Hadith record

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Abu Nasr from ’Isma‘il ibn Abu Hanifa from Abu Hanifa who has narrated the following: “I once asked Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why in a murder case only two witnesses are required, and in the case of fornication four witnesses are required when murder is more serious than fornication?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because murder is one act and fornication is two acts, for this reason less than four witnesses is not admissible; two against man and two against the woman.’” Certain one of our people have narrated from him (Abu Hanifa) that then he (the Imam) asked, ‘What is with you, O Abu Hanifa?’ I replied, ‘We have nothing about it except the Hadith of ‘Umar that says, ‘Allah has taken two words in the testimony against the people.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It is not as such, O Abu Hanifa, in fornication there are two penalties. It is not permissible for less than two to testify against one, two against the man and two against the woman; penalty is obligatory on both man and woman, when in murder it is applied to the killer only and the one murdered is defended.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.