27/41. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3473 — Li'an and Separation
The Imam Exhorting The Man And Woman At The Time of Li'an
Hadith About Li'an and Separation of the Couple
Sunan an-Nasai : 3473
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3473
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ جُبَيْرٍ، يَقُولُ سُئِلْتُ عَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ، فِي إِمَارَةِ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَمَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَقُولُ فَقُمْتُ مِنْ مَقَامِي إِلَى مَنْزِلِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ نَعَمْ . سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ - وَلَمْ يَقُلْ عَمْرٌو أَرَأَيْتَ - الرَّجُلَ مِنَّا يَرَى عَلَى امْرَأَتِهِ فَاحِشَةً إِنْ تَكَلَّمَ فَأَمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ - وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو أَتَى أَمْرًا عَظِيمًا - وَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ . فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الأَمْرَ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ ابْتُلِيتُ بِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَؤُلاَءِ الآيَاتِ فِي سُورَةِ النُّورِ { وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ } حَتَّى بَلَغَ { وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ } فَبَدَأَ بِالرَّجُلِ فَوَعَظَهُ وَذَكَّرَهُ وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الآخِرَةِ فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا كَذَبْتُ . ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَوَعَظَهَا وَذَكَّرَهَا فَقَالَتْ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُ لَكَاذِبٌ فَبَدَأَ بِالرَّجُلِ فَشَهِدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَشَهِدَتْ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ فَفَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا .
Sa'eed bin Jubair Narrated from:
I was asked about the two who engage in Li'an during the governorship of Ibn Az-Zubair - should they be separated? I did not know what to say, so I got up and went to the house of Ibn 'Umar and said: O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman, should the two who engage in Li'an be separated?"He said: "Yes, Subhan Allah! The first one who asked about that was so-and-so the son of so-and-so who said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if a man among us sees his wife committing immoral actions, and if he speaks of it, he will be speaking of a grave matter, but if he keeps quiet, he will be keeping quiet about a grave matter?'He did not answer him, then after that, he came to him and said: 'I was tried with the matter that I asked you about, so Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed these Verses in Surat An-Nur.: 'And for those who accuse their wives' until he reached: 'And the fifth (testimony) should be that the Wrath of Allah be upon her if he (her husband) speaks the truth.' So he started with the man, exhorting him, reminding him, and telling him that the punishment in this world was less severe than the punishment in the Hereafter. He said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, I am not lying.'Then he turned to the woman and exhorted her and reminded her. She said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, he is lying.' So he started with the man, and he bore witness four times by Allah that he was telling the truth, and the fifth time (he invoked) the curse of Allah upon himself if he was lying. Then he turned to the woman and she bore witness four times by Allah that he was lying, and the fifth time (she invoked) the wrath of Allah upon herself if he was telling the truth. Then he separated them."'"
[1] An-Nûr 24:6-9.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3473In-book reference : Book 27, Hadith 85English translation : Vol. 4, Book 27, Hadith 3503
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3473
This detailed hadith about Li'an comes through Sa'eed bin Jubair, who asked Ibn Umar whether the two who engage in Li'an should be separated. Ibn Umar answered yes and then described the first case. The man faced a hard situation: if he spoke, he spoke about a grave matter, and if he kept quiet, he kept quiet about a grave matter. Later, the verses in Surat An-Nur were revealed. The Prophet reminded both the man and the woman before their oaths and told them that the punishment of this world is less severe than the punishment of the Hereafter. The man gave four testimonies and the fifth oath, then the woman did the same in response. Then the Prophet separated them.
What we learn from this hadith
- Li'an includes serious oaths from both husband and wife.
- The Prophet reminded both sides before the oaths were made.
- The Hereafter was used as a warning against lying.
- Ibn Umar said the two who engage in Li'an are separated.
