Bukhari Volume 3, 52-Witnesses
Hadith Number 2637
Chapter: 2 If a person attests the honouroable record of a witness
Narrated `Urwa bin Al-Musaiyab Alqama bin Waqqas and Ubaidullah bin `Abdullah:
About the story of `Aisha and their narrations were similar attesting each other, when the liars said what they invented about `Aisha, and the Divine Inspiration was delayed, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) sent for `Ali and Usama to consult them in divorcing his wife (i.e. `Aisha). Usama said, “Keep your wife, as we know nothing about her except good.” Barirah said, “I cannot accuse her of any defect except that she is still a young girl who sleeps, neglecting her family’s dough which the domestic goats come to eat (i.e. she was too simpleminded to deceive her husband).” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Who can help me to take revenge over the man who has harmed me by defaming the reputation of my family? By Allah, I have not known about my family-anything except good, and they mentioned (i.e. accused) a man about whom I did not know anything except good.”
Hadith Number 2638
Chapter: 3 The witness of an eavesdropper
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and Ubai bin Ka`b Al-Ansari went to the garden where Ibn Saiyad used to live. When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) entered (the garden), he (i.e. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ) started hiding himself behind the date108 palms as he wanted to hear secretly the talk of Ibn Saiyad before the latter saw him. Ibn Saiyad wrapped with a soft decorated sheet was lying on his bed murmuring. Ibn Saiyad’s mother saw the Prophet hiding behind the stems of the date-palms. She addressed Ibn Saiyad saying, “O Saf, this is Muhammad.” Hearing that Ibn Saiyad stopped murmuring (or got cautious), the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If she had left him undisturbed, he would have revealed his reality.” (See Hadith No. 290, Vol 4 for details)
Hadith Number 2639
Narrated Aisha: The wife of Rifa`a Al-Qurazi came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, “I was Rifa`a’s wife, but he divorced me and it was a final irrevocable divorce. Then I married `Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair but he is impotent.” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked her ‘Do you want to remarry Rifa`a? You cannot unless you had a complete sexual relation with your present husband.” Abu Bakr was sitting with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and Khalid bin Sa`id bin Al-`As was at the door waiting to be admitted. He said, “O Abu Bakr! Do you hear what this (woman) is revealing frankly before the Prophet (ﷺ) ?”
Hadith Number 2640
Chapter: 4 When a witness or witnesses give an evidence
Narrated `Abdullah bin Abu Mulaika from `Uqba bin Al-Harith: Uqba married the daughter of Abu Ihab bin `Aziz, and then a woman came and said, “I suckled `Uqba and his wife.” `Uqba said to her, “I do not know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me.” He then sent someone to the house of Abu Ihab to inquire about that but they did not know that she had suckled their daughter. Then `Uqba went to the Prophet (ﷺ) in Medina and asked him about it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, “How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?” So, he divorced her and she was married to another (husband).
Hadith Number 2641
Chapter: 5 The just witnesses
Narrated `Umar bin Al-Khattab: People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine Inspiration during the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle but now there is no longer any more (new revelation). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favor the one who does good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, for Allah will judge him for that; but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good.
Hadith Number 2642
Chapter: 6 How many witnesses are sufficient to attes
Narrated Anas: A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet (PBUH) and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “It has been affirmed (Paradise).” Then another funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “It has been affirmed (Hell).” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! You said it has been affirmed for both?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The testimony of the people (is accepted), (for) the believer are Allah’s witnesses on the earth.”
Hadith Number 2643
Narrated Abu Al-Aswad: Once I went to Medina where there was an outbreak of disease and the people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with `Umar and a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed” (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed.” (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed (Paradise).” Then a third funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed (Hell).” I asked `Umar, “O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?” He said, “I have said what the Prophet (ﷺ) said. He said, ‘Allah will admit into paradise any Muslim whose good character is attested by four persons.’ We asked the Prophet, ‘If there were three witnesses only?’ He said, ‘Even three.’ We asked, ‘If there were two only?’ He said, ‘Even two.’ But we did not ask him about one witness.”
Hadith Number 2644
Chapter: 7 To give witness concerning lineage, foster suckling relations and dead persons
Narrated Aisha: Aflah asked the permission to visit me but I did not allow him. He said, “Do you veil yourself before me although I am your uncle?” `Aisha said, “How is that?” Aflah replied, “You were suckled by my brother’s wife with my brother’s milk.” I asked Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about it, and he said, “Aflah is right, so permit him to visit you.”
Hadith Number 2645
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (PBUH) said about Hamza’s daughter, “I am not legally permitted to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother.”
Hadith Number 2646
Narrated `Amra bint `Abdur-Rahman: That `Aisha the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) told her uncle that once, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was in her house, she heard a man asking Hafsa’s permission to enter her house. `Aisha said, “I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! I think the man is Hafsa’s foster uncle.’ ” `Aisha added, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! There is a man asking the permission to enter your house.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) replied, “I think the man is Hafsa’s foster uncle.” `Aisha said, “If so-and-so were living (i.e. her foster uncle) would he be allowed to visit me?” Allah’s Apostle said, “Yes, he would, as the foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs).
Hadith Number 2647
Narrated Aisha: Once the Prophet (PBUH) came to me while a man was in my house. He said, “O `Aisha! Who is this (man)?” I replied, “My foster brothers” He said, “O `Aisha! Be sure about your foster brothers, as fostership is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (before two years of age).