13/22. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1202 — Li'an and Separation
What has been related about Li'an
Li'an Hadith: Truth, Warning, and Separation
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1202
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1202
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ سُئِلْتُ عَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ، فِي إِمَارَةِ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَمَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَقُولُ فَقُمْتُ مَكَانِي إِلَى مَنْزِلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ اسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقِيلَ لِي إِنَّهُ قَائِلٌ . فَسَمِعَ كَلاَمِي فَقَالَ ابْنُ جُبَيْرٍ ادْخُلْ مَا جَاءَ بِكَ إِلاَّ حَاجَةٌ . قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ مُفْتَرِشٌ بَرْدَعَةَ رَحْلٍ لَهُ . فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُتَلاَعِنَانِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ نَعَمْ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَنَا رَأَى امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى فَاحِشَةٍ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ إِنْ تَكَلَّمَ تَكَلَّمَ بِأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى أَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ . قَالَ فَسَكَتَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ عَنْهُ قَدِ ابْتُلِيتُ بِهِ . فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الآيَاتِ الَّتِي فِي سُورَةِ النُّور : (وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلاَّ أَنْفُسُهُمْ ) حَتَّى خَتَمَ الآيَاتِ فَدَعَا الرَّجُلَ فَتَلاَ الآيَاتِ عَلَيْهِ وَوَعَظَهُ وَذَكَّرَهُ وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الآخِرَةِ . فَقَالَ لاَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا . ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَوَعَظَهَا وَذَكَّرَهَا وَأَخْبَرَهَا أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الآخِرَةِ فَقَالَتْ لاَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا صَدَقَ . قَالَ 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 . ثُمَّ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عُمَرَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ .
Sa'eed bin Jubair Narrated from:
I Was Asked About Those Who Were Involved In The Case Of Li'An And If They Are To Be Separated, During The Leadership Of Mus'Ab Bin Az-Zubair. I Did Not Know What To Say. So I Went To The House Of Abdullah Bin Umar And I Sought Permission To Enter. I Was Told That He Was Taking A Nap, But He Heard Me Talking And He Said: 'Is It Ibn Jubair? Enter. You Would Not Have Come Except For A Need.'"He Said: "So I Entered And Found Him Lying On A Saddlecloth From His Mount. I Said: 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! Are Those Involved In Li'An Separated?' He Said: 'Glorious Is Allah! Yes. The First Who Asked About That Was So-And-So The Son Of So-And-So. He Came To The Prophet And Said: "O Messenger Of Allah! If One Of Us Saw His Wife Committing Adultery What Should He Do? If He Were To Say Anything, His Statement Would Be A Horrible Matter, And If He Were To Remain Silent, His Silence About The Matter Would Be Horrible.""He Said: 'So The Prophet Remained Silent And Did Not Answer Him. Afterwards He Came To The Prophet And Said: "The One Who Asked You About It Has Been Tried By It." So Allah Revealed These Ayat From Surat An-Nur. And Those Who Accuse Their Wives And Have No Witnesses Except Themselves - Until The End Of Those Ayat. So He Called For The Man And Recited The Ayat To Him And Admonished Him, Reminded Him, And He Told Him: "Indeed The Punishment Of The World Is Less Than The Punishment Of The Hereafter." So He Said: "Nay! By The One Who Sent You With The Truth! I Did Not Lie About Her." Then He Did The Same With The Woman, Admonished Her And Reminding Her And He Told Her: "Indeed The Punishment Of The World Is Less Than The Punishment Of The Hereafter." She Said: "Nay! By The One Who Sent You With The Truth! He Is Not Telling The Truth.'""He Said: 'So He Started With The Man: He Testified Four Times, By Allah That He Is One Of The Truthful, And The Fifth Time That The Curse Of Allah Be Upon Him If He Was One Of The Liars. Then The Same With The Woman: She Testified Four Times By Allah, That He Was One Of The Liars, And The Fifth Time That The Wrath Of Allah Be Upon Her If He Was One Of The Truthful. Then He Separated The Two Of Them.'"
[1] An-Nūr 24:6-10.Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1202In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 29English translation : Vol. 2, Book 8, Hadith 1202
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1202
This li'an hadith gives a detailed account of a hard case between husband and wife. A man asked what should happen if someone accused his wife but had no witnesses. The Prophet first stayed silent, then the related verses from Surah An-Nur were revealed. The man was reminded that the punishment of this world is less than the punishment of the Hereafter. The woman was also warned in the same way. Then the man gave four testimonies by Allah that he was truthful, and the fifth called Allah’s curse on himself if he lied. The woman gave four testimonies that he lied, and the fifth called Allah’s wrath if he was truthful. Then the Prophet separated them.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serious claims in marriage must not be made carelessly.
- Both husband and wife were warned before giving testimony.
- The hadith shows fear of the Hereafter before making a grave oath.
- Li'an ended with separation between the two spouses in this narration.
