Invoking of Curses (Lian) (3636-3662)

Sahl Ibn Sa'd al-Saidi reported thatUwaimir al-Ajlani came to Asim Ibn Adi al-Ansari and said to him. Tell me about a person who finds a man with his wife; should he kill him, and be killed In retaliation; or how should he act? Asim, ask for me (religious verdict about it) from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). So Asim asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he did not like this question and he disapproved of it so much thatAsim felt aggrieved at what he had heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When Asim came back to his family, Uwaimir came to him and said: Asim, what did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say to you? Asim said to Uwaimir: You did not bring something good. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not like this religious verdict that I sought from him. Uwaimir said: By Allah, I will not rest until I have asked him about it. Uwaimir proceeded until he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as he was sitting amidst people, and said: Messenger of Allah, tell me about a person who found a man with his wife. Should he kill him, and then you would kill him, or how should he act? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: (Verses) have been revealed concerning you and your wife; so go and bring her. Sahl said that they both invoked curses (and further said): I was along with people in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). And when they had finished, Uwaimir said: Allah's Messenger, I shall have told a lie against her if I keep her (now). So he divorced her with three pronouncements before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had commanded him. Ibn Shihab said: Subsequently that was the practice of invokers of curses (al MutAlainain).

Sahl Ibn Sa'd reported.. Uwaimir al-Ansari from Banul-Ajlan came to Asim Ibn Adi the remaining part of the hadith is the same and it was also reecorded in it: "And subsequebtly the separation became the practice of al-MutAlainain." And this addition was also made: "She was pregnant and her son was ascribed to her, and it became customary that such (a son) would inherit her and she would inherit him in the share prescribed by Allah for her.

Ibn Shihab narrated about the invokers of curses and the practice of (lian) based on the authority of Sahl Ibn Sad, of the tribe of Saida. that a person from the Ansar came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, tell me about the person who found a man with his wife. The remaining part of the hadith is the same (but) with this addition: They invoked curses in the mosque and I was present there. And he narrated in the hadith: He divorced her with three pronouncements before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded him (to get separation). He separated from her in the presence of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), whereupon he said: There is a separation between the invokers of curses.

Sa'id Ibn Jubair reported: I was asked about the invokers of curses during the reign of Musabb (Ibn Zubair) whether they could separate (themselves by this process). He said: I did not understand what to say. So I went to the house of Ibn Umar in Mecca. I said to his servant: Seek permission for Me. He said that he (Ibn Umar) had been taking rest. He (Ibn Umar) heard my voice. and said: Are you Ibn Jubair? I said: Yes. He'said: Come in. By Allah, it must be some (great) need which has brought you here at this Hour. So I got in and found him lying on a blanket reclining against a pillow stuffed with fibres of date-palm. I said: O AbuAbd al-Rahman, should there be separation between the invokers of curses? He said: Hallowed be Allah, yes, The first one who asked about it was so and so. he said: Messenger of Allah, tell me If one of us finds his wife committing adultery: what should he do? If he talks, that is something great, and if he keeps quiet that is also (something great) (which he cannot afford to do). Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) kept quiet (or some time). After some time he (that very person) came to him (Allah's Messenger) and said: I have been involved in that very cage about which I had asked you Allah the Exalted and Majestic then revealed (these) verses of Surah Nur: "Those who accuse their wives" (verse 6), and he (ﷺ) recited them to him and admonished him, and exhorted him and informed him that the torment of the world is less painful than the torment of the Hereafter. He said: No, by Him Who sent you with Truth, I did not tell a lie against her. He (ﷺ) then called her (the wife of that person who had accused her) and admonished her, and exhorted her, and informed her that the torment of this world is less painful than the torment of the Hereafter. She said: No, by Him Who sent you with Truth, he is a liar. (it was) the man who started the swearing of oath and he swore in the name of Allah four times that he was among the truthful. and at the fifth turn he said: Let there be curse of Allah upon him if he were among the liars. Then the woman was called and she swore four times in the name of Allah that he (her husband) was among the liars, and at the fifth time (she said): Let there be curse upon her if he were among the truthful. He (ﷺ) then effected separation between the two.

A hadith like this is narrated by Ibn Numair with a slight variation of words.

Ibn Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying to the invokers of curse: Your account is with Allah. One of you must be a liar. You have now no right over this woman. He said: Messenger of Allah, what about my wealth (dower that I paid her at the time of marriage)? He said: You have no claim to wealth. If you tell the truth, it (dower) is the recompense for your having had the right to intercourse with her, and if you tell a lie against her, it is still more remote from you than she is. Zuhair said in his narration: Sufyan reported to us on the authority of Amr that he had heard Sa'id Ibn Jubair saying: I heard Ibn Umar saying that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said it.

Ibn Umar said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) effected separation between the two members of Banu al-Ajlan, and said: Allah knows that one of you is a liar. Is there one to repent among you?

Sa'id Ibn Jubair reported: I asked Ibn Umar about invoking curse (lian), and he narrated Similarly from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ).

Sa'id Ibn Jubair reported that Musabb Ibn Zubair did not effect separation between the MutAlainain (invokers of curses). Sa'id said: It was mentioned to Abdullah Ibn Umar and he said: Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) effected separation between the two members of Banu al-Ajlan.

Nafi reported on the authority of Ibn Umar that a person invoked curse on the wife during the lifetime of Allah s Messenger (ﷺ), so he effected separation between them and traced the lineage of the son to his mother.

Ibn Umar reported: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked a person from the Anger and his wife to invoke curse (upon one another in order to testify to their truthfulness), and then effected separation between them.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Ubaidulah with the same chain of transmitters.

