52/3. Chapter:
The witness of an eavesdropper
وَأَجَازَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، قَالَ وَكَذَلِكَ يُفْعَلُ بِالْكَاذِبِ الْفَاجِرِ. وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ وَابْنُ سِيرِينَ وَعَطَاءٌ وَقَتَادَةُ السَّمْعُ شَهَادَةٌ. وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ يَقُولُ لَمْ يُشْهِدُونِي عَلَى شَيْءٍ، وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا.Amr bin Huraith allowed such a witness and said, "This is the way to be followed to discover the reality of an evil person." Ibn Sirin, 'Ata and Qatada said, "A witness can be based on hearing only (i.e., even if the hearer does not see the speaker.)" Al-Hasan used to say at the time of giving evidence, "They did not make me a witness but I heard such and such."
Sahih Bukhari : 2638
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 2638
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ سَالِمٌ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ انْطَلَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ يَؤُمَّانِ النَّخْلَ الَّتِي فِيهَا ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ حَتَّى إِذَا دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَفِقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَّقِي بِجُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ، وَهْوَ يَخْتِلُ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ مِنِ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ شَيْئًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرَاهُ، وَابْنُ صَيَّادٍ مُضْطَجِعٌ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فِي قَطِيفَةٍ لَهُ فِيهَا رَمْرَمَةٌ ـ أَوْ زَمْزَمَةٌ ـ فَرَأَتْ أُمُّ ابْنِ صَيَّادٍ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ يَتَّقِي بِجُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ، فَقَالَتْ لاِبْنِ صَيَّادِ أَىْ صَافِ، هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ. فَتَنَاهَى ابْنُ صَيَّادٍ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْ تَرَكَتْهُ بَيَّنَ ".
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Ubai bin Ka`b Al-Ansari went to the garden where Ibn Saiyad used to live. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered (the garden), he (i.e. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ) started hiding himself behind the date108 palms as he wanted to hear secretly the talk of Ibn Saiyad before the latter saw him. Ibn Saiyad wrapped with a soft decorated sheet was lying on his bed murmuring. Ibn Saiyad's mother saw the Prophet hiding behind the stems of the date-palms. She addressed Ibn Saiyad saying, "O Saf, this is Muhammad." Hearing that Ibn Saiyad stopped murmuring (or got cautious), the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If she had left him undisturbed, he would have revealed his reality." (See Hadith No. 290, Vol 4 for details)
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2638In-book reference : Book 52, Hadith 2USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 48, Hadith 806
