الاستصحاب لغةً: المُلازمة والمُصاحبة. ويُقال: «استصحبتُ الحالَ» إذا لازَمتَها وتمسّكتَ بها. والاستصحابُ أيضًا: طلبُ الصُّحبة والثباتُ عليها.

Al-Istishaab linguistically means (to accompany/associate). It is said that you ‘Istishabta’ a condition or state (of being) if you held on to it. And Al-Istishaab is (also) the seeking of companionship and remaining firm upon it.

هُوَ الحُكْمُ بِإِثْبَاتِ أَمْرٍ فِي الزَّمَنِ الحَاضِرِ بِنَاءً عَلَى إِثْبَاتِهِ فِي الزَّمَنِ المَاضِي.

It is the Hukm (judgement) by affirming a matter in the present time based upon its affirmation in the past.

في كل أمر ثبت وجوده ثم وقع الشك في زوال وجوده، فالأصل بقاؤه. فمثلاً: من تزوج على أساس أن المرأة بكر، ثم ادعى بعد أن جامعها أنها ليست بكرًا، فلا يُصدَّق إلا ببينة. وذلك لأن الأصل هو البكارة، إذ ثبتت وتحققت منذ ولادتها. وعليه فإن بكارتها تصحبها (الاستصحاب) حتى وقت زواجها.

In respect to every matter that was confirmed to be present and then doubt occurs in respect to it no longer being present, then the origin is that it remains (in presence). So for example, the one who marries upon the basis that the woman was a virgin and then claims after having relations with her that she was not will not be believed except by a Bayyinah (valid testimonial proof/evidence). That is because the original position is that of virginity because that was affirmed and established since the time of her birth. As such her being a virgin accompanies (Istishaab) her until the time that she marries.

ومن الأمثلة الأخرى: من عُلم أنه كان حيًا، فيُحكم ببقائه حيًا ما دام لا يوجد دليلٌ يُثبت خلاف ذلك.

Another example relates to the one who is known to have been alive and so is judged to be remaining alive as long as a Daleel does not exist establishing the contrary to that.

كل أمرٍ يُعلم عدمُه ثم يطرأ الشكُّ في وجوده، فالأصلُ بقاءُ حالةِ العدم.

Every matter about which its non-existence is known and then doubt arises in respect to its existence, then the origin (Al-Asl) is the continuance of the condition of non-existence.

مثال ذلك: إذا اشترى شخصٌ كلبًا على أساس أنه مُعلَّم في الصيد، ثم ادّعى بعد ذلك أنه اكتشف أن الكلب لم يكن مُعلَّمًا، فإنه يُصدَّق. وذلك لأن الأصل أن الكلب لم يُعلَّم الصيد منذ ولادته، فيبقى عدم التعليم استصحابًا.

For example, if someone purchases a dog upon the basis that the dog is skilled in hunting and then claims after that that he discovered that the dog had not been trained, he is believed. That is because the Asl (origin) is that the dog has not been trained to hunt from its birth and as such the non-existence or absence remains as Istishaab.

وكذلك، لو ادّعى شخصٌ أنه تزوّج امرأةً فأنكرت هي دعواه، فلا يُصدَّق، استناداً إلى الاستصحاب، ما لم يُقِم بيّنةً معتبرةً تثبت ذلك؛ لأن الأصلَ عدمُ وجود النكاح.

Similarly, if a person claims that he has married a woman and she denies his claims, he is not believed, upon the basis of Istishaab, as long as he does not produce a Bayyinah (legitimate evidence) to prove that. That is because the Asl (origin) is the non-existence of the marriage.

الأصل في جميع المسائل أنه يبقى على ما كان عليه حتى يقوم دليل يدل على خلاف ذلك.