Is the testimony of two women equivalent to the testimony of one man in all cases? If so, how is a criminal punished if the witness to the crime is one woman or four women in the case of adultery? And what about Lady Aisha, who narrated many hadiths without the need for confirmation from another narrator?

Jurists have agreed that the testimony of two women in place of one man is restricted to financial matters, and some of them have added marriage, divorce, and lineage. Most imams hold that the testimony of women is not accepted in cases of hudud (punishments) and qisas (retaliation).

A question might arise concerning the punishment of a criminal in the event that there is one female witness or four female witnesses to adultery. In this case, the hadd (prescribed punishment) is not established because the required number [of witnesses] has not been met, and Islam does not hasten in punishments; rather, "prescribed punishments are averted by doubts."

A distinction is made between narration (riwayah) and testimony (shahadah). Narration is reporting on a general matter and does not require a specific number, maleness, or freedom. Testimony, however, is specific to particular cases and requires special conditions, such as number and maleness in certain situations.