُقْسِمٰانِ بِاللّٰهِ إِنِ اِرْتَبْتُمْ لاٰ نَشْتَرِي بِهِ ثَمَناً وَ لَوْ كٰانَ ذٰا قُرْبىٰ وَ لاٰ نَكْتُمُ شَهٰادَةَ اَللّٰهِ إِنّٰا إِذاً لَمِنَ اَلْآثِمِين
قَالَ "وَ ذَلِكَ إِنِ اِرْتَابَ وَلِيُّ اَلْمَيِّتِ فِي شَهَادَتِهِمَا فَإِنْ عَثَرَ عَلَى أَنَّهُمَا شَهِدَا بِالْبَاطِلِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْقُضَ شَهَادَتَهُمَا حَتَّى يَجِيءَ بِشَاهِدَيْنِ فَيَقُومَانِ مَقَامَ اَلشَّاهِدَيْنِ اَلْأَوَّلَيْنِ "فَيُقْسِمٰانِ بِاللّٰهِ لَشَهٰادَتُنٰا أَحَقُّ مِنْ شَهٰادَتِهِمٰا وَ مَا اِعْتَدَيْنٰا إِنّٰا إِذاً لَمِنَ اَلظّٰالِمِينَ" فَإِذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ نَقَضَ شَهَادَةَ اَلْأَوَّلَيْنِ وَ جَازَتْ شَهَادَةُ اَلْآخَرَيْنِ يَقُولُ اَللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى:
ذٰلِكَ أَدْنىٰ أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِالشَّهٰادَةِ عَلىٰ وَجْهِهٰا أَوْ يَخٰافُوا أَنْ تُرَدَّ أَيْمٰانٌ بَعْدَ أَيْمٰانِهِمْ ".