What is the meaning of the phrase "ولا تنقض الشهادة" (and the testimony is not to be invalidated), and what is the intended testimony that is not to be invalidated, in the context of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal's saying: "We do not bear witness against anyone from the people of the Qiblah that he is in the Fire for a sin he committed or a major sin he perpetrated, unless there is a Hadith concerning that, in which case we narrate the Hadith as it came, according to what was narrated, and we affirm it and know that it is as it came, and the testimony is not to be invalidated"?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 2026
The proverb says: "Solidify the stone then engrave it," meaning one must ascertain the authenticity of a narration before delving into its meaning. A group of scholars narrated the words of Imam Ahmad with the wording: "We do not confirm the testimony (or shahada)," and its meaning, as stated in Al-Musawwadah fi Usul al-Fiqh, is not to definitively testify for a specific individual that they are in Paradise; that is, we do not bear witness concerning a specific individual.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/84272
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 84272
- Imported
- Translation status
- Source text, unreviewed
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy