1. Al-Husayn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has narrated the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying that in the case of a loan ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, would accept the testimony of one person with the oath of the plaintiff.”’

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa who has narrated the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘My father has narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, issued judgment on the basis of one witness and an oath.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Zur’ah from Sama‘ah from abu Basir who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who has a certain claim on a man about which he has only one witness. He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would issue judgment on the basis of one witness and an oath by the claimant in the issue of loan.’”

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

4. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would issue judgment on the basis of one witness and an oath by the claimant.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has narrated the following: “Once al-Hakam ibn ‘Utaybah and Salmah ibn Kuhayl visited abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, and asked about the testimony of one witness and a oath. He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, issued judgment on such basis as well as Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, before you in al-Kufah.’ They said, ‘This is against al-Quran because Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, says, “. . . two just people must testify.” (65:2) Abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, then said to them, does, “. . . two just people must testify” (65:2) mean, do not accept the testimony of one witness with one oath? Besides, once Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, was sitting in the Masjid of al-Kufah that ‘Abd Allah ibn Qufl al-Tamimiy carrying the shield of Talhah passed by, and Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, said, “This is the shield of Talhah which you have stolen from the items captured in the war on the day of Basrah.” ‘Abd Allah ibn Qufl said, “Find a judge to decide for us and he can be the judge whom you have appointed for the Muslims.” He (the Imam) then found Shurayh to judge for them. Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, stated that this shield belonged to Talhah. He (Qufl) had stolen it on the day of al-Basrah. Shurayh asked for proof and he (the Imam) brought al-Hassan, Alayhi al-Salam, as witness who testified that it was the shield of Talhah which Qufl had stolen on the day of al-Basrah. Shurayh said, “This is one witness and I do not issue a judgment with one witness unless there is another one.” He (the Imam) called Qanbar who testified saying, “This was the shield of Talhah which he had stolen on the day of al-Basrah.” Shurayh said, “He is a slave and I do not issue judgment on the basis of the testimony of a slave.” ’Amir al- Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), became angry and said, “You take it and it is an unjust judgment.” He (the Imam) said it three times. Shurayh then turned around and said, “I will not work as a judge between two people until you tell me on what basis you said three times that my judgment is unjust.” He (the Imam) said to him, “Woe is upon you”, or he (the Imam) said, “Fie up on you. When I said, ‘This is the shield of Talhah which he had stolen on the day of al-Basrah’, you said that I must present proof. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If items stolen from assets captured in a war are found, they can be taken back without testimony.’ I said, ‘The man has not heard the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah.’ This is one. Then I brought al-Hassan before you who testified and you said, ‘This is one and I do not issue judgment on the basis of one witness until there is another one.’ The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, issued judgment based on one witness and an oath. This is two. I then brought Qanbar before you who testified that it is the shield of Talhah, which he had stolen on the day of al-Basrah. You said that he is a slave and that you do not issue judgment on the basis of the testimony of a slave. In fact it is not harmful to accept the testimony of a slave if he is a just person.’” He (the Imam) then said, ‘Woe is upon you’ or he (the Imam) said, ‘Fie upon you. Imam of the Muslims is trusted for issues much more important than this.’”

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

6. Certain persons of our people have narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid from Sayf ibn ’Am/rah from Mansur ibn Hazim who has narrated the following: “A trustworthy man narrated to me from abu al-Hassan, Alayhi al-Salam, who has said that if two women testify for the right of someone with his (plaintiff’s) oath, it is an accepted proof.’”

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

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Urn ay r from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, accepted the testimony of women with the oath by the plaintiff in matters of loan. He swears by Allah that it is his right.’”

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, in the matter of loan accepted the testimony of one man and the oath of the creditor. However, in the case of the sighting of new moon he would only accept two witnesses.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasaniy all have narrated from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from Sulayman ibn Dawud from Hafs ibn Ghiyath who has narrated the following: “Once a man asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘If I see something in the hand of a man can I testify that it belongs to him?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ The man then said, ‘I can testify that it is in his hand but how can I testify that it belongs to him, perhaps it belongs to someone else ? 5 He (the Imam) asked, ‘Is it lawful to buy it from him?’ The man replied, ‘Yes, it is lawful to buy it from him.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘It perhaps belongs to someone else; then how it becomes lawful for you to buy it from him and how can it become of your belongings? How after taking possession can you say that it belongs to you, you can swear and it would be unlawful to ascribe its ownership to one from whose possession its ownership is transferred to you?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Had it been as you said, the Muslims could never establish a market.”’

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has narrated the following: “I once said to him (the Imam) (a.s.), that ibn abu Layla’ asks me to testify that this is a house and so and so has died and has left it behind as his legacy and that there is no other heir for him except the ones in whose favor we have testified. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can testify about what you have knowledge thereof.’ I then said that ibn abu Layla’ makes us to swear falsely. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can swear about what you know.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from certain persons of his people who has narrated the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I bear a testimony for one of our brothers but all of the judges around us do not grant it. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you know that it is right then you can correct it as such that can prove his right.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has a house and he remains absent from it for thirty years; but he leaves his family there, then news of his death comes. We do not know what may have happened in his house as well as to his children. We however, do not know of anything happening to his house and no birth of children has happened to him. This house is not divided among his heirs whom he had left in his house so that two just witnesses can testify that this house is the house of so and so son of so and so who has died and has left behind as legacy for so and so. Can we testify about it? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ I then said that a man has a slave and slave woman. He says that his slave has run away, his slave woman has run away and they are found in the town. The judge asks for proof that this is the slave of so and so whom he has not sold or gifted; if we can testify about it if we are asked and we do not know if anything has happened or not. He (the Imam) said, ‘Whatever goes out of the hands of a Muslim man, slave or slave woman or is absent from you, do not testify about it.’”

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