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.
76 questions
What is the ruling on paying money to a witness so that he may testify to the truth?
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?
Is it necessary to mention the details of the threat made by the victim, even if the other party did not hear it, when giving testimony?
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 a Dhimmi against a Muslim permissible in courts in the absence of other witnesses?
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?
Does Islamic jurisprudence stipulate a minimum of three witnesses for a punishment or any worldly matter?
What is the ruling on the testimony of a non-believer, with details, may Allah reward you with goodness?
Can modern technologies such as television cameras, recording devices, and medical analysis tools be used as a substitute for the testimony of four witnesses in proving crimes of adultery and rape, and as a substitute for witnesses in other crimes like theft?
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 are the reasons for invalidating the giving of testimony before the judiciary?
Would he be sinful, whoever signed as a witness a waiver without the presence of the second party, and stipulated to the owner of the waiver that if he were summoned to court, he would testify that he signed without the presence of the second party?
What is the ruling of Sharia on the testimony of a person who witnessed a crime of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and whose testimony resulted in great harm to the woman and her family, while others would be harmed if he did not testify truthfully?
What is the correct Islamic course of action if a friend confesses to a crime he committed, and then another innocent person is arrested for it?
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?
What is the ruling on the witness who retracted his testimony after the adulterers had been stoned, and what is the ruling on the other witnesses?