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قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ شَهِدَ لَهُ رَجُلَانِ بِأَنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَجُلٍ خَمْسِينَ دِرْهَماً وَ جَاءَ آخَرَانِ فَشَهِدَا بِأَنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ مِائَةَ دِرْهَمٍ كُلُّهُمْ شَهِدُوا فِي مَوْقِفٍ قَالَ أَقْرِعْ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ اسْتَحْلِفِ الَّذِينَ أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْعُ بِاللَّهِ أَنَّهُمْ يَحْلِفُونَ بِالْحَقِ‌[1].

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of two men who testify in favor of a man to confirm that so and so owes him fifty dirham, then two other men testify and state that he owes him one hundred dirham and all of them testify at the same place. He (the Imam) said, ‘I (in such case) arrange a raffle and whoever

فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَةٌ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِشُهُودٍ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةَ امْرَأَةُ فُلَانٍ وَ جَاءَ آخَرُونَ فَشَهِدُوا أَنَّهَا امْرَأَةُ فُلَانٍ فَاعْتَدَلَ الشُّهُودُ وَ عُدِّلُوا قَالَ يُقْرَعُ بَيْنَ الشُّهُودِ فَمَنْ خَرَجَ سَهْمُهُ فَهُوَ الْمُحِقُّ وَ هُوَ أَوْلَى بِهَا.

“This is about the case of a man who has a woman but a man comes with witnesses to prove her to be his woman, yet others come with testimony to prove her to be the woman of so and so and they all are just witnesses. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A raffle must be arranged and whoever’s name comes out is the rightful