Exploring the Jurisprudential Ruling of Tolerance of Testimony in Case of Crimes Purely Against God’s Rights (Ḥaqq Allāh)

فقه و اصول (Fiqh va uṣūl)

Article 8, Volume 56, Issue 1 - Serial Number 136, June 2024, Pages 187-212   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jfiqh.2022.76824.1379

Authors

Mohammad Ali Moheb Al Rahman^{* 1}; Ali Mazhar Gharamaleki²; Mohammad Mahdi Moheb Al Rahman³

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Fiqh and Law, Faculty of Theology, Shahid Madani University of Azarbaijan, Tabriz, Iran

²Professor, University of Tehran

³Assistant Professor, Department of Jurisprudential and Legal Issues, Research Center for Jurisprudence and Law, Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The present study aims at providing a clear and reasonable jurisprudential answer to the following questions: What is the responsibility of someone who is informed of the commission of a crime purely against God’s rights, such as crimes of breaching chastity or alcohol consumption? Should the person witness the incident and record its details, or should they neglect the commission of crime? Also, if they encounter such a crime for any reason, should they pursue the issue to prove the crime to legal authorities, is it obligatory to remain silent, or is it optional? Through an analysis of relevant verses (āyahs) and accounts related to the issue and by consulting the opinions of jurisconsults and analyzing probable theories, it is revealed that bearing witness to the crime and testifying is obligatory upon generalities (ʿumūmāt) and applications (ʾiṭlāqāt) in case of crimes related to the rights of individuals. However, in cases referred to as crimes purely against God’s rights (Ḥaqq Allāh-i maḥdh), bearing witness to the crime is not only non-mandatory, but also reprehensible. In such cases, bearing witness is unethical and against the teachings of Sharīʿa, because based on āyahs and accounts, violating a person’s privacy and spying (which is necessary in such cases) are prohibited, and hiding the sin is obligatory. Additionally, bearing witness which can expose oneself to punishment (Taʿzīr) or the penalty of false accusation (qazf) are both reprehensible and condemned on a logical and jurisprudential basis.

Keywords

bearing witness to a crime; testimony; crimes against God’s rights; crimes against rights of individuals

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