35/4. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2303 — Lying Spreads and Unasked Testimony
From it (i.e. the previous chapter subject) [Among That Lying Will Spread Until A Man Will Testify While His Testimony Was Not Requested And A Man Will Take An Oath While His Oath Was Not Sought]
Hadith About Lying Spreading and Careless Oaths
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2303
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2303
حَدِيثِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَفْشُو الْكَذِبُ حَتَّى يَشْهَدَ الرَّجُلُ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُ وَيَحْلِفُ الرَّجُلُ وَلاَ يُسْتَحْلَفُ " . وَمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " خَيْرُ الشُّهَدَاءِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي بِشَهَادَتِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْأَلَهَا " . هُوَ عِنْدَنَا إِذَا أُشْهِدَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى الشَّىْءِ أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ شَهَادَتَهُ وَلاَ يَمْتَنِعَ مِنَ الشَّهَادَةِ هَكَذَا وَجْهُ الْحَدِيثِ عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ . كَمُلَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كِتَابُ الشَّهَادَاتِ وَيَلِيهِ كِتَابُ الزُّهْدِ
'Umar bin Al-Khattab Narrated from:
Clarification of this is in the Hadith of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, from the Prophet (s.a.w) who said: "The Best Of People Are My Generation, Then Those Who Follow Them, Then Those Who Follow Them. Then Lying Will Spread, Until A Man Testifies While His Testimony Was Not Requested, And A Man Will Take An Oath While An Oath Was Not Sought."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2303In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 10English translation : Vol. 4, Book 9, Hadith 2303
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2303
This Hadith explains a warning about a time when lying would spread. The Messenger of Allah said that the best people are his generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them. After that, lying would become common until a man testifies when his testimony was not requested, and a man takes an oath when no oath was sought. The text also clarifies the good witness: if a person was made a witness over something, he should give his testimony and not hold it back. So the message is balanced. It warns against careless claims, but it also teaches that true testimony should be delivered when it is needed.
What we learn from this hadith
- Lying spreading among people is treated as a serious moral decline.
- Giving testimony without being requested can be blameworthy when it is false or careless.
- Taking oaths without need is warned against in the text.
- A person who truly witnessed something should not hide needed testimony.