Abdullah reported: We were on the night of Friday staying in the mosque when a person from the Ansar came there and said: If a person finds hiswoman along with a man, and he speaks about it, you would lash him, and if he kills, you will kill him, and if he keeps quiet he shall have to consume anger. By Allah, I will definitely ask about him from Allah's Mescenger (ﷺ). On the following day he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and asked him thus: If a man were to find with his wife a man and if he were to talk about it, you would lash him; and if he killed, you would kill him, and if he were to keep quiet. he would consume anger, whereupon he (ﷺ) said: Allah, solve (this problem), and he began to supplicate (before Him), and then the verses pertaining to lian were revealed: "Those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves" (24. 6). The person was then put to test according to these verses in the presence of the people. There came he and his wife in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and they invoked curses (in order to testify their claim). The man swore four times in the name of Allah that he was one of the truthful and then invoked curse for the fifth time saying: Let there be curse of Allah upon him if he were among the liars. Then she began to invoke curse. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to her: just wait (and curse after considering over it), but she refused and invoked curse and when she turned away, he (Allah's Apostle) said: It seems that this woman shall give birth to a curly-haired black child, And so she did gave birth to a curly-haired black child.

A hadith like this is narrated on the authority of Amash.

Muhammad (one of the narrators) reported: I asked Anas Ibn Malik knowing that he had a knowledge of (the case of lian). He said: Hilal Ibn Umayya accused his wife with the charge of fornication with Sharik Ibn Sahma, the brother of al-Barab Malik from the side of his mother. And he was the first person who invoked curse (lian) in Islam. He in fact invoked curse upon her. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: See to her if she gives birth to a white-complexioned child having dark hair and bright eyes; he must be the son of Hilal Ibn Umayya; and if she gives birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks, he must be the offspring of Sharik Ibn Sahma. He said: I was informed that she gave birth to a child having dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks.

Ibn Abbas reported: Mention was made of lian in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). And Asim Ibn Adi passed a remark about it and then turned away, and a man of his tribe came to him complaining that he had found a man with his wife, whereupon Asim said: I have been taken by my words. He took him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and told him about the man whom he had found with his wife and this man was a lean, yellow-coloured man with lank hair, and the person who was accused of committing adultery with her (his wife) had fleshy shanks, with wheat complexion and heavy bulk. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, make (this case) manifest. And as she gave birth to a child, whose face resembled that person about whom her husband had made mention that he had found her with, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had asked them to invoke curses. A person said to Ibn Abbas: Is she (that woman) about whom Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (said): "If I were to stone anybody without evidence, I would have stoned her"? Ibn Abbas said: No, it is not she. That woman was one who openly spread evil in society.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas through another chain of transmitters with the addition of these words: 'With flesh, and curly tangled hair."

Abdullah Ibn Shaddad reported that mention was made about the invokers of curses before Ibn Abbas . Ibn Shaddad said: Are these the two about whom Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said." If I were to stone one without evidence, I would have definitely stoned her"? Ibn Abbas said: She is not this woman; but she is the one who (committed adultery) openly.

Abu Huraira reported that Sa'd Ibn Ubada al-Ansari said: Messenger of Allah, tell me if a man finds his wife with another person, should he kill him? Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: No. Sa'd said: Why not? I swear by Him Who has honored you with the Truth. There upon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Listen to what your chief says.

Abu Huraira reported that Sa'd Ibn Ubada said: Messenger of Allah, if I were to find with my wife a man, should I wait until I bring four witnesses? He said: Yes.

Abu Huraira reported that Sa'd Ibn Ubada said: Messenger of Allah, if I were to find with my wife a man, should I not touch him before bringing four witnesses? Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Yes. He said: By no means. By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I would hasten with my sword to him before that. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Listen to what your chief says. He is jealous of his honour, I am more jealous than he (is) and God is more jealous than I.

AI-Mughira Ibn Shuba reported that Sa'd Ibn Ubada said: If I were to see a man with my wife, I would have struck him with the sword, and not with the flat part (side) of it. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) heard of that, he said: Are you surprised at Sad's jealousy of his honour? By Allah, I am more jealous of my honour than he, and Allah is more jealous than I. Because of His jealousy Allah has prohibited abomination, both open and secret And no person is more jealous of his honour than Allah, and no persons, is more fond of accepting an excuse than Allah, on account of which He has sent messengers, announcers of glad tidings and warners; and no one is more fond of praise than Allah on account of which Allah has promised Paradise.

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority, of Abd al-Malik Ibn Umair with the same chain of narraters but with a slight change of words.

Abu Huraira reported: There came a person to the Prophet (ﷺ) from Banu Fazara and said: My wife has given birth to a child who is black, whereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Have you any camels? He said: Yes. He again said: What is this colour? He said: They are red. He said: Is there a dusky one among them? He said: Yes, there are dusky ones among them He said: How has it come about? He said: It is perhaps the strain to which it has reverted, whereupon he (ﷺ) said: It is perhaps the strain to which he (the child) has reverted.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Mamar, the (words are): "Messenger of Allah, my wife has given birth to a dark-complexioned boy, and he at that time was intending to disown him." And this addition has been made at the end of the hadith: "He (ﷺ) did not permit him to disown him."

Abu Huraira reported: A desert Arab came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: My wife has given birth to a dark-complexioned child and I have disowned him. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Have you any camels? He said: Yes. He said: What is their colour? He said? They are red. He said: Is there anyone dusky among them? He said: Yes. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: How has it come about? He said: Messenger of Allah, it is perhaps due to the strain to which it has reverted, whereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) said: It (the birth) of the black child may be due to the strain to which he (the child) might have reverted.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters.