Who May Testify
These pages are about the witness, not the case. They cover who may testify, what disqualifies a witness, and the duty to give testimony or to withhold it. Hearsay, a witness who retracts, how many witnesses a claim needs, and testimony before a judge are covered here. False witness as a sin, and its expiation, belong under honesty and promises. The witnesses a specific contract requires stay with that contract. Settling the dispute itself belongs with disputes and arbitration. Every answer here is a sourced summary of a fatwa published on Ftawy, with the full ruling one tap away.
42 questions
Is testifying to the truth obligatory upon witnessing injustice, even if not requested, and if it displeases one's mother, would silence about it be considered injustice?
Why does a man's testimony equal that of two women in Islam?
Why is the testimony of two women considered equal to that of one man?
Does proving rape require the testimony of four men or eight women, and does this conflict with the prohibition of spying, and how can this be practically applied without falling into legal and ethical pitfalls?
Is it Islamically permissible to question witnesses again in court, especially if their initial testimonies were inconsistent?
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?
Is the testimony of an employee or a partner in a company against another employee in the same company acceptable in Islamic jurisprudence, if he is the only one who can reveal the truth?
What is the ruling on the testimony of a non-believer, with details, may Allah reward you with goodness?
Is the testimony of the slanderer accepted if he repents and becomes righteous?
What is the Muslim's duty when he sees someone hit a parked car and flee: should he wait for the owner of the damaged car to give him the license plate number of the car that caused the accident, or should he leave?
Is a friend sinful if he does not report the real killer and exonerates the innocent accused?
What is the ruling on paying money to witnesses who stipulate it in order to secure a fixed right to land, and what is the ruling on them taking money in exchange for this testimony?
Is it obligatory to inform the siblings about a brother's financial transgression in the inheritance, knowing that this will cause significant disputes and quarrels?
What is the ruling on one who gives money to someone who testified on their behalf regarding a right or assisted them in a just case, without a prior condition from the witness or helper?
Does the return of stolen goods constitute proof of theft in Islamic law, thus permitting an oath to be taken on it, especially since the law of the land considers the return of stolen goods as proof of theft?
Is it permissible for a woman to be a witness in contracts?
How can a woman's testimony be half of a man's testimony, given the possibility that a man may be less knowledgeable or of lower status than a woman, and are there cases in which a woman's testimony takes precedence over a man's?
Is the testimony of a woman unacceptable in cases of Hudud and Qisas due to the presence of a doubt that would avert the prescribed punishment? And is this a matter of scholarly consensus or dispute? What is the ruling if the sole witnesses to a crime – theft, murder, rape – committed by a man in a place designated for women, are only women? Would the prescribed punishment be applied, or only a discretionary punishment? Is there an exception for such cases, and what is its evidence?