25. The Office of the Judge
٢٥۔ كتاب الأقضية
A Muslim was about to die at Daquqa', but he did not find any Muslim to call him for witness to his will. So he called two men of the people of the Book for witness. Then they came to Kufah, and approaching AbuMusa al-Ash'ari they informed him (about his) will. They brought his inheritance and will. Al-Ash'ari said: This is an incident (like) which happened in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and never occurred after him. So he made them to swear by Allah after the afternoon prayer to the effect that they had not misappropriated, nor told a lie, nor changed, nor concealed, nor altered, and that it was the will of the man and his inheritance. He then executed their witness.
أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ بِدَقُوقَاءَ هَذِهِ وَلَمْ يَجِدْ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يُشْهِدُهُ عَلَى وَصِيَّتِهِ فَأَشْهَدَ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَقَدِمَا الْكُوفَةَ فَأَتَيَا أَبَا مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيَّ فَأَخْبَرَاهُ وَقَدِمَا بِتَرِكَتِهِ وَوَصِيَّتِهِ فَقَالَ الأَشْعَرِيُّ هَذَا أَمْرٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَحْلَفَهُمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ بِاللَّهِ مَا خَانَا وَلاَ كَذِبَا وَلاَ بَدَّلاَ وَلاَ كَتَمَا وَلاَ غَيَّرَا وَإِنَّهَا لَوَصِيَّةُ الرَّجُلِ وَتَرِكَتُهُ فَأَمْضَى شَهَادَتَهُمَا
A man from Banu Sahm went out with Tamim ad-Dari and Adi ibn Badda'. The man of Banu Sahm died in the land where no Muslim was present. When they returned with his inheritance, they (the heirs) did not find a silver cup with lines of gold (in his property). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ administered on oath to them. The cup was then found (with someone) at Mecca. They said: We have bought it from Tamim and Adi. Then two men from the heirs of the man of Banu Sahm got up and swore saying: Our witness is more reliable than their witness. They said that the cup belonged to their man. He (Ibn Abbas) said: The following verse was revealed about them: "O ye who believe! when death approaches any of you....."
خَرَجَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَهْمٍ مَعَ تَمِيمٍ الدَّارِيِّ وَعَدِيِّ بْنِ بَدَّاءَ فَمَاتَ السَّهْمِيُّ بِأَرْضٍ لَيْسَ بِهَا مُسْلِمٌ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَا بِتَرِكَتِهِ فَقَدُوا جَامَ فِضَّةٍ مُخَوَّصًا بِالذَّهَبِ فَأَحْلَفَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ وُجِدَ الْجَامُ بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالُوا اشْتَرَيْنَاهُ مِنْ تَمِيمٍ وَعَدِيٍّ فَقَامَ رَجُلاَنِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ السَّهْمِيِّ فَحَلَفَا لَشَهَادَتُنَا أَحَقُّ مِنْ شَهَادَتِهِمَا وَإِنَّ الْجَامَ لِصَاحِبِهِمْ قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ فِيهِمْ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ } الآيَةَ