سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْقَسَامَةِ فَقَالَ الْحُقُوقُ كُلُّهَا الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي وَ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا فِي الدَّمِ خَاصَّةً فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) بَيْنَمَا هُوَ بِخَيْبَرَ إِذْ فَقَدَتِ الْأَنْصَارُ رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ فَوَجَدُوهُ قَتِيلًا فَقَالَتِ الْأَنْصَارُ إِنَّ فُلَانَ الْيَهُودِيِّ قَتَلَ صَاحِبَنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) لِلطَّالِبِينَ أَقِيمُوا رَجُلَيْنِ عَدْلَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ أَقِيدُوهُ بِرُمَّتِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا شَاهِدَيْنِ فَأَقِيمُوا قَسَامَةً خَمْسِينَ رَجُلًا أَقِيدُوهُ بِرُمَّتِهِ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا عِنْدَنَا شَاهِدَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِنَا وَ إِنَّا لَنَكْرَهُ أَنْ نُقْسِمَ عَلَى مَا لَمْ نَرَهُ
Translation
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Umar Bin Azina, from Bureyd Bin Muawiya, (The narrator) says: ‘I asked Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup> about the compurgation (sworn endorsements), so he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘With regards to the right, all of them, the burden of proof is upon the claimant, and the swearing of the oath is upon the defendant, except regarding the blood, in particular, for Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup> was in Khyber when the Helpers missed a man from them, so he was found killed. So the Helpers said, ‘So and so the Jew killed our companion’. So Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup> said to the seekers: ‘Establish two just men from others, I<sup>saww</sup> shall retaliate by its entirety. So if you do not find two witnesses, so establish compurgation (sworn endorsements) of fifty men, I<sup>saww</sup> shall retaliate by its entirety’. So they said, ‘O Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup>! There are no two witnesses with us from others, and we hate that we swear upon what we have not seen’. فَوَدَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا حُقِنَ دِمَاءُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِالْقَسَامَةِ لِكَيْ إِذْ رَأَى الْفَاجِرُ الْفَاسِقُ فُرْصَةً مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ حَجَزَهُ مَخَافَةُ الْقَسَامَةِ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ بِهِ فَكَفَّ عَنْ قَتْلِهِ وَ إِلَّا حَلَفَ الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ قَسَامَةً خَمْسِينَ رَجُلًا مَا قَتَلْنَا وَ لَا عَلِمْنَا قَاتِلًا وَ إِلَّا أُغْرِمُوا الدِّيَةَ إِذَا وَجَدُوا قَتِيلًا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ إِذَا لَمْ يُقْسِمِ الْمُدَّعُونَ . So Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup> paid it from himself<sup>saww</sup>, and said: ‘But rather, the blood of the Muslims is saved by the compurgation, perhaps when the immoral mischievous one might see a chance from his enemy, would keep aside in fear of the compurgation (sworn endorsements), that he himself would be killed by it. So he would restrain from killing him, or else the claimant would swear an oath against him, a compurgation (sworn endorsement) of fifty men, ‘We have neither killed nor do we know the killer’, or else be fined the wergild. When the killer is found in their presence, when the claimants do not swear’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.