11. Testimony of Children
Back to book1- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ مَتَى تَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ الْغُلامِ فَقَالَ إِذَا بَلَغَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَيَجُوزُ أَمْرُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) دَخَلَ بِعَائِشَةَ وَهِيَ بِنْتُ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ وَلَيْسَ يُدْخَلُ بِالْجَارِيَةِ حَتَّى تَكُونَ امْرَأَةً فَإِذَا كَانَ لِلْغُلامِ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ جَازَ أَمْرُهُ وَجَازَتْ شَهَادَتُهُ.
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz who has narrated the following: “I once asked Tsma’il ibn Ja’far, ’When it is permissible for a boy to testify?’ He said, ’It is permissible when he becomes ten years old.’ I then asked, ‘Can he issue a command?’ He said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, went to bed with ‘A’ishah when she was ten years old and it is not permissible to go to bed with a girl unless she is a woman (‘A’ishah was not underage). When a boy becomes ten years old his commanding is permissible and his testimony is admissible.’” (They have mentioned his words perhaps to show his invalid analogizing effort)
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (24/235)
2- عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَجُوزُ شَهَادَةُ الصِّبْيَانِ قَالَ نَعَمْ فِي الْقَتْلِ يُؤْخَذُ بِأَوَّلِ كَلامِهِ وَلا يُؤْخَذُ بِالثَّانِي مِنْهُ.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Jamil who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, if presenting testimony by children is permissible. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, in the case of murder his first words are accepted but not his second ones.’”
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (24/235)
3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ شَهَادَةِ الصَّبِيِّ قَالَ فَقَالَ لا إِلا فِي الْقَتْلِ يُؤْخَذُ بِأَوَّلِ كَلامِهِ وَلا يُؤْخَذُ بِالثَّانِي.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Muhammad ibn Humran who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the testimony of children. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, except in the case of murder, in which case his first words are accepted but his second words are not accepted.’”
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (24/236)
4- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيْهِما السَّلام) قَالَ فِي الصَّبِيِّ يُشْهَدُ عَلَى الشَّهَادَةِ قَالَ إِنْ عَقَلَهُ حِينَ يُدْرِكُ أَنَّهُ حَقٌّ جَازَتْ شَهَادَتُهُ.
4. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has narrated the following: “About the case of a child if his bearing testimony to an existing testimony, he (the Imam) said, ‘If his reason can comprehend when he becomes mature that it is right, it then is permissible.’”
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (24/236)
5- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ شَهَادَةَ الصِّبْيَانِ إِذَا أَشْهَدُوهُمْ وَهُمْ صِغَارٌ جَازَتْ إِذَا كَبِرُوا مَا لَمْ يَنْسَوْهَا.
5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If children are asked to bear testimony if they did so as children it is permissible, when they grow up, to present it if they have not forgotten.’”
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (24/236)
6- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الصَّبِيِّ هَلْ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ فِي الْقَتْلِ قَالَ يُؤْخَذُ بِأَوَّلِ كَلامِهِ وَلا يُؤْخَذُ بِالثَّانِي.
6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Jamil who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about a child if he can testify in the case of murder. He (the Imam) said, ‘His first words are accepted but his second words are not accepted.’”
Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور - Mir‘at al ‘Uqul Fi Sharh Akhbar Al al Rasul (4/236)