Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "إِذَا شَهِدَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ فَإِنَّ شَهَادَتَهُ تُقْبَلُ وَ هِيَ نِصْفُ شَهَادَةٍ وَ إِنْ شَهِدَ رَجُلاَنِ عَدْلاَنِ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ فَقَدْ ثَبَتَ شَهَادَةُ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ".

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "If a man testifies based on the testimony of another man, his testimony is accepted, and it counts as half a testimony. However, if two just men testify based on the testimony of one man, it is considered equivalent to the testimony of one man."

وَ رَوَى غِيَاثُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَنَّ عَلِيّاً عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كَانَ لاَ يُجِيزُ شَهَادَةَ رَجُلٍ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ إِلاَّ شَهَادَةَ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ".

Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): "Indeed, Imam Ali (a.s) would not validate the testimony of one man based on the testimony of another man, except if there were two men testifying based on testimony of one man."

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ شَهِدَ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ فَجَاءَ اَلرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَمْ أُشْهِدْهُ قَالَ "تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ أَعْدَلِهِمَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ عَدَالَتُهُمَا وَاحِدَةً لَمْ تَجُزْ شَهَادَتُهُ ".

It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Sinan, from Abdurrahman ibn Abi Abdullah, from Abu Abdullah (a.s) regarding a man who testified based on the testimony of another man, and then the original man said: 'I did not make him a witness,' Imam (a.s) said: "The testimony of the more upright of the two is accepted, but if their uprightness is equal, then his testimony is not accepted."

وَ سَأَلَ صَفْوَانُ بْنُ يَحْيَى أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَشْهَدَ أَجِيرَهُ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ ثُمَّ فَارَقَهُ أَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ يُفَارِقَهُ قَالَ "نَعَمْ" قُلْتُ فَيَهُودِيٌّ أُشْهِدَ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ ثُمَّ أَسْلَمَ أَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ قَالَ "نَعَمْ".

Safwan ibn Yahya asked Abu al-Hasan (a.s): About a man who made his employee a witness to a testimony and then separated from him, would his testimony be valid after their separation? Imam (a.s) said: "Yes." He further asked: What if a Jew was made a witness to a testimony and then embraced Islam, would his testimony be valid? Imam (a.s) said: "Yes."

وَ رَوَى اَلْعَلاَءُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلذِّمِّيِّ وَ اَلْعَبْدِ يُشْهَدَانِ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ ثُمَّ يُسْلِمُ اَلذِّمِّيُّ وَ يُعْتَقُ اَلْعَبْدُ أَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُمَا عَلَى مَا كَانَا أُشْهِدَا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ "نَعَمْ إِذَا عُلِمَ مِنْهُمَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ جَازَتْ شَهَادَتُهُمَا ".

Al-Ala narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim: He said: I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) about a dhimmi (non-Muslim under Islamic protection) and a slave who bore witness to a testimony. Then the dhimmi embraced Islam and the slave was emancipated, would their testimony about what they were made witnesses to before be valid? Imam (a.s) said: "Yes, if goodness is known from them afterward, their testimony is valid."

وَ رَوَى غِيَاثُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "لاَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةٌ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ فِي حَدٍّ وَ لاَ كَفَالَةٌ فِي حَدٍّ".

Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) said: "Testimony upon testimony is not valid in cases involving prescribed punishments (hudud), nor is sponsorship (kafalah) valid in cases involving prescribed punishments."

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنِ اَلْبَاقِرِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي اَلشَّهَادَةِ عَلَى شَهَادَةِ اَلرَّجُلِ وَ هُوَ بِالْحَضْرَةِ فِي اَلْبَلَدِ قَالَ "نَعَمْ وَ لَوْ كَانَ خَلْفَ سَارِيَةٍ وَ يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ لاَ يُمْكِنُهُ أَنْ يُقِيمَهَا لِعِلَّةٍ تَمْنَعُهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَحْضُرَ وَ يُقِيمَهَا فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِإِقَامَةِ اَلشَّهَادَةِ عَلَى شَهَادَتِهِ".

Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Al-Baqir, Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s) regarding testimony upon the testimony of a man who is present in the town. Imam (a.s) said: "Yes, even if he is behind a column. It is permissible if he is unable to present it himself due to some excuse preventing him from attending and presenting it. In such a case, there is no harm in establishing testimony based on his testimony."

وَ رَوَى عَمْرُو بْنُ جُمَيْعٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "أَشْهِدْ عَلَى شَهَادَتِكَ مَنْ يَنْصَحُكَ" قَالُوا أَصْلَحَكَ اَللَّهُ كَيْفَ يَزِيدُ وَ يَنْقُصُ قَالَ "لاَ وَ لَكِنْ مَنْ يَحْفَظُهَا عَلَيْكَ". وَ لَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةٌ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ.

Amr ibn Jumay' narrated from Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): Imam (a.s) said: "Let someone trustworthy bear witness to your testimony." They asked: 'May Allah (swt) keep you well, how can it increase or decrease?' Imam (a.s) replied: "No, but it should be someone who preserves it for you." Imam (a.s) also said: "It is not permissible to testify upon a testimony that is based on another testimony."