Chapter

Judgements

كتاب الأقضية

Arabic Text

قَالَ يَحْيَى قَالَ مَالِكٌ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، كَانَ يَقْضِي بِشَهَادَةِ الصِّبْيَانِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ الْجِرَاحِ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ الأَمْرُ الْمُجْتَمَعُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَنَا أَنَّ شَهَادَةَ الصِّبْيَانِ تَجُوزُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ الْجِرَاحِ وَلاَ تَجُوزُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ وَإِنَّمَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ الْجِرَاحِ وَحْدَهَا لاَ تَجُوزُ فِي غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا أَوْ يُخَبَّبُوا أَوْ يُعَلَّمُوا فَإِنِ افْتَرَقُوا فَلاَ شَهَادَةَ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونُوا قَدْ أَشْهَدُوا الْعُدُولَ عَلَى شَهَادَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْتَرِقُوا ‏.‏

English Translation

Yahya said, "Malik said from Hisham ibn Urwa that Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr gave judgment based on the testimony of children concerning the injuries between them." Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things in our community is that the testimony of children is permitted concerning injuries between them. It is not accepted about anything else. It is only permitted between them if they testify before they leave the scene of the incident and have been deceived or instructed. If they leave the scene, they have no testimony unless they call just witnesses to witness their testimony before they leave."