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Islamic Scholarship

Due Process in Islamic Law

An examination of due process in Islamic law, grounded in the Qur’anic command to verify reports and the ethics of accusation.

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا إِن جاءَكُم فاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنوا أَن تُصيبوا قَومًا بِجَهالَةٍ فَتُصبِحوا عَلىٰ ما فَعَلتُم نادِمينَ

O you who have faith! If a profligate [person] should bring you some news, verify it, lest you should visit [harm] on some people out of ignorance, and then become regretful for what you have done.
[Surah al-Hujurat]

Mu'adh bin Jabal (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“If anyone disgraces his brother for a sin, he will not die before committing it himself.” Related At-Tirmidhi who graded it to be Hasan.وَعَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ مَنْ عَيَّرَ أَخَاهُ بِذَنْبٍ, لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى يَعْمَلَهُ } أَخْرَجَهُ اَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ, وَسَنَدُهُ مُنْقَطِعٌ.‏ 1‏ .‏

Narrated AbuBarzah al-Aslami:

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الإِيمَانُ قَلْبَهُ لاَ تَغْتَابُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ يَتَّبِعِ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعِ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ يَفْضَحْهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ï·º) said: O community of people, who believed by their tongue, and belief did not enter their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house.

Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) حسن صحيح (الألباني) حكم :

Sunan Abi Dawud 4880

"The first Li'an in Islam was when Hilal bin Umayyah accused Sharik bin As-Sahma' (of committing adultery) with his wife. He came to the Prophet and told him about that. The Prophet said: '(Bring) four witnesses, otherwise (you will feel) the Hadd punishment on your back.' And he repeated that several times. Hilal said to him: 'By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, knows that I am telling the truth, and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will certainly reveal to you that which will spare my back from the whip.' While they were like that, the Verse of Li'an was revealed to him: 'As to those who accuse their wives.' He called Hilal and he bore witness four times by Allah that he was telling the truth, and the fifth time he invoked the curse of Allah upon him if he were lying. Then he called the woman and she bore witness four times by Allah that he was lying. When it came to the fourth or fifth time, the Messenger of Allah said: 'Stop her, for it will inevitably bring the punishment of Allah upon the liar.' She hesitated until we thought that she was going to confess, then she said: 'I will not dishonor my people today.' Then she went ahead with the oath. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Wait and see. If she produces a child who is white, with straight hair and Qadiy'a eyes, then he belongs to Hilal bin Umayyah, but if she produces a child who is dark with curly hair, of average size and with narrow calves, then he belongs to Sharik bin As-Sahma'.' She produced a child who was dark with curly hair, of average size and with narrow calves. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Had not the matter been settled by the Book of Allah, I would have punished her severely.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَخْلَدُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الأَزْدِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ لِعَانٍ كَانَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ أَنَّ هِلاَلَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ قَذَفَ شَرِيكَ ابْنَ السَّحْمَاءِ بِامْرَأَتِهِ فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَرْبَعَةَ شُهَدَاءَ وَإِلاَّ فَحَدٌّ فِي ظَهْرِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ يُرَدِّدُ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ مِرَارًا فَقَالَ لَهُ هِلاَلٌ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيَعْلَمُ أَنِّي صَادِقٌ وَلَيُنْزِلَنَّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكَ مَا يُبَرِّئُ ظَهْرِي مِنَ الْجَلْدِ ‏.‏ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ آيَةُ اللِّعَانِ ‏{‏ وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ ‏}‏ إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ فَدَعَا هِلاَلاً فَشَهِدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ثُمَّ دُعِيَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ فَشَهِدَتْ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ فَلَمَّا أَنْ كَانَ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ أَوِ الْخَامِسَةِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَقِّفُوهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُوجِبَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَتَلَكَّأَتْ حَتَّى مَا شَكَكْنَا أَنَّهَا سَتَعْتَرِفُ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ لاَ أَفْضَحُ قَوْمِي سَائِرَ الْيَوْمِ ‏.‏ فَمَضَتْ عَلَى الْيَمِينِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ انْظُرُوهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَبْيَضَ سَبِطًا قَضِيءَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ فَهُوَ لِهِلاَلِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ وَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ آدَمَ جَعْدًا رَبْعًا حَمْشَ السَّاقَيْنِ فَهُوَ لِشَرِيكِ ابْنِ السَّحْمَاءِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ آدَمَ جَعْدًا رَبْعًا حَمْشَ السَّاقَيْنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لَوْلاَ مَا سَبَقَ فِيهَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لَكَانَ لِي وَلَهَا شَأْنٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ وَالْقَضِيءُ طَوِيلُ شَعْرِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ لَيْسَ بِمَفْتُوحِ الْعَيْنِ وَلاَ جَاحِظِهِمَا وَاللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏

Sahih (Darussalam)

Sunan an-Nasa'i 3469

Imran b. Husain reported that a woman from Juhaina came to Allah's Apostle (ï·º) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said:

Allah's Apostle, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. Allah's Apostle (ï·º) called her master and said: Treat her well, and when she delivers bring her to me. He did accordingly. Then Allah's Apostle (ï·º) pronounced judgment about her and her clothes were tied around her and then he commanded and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her, whereas she had committed adultery! Thereupon he said: She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than this that she sacr ficed her life for Allah, the Majestic?

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ، مَالِكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ هِشَامٍ – حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا الْمُهَلَّبِ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ، بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ أَتَتْ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ حُبْلَى مِنَ الزِّنَى فَقَالَتْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَصَبْتُ حَدًّا فَأَقِمْهُ عَلَىَّ فَدَعَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلِيَّهَا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَحْسِنْ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا وَضَعَتْ فَائْتِنِي بِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَفَعَلَ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَشُكَّتْ عَلَيْهَا ثِيَابُهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَرُجِمَتْ ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ زَنَتْ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَقَدْ تَابَتْ تَوْبَةً لَوْ قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَ سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ لَوَسِعَتْهُمْ وَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ تَوْبَةً أَفْضَلَ مِنْ أَنْ جَادَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim 1696a


This piece was originally written and shared by Ali Shukri Amin on Reddit. Read or discuss the original thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/MuslimCorner/comments/1gk82dd/due_process_in_islamic_law/

By Ali Shukri Amin

Ali Shukri Amin is a solutions architect and engineering manager based in Virginia. He writes on software architecture, blockchain, and Islamic scholarship, including an ongoing series on istighatha and tawassul.