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3496. It was narrated from Sahl bin Sa'd, from 'Ašim bin 'Adiyy who said: "Uwaimir, a man from Banu 'Ajlan, came and said: 'O 'Ašim, what do you think if a man sees another man with his wife, should he kill him and be killed in retaliation, or what should he do? O 'Ašim, ask the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ about that for me.'" So 'Ašim asked the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ about that, and the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ disapproved of the question and criticized the asking of too many questions. Then 'Uwaimir came to him and said: "What happened, O 'Ašim?" 'Ašim said to 'Uwaimir: "What happened? You have not brought me any good. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ disapproved of the question I asked." 'Uwaimir
said: "By Allāh, I will go and ask the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ." So he went to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and asked him. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: "Allāh the Mighty and Sublime has revealed (something) concerning you and your wife, so bring her here." Sahl said: "I was among the people in the presence of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and he brought her and they engaged in the procedure of Li'ān. He said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, by Allāh! If I keep her I would have been telling lies about her.' So he parted from her before the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ told him to separate from her, and that became the way of Li'ān."
(Sahīh)
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Footnotes
1
[1] He explains in Al-Kubra, that this particular chain going through Hammad bin Salamah has a mistake in it, in that others narrated it from him, without the mention of Ibn 'Abbās.
Commentary
A man who witnesses his wife in the state of adultery, and has no other witnesses except himself, then the Divine law has made special provision for the husband to deal with such a situation. An ordinary person may not disclose the matter to anyone. He shall have to remain silent. But the husband is permitted to present himself before the court of law. The court would summon the wife also. Both of them would take oaths. If one of them refuses to take oath, he or she shall be punished: the man will be punished for accusation, and the woman for adultery. If both of them take oaths, the court would annul their marriage, and would say nothing to either of them. The method of Li'ān (mutual cursing) is coming up. (See also Hadīth 3431).