اللِّعان مأخوذ من اللَّعن، لأنَّ كلَّ واحدٍ من الزَّوجين يلعنُ نفسَه (في المرّة الخامسة) إن كان كاذبًا. وأصلُه قولُه سبحانه وتعالى:

Li'aan (oath of condemnation) is derived from Li'aan (curse) because each one of the spouses curses himself/herself (in the fifth time) if he/she is lying. The origin of it is in his (swt)'s saying:

﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلَّا أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ * وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ * وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَن تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ * وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ [النور: 6-9] أخرج أبو داود بسنده عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: "كان هلال بن أمية أحد الثلاثة الذين تِيبَ عليهم، فجاء ذات ليلة من أرضه فوجد عند أهله رجلاً، فرأى بعينيه وسمع بأذنيه، فلم يهيّجه حتى أصبح، فغدا على رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا رسول الله، إني جئت أهلي عشاءً فوجدت عندها رجلاً، فرأيت بعيني وسمعت بأذني. فكره رسول الله ﷺ ما جاء به واشتد عليه، فنزلت: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ...﴾ الآية. فسُرِّي عن رسول الله ﷺ فقال: أبشر يا هلال، فقد جعل الله لك فرجاً ومخرجاً. فقال هلال: قد كنت أرجو ذلك من ربي. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: أرسلوا إليها. فجاءت، فتلا رسول الله ﷺ عليهما الآيات، وذكّرهما بأن عذاب الآخرة أشد من عذاب الدنيا. فقال هلال: والذي بعثك بالحق إني لصادق. فقالت: كذب. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: لاعنوا بينهما." قيل لهلال: «اشهد». فشهد أمام الله أربع مرات أنه صادق. فلما هم أن يشهد الخامسة قيل له: «يا هلال، اتق الله، فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة، وهذه هي الموجبة التي ستوقع عليك العذاب». فقال: «والله لا يعذبني الله بهذا الفعل، كما لم يجلدني بهذا الفعل». فشهد الخامسة داعيًا بلعنة الله عليه إن كان من الكاذبين. ثم قيل لها: «اشهدي». فشهدت أمام الله أنه كاذب. فلما هم أن تشهد الخامسة قيل لها: «اتقي الله، فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة، وهذه هي الموجبة التي ستوقع عليك العذاب». فترددت لحظة، ثم قالت: «والله لا أفضح قومي». فشهدت الخامسة داعيةً بلعنة الله عليها إن كان هو الصادق. ففرّق رسول الله ﷺ بينهما، وقضى أنه لا سكنى لها ولا نفقة عليه من الزوج. فإذا قذف رجل زوجته فقال لها: «زنيتِ» أو «أنتِ زانية» أو «رأيتُكِ تزنين»، ولم يأتِ بالبيّنة، فيُقام عليه حدّ القذف إن لم يتلاعنا. فإن لاعن هو زوجته ولم تلاعنه هي، أُقيم عليها الحدّ، لقول الله سبحانه وتعالى:

“And for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves, let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies (i.e. testifies four times) by Allah that He is one of those who speak the truth. And the fifth testimony should be the invoking of the Curse of Allah on Himself if He is of those who tell a lie against her. But it shall avert the punishment (of stoning to death) from her, if she bears witness four times by Allah, that He (her husband) is telling a lie. And the fifth (testimony) should be that the Wrath of Allah be upon her if He (her husband) speaks the truth” [An- Nur: 6-9] Abu Dawood reports through his isnad (line of transmitters) on the authority of Ibn Abbas (ra) who said: “Hilal ibn Umayyah was one of three people whose repentance was accepted by Allah. One night He returned home from his land and found a man with his wife. He witnessed with his eyes and heard with his ears. He did not stir Him till the morning. Next day He went to the Messenger of Allah in the morning, and said: “’O Messenger of Allah! (pbuh) I came to my wife at night and found a man with her. I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears’. The Prophet of Allah (pbuh) disliked what He described and He took it seriously. There upon the following Qur’anic verse came down: “And for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, let the testimony of one of them...” Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was relieved and said: ‘Glad tidings for you, Hilal. Allah, the Exalted, has made an easy way out for you’. Hilal said: ‘I expected that from my Lord’. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘Send for her’. She then came. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited (the verses) to them that the punishment in the next world was more severe than that in this world. Hilal said:’I swear by Allah, I spoke the truth against her’. She said: ‘He told a lie’. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘Apply the method of invoking curses between them’. Hilal was told: ‘Bear witness’. So He bore witness before Allah four times that He spoke the truth.When He was about to utter a fifth time, He was told:’Hilal, fear Allah, for the punishment in this world is easier than that in the next world; and this is the deciding one that will surely cause punishment to you.’ He said: ‘I swear by Allah. Allah will not punish me for this act, as He did not cause me to be flogged for this act’. So He bore witness a fifth time invoking the curse of Allah on Him if He was one of those who told lies. Then she was told: ‘Testify’. So she gave testimony before Allah that He was a liar. When she was going to testify a fifth time, she was told: ‘Fear Allah, for the punishment in this world is easier than that in the next world. This is the deciding one that will surely cause punishment to you’. She hesitated for a moment, and then said: ‘By Allah, I shall not disgrace my people’. So she testified a fifth time invoking the curse of Allah on her if He spoke the truth. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) separated them from each other and decided that there would be no dwelling or maintenance for her from the husband.” So if a man accused his wife and said to her: “you have committed fornication or you are a fornicator or I have seen you commit fornication”, and He did not bring proof, then the punishment for defamation will be imposed on Him if they do not invoke curse upon each other. If He invoked curses upon her and she does not do the same to Him, then the punishment will be imposed on her due to the saying of Allah (swt):

«وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ» [النور: 8] وَالْعَذَابُ الَّذِي يُدْرَأُ عَنْهَا هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الْمَذْكُورُ فِي قَوْلِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

“But it shall avert the punishment from her, if she bears witness four times by Allah” [An- Nur: 8] The punishment that will be averted from her is the punishment that is mentioned in his (swt)’s saying:

﴿وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [النور: 2] لأن هلال بن أمية قذف زوجته بالزنا، فجاء إلى النبي ﷺ، فأمره أن يُرسل إليها، فأمرهما أن يتلاعنا. وهذه إحدى الحالات الخاصة التي يثبت بها الزنا، وهي حالة أن يقذف الزوج زوجته بالزنا فيثبته باللعان عليها، وهي لا تلاعن. فإن لاعنت هي، فلا يثبت الزنا. وامتناعها عن اللعان يثبت الزنا، ويوجب إقامة الحد عليها بسبب لعانه.

“And let a party of the believers witness their punishment” [An- Nur: 2] Because when Hilal b. Umayya accused his wife of fornication and came to the Prophet (pbuh) He told Him to send for her and He made them invoke curses upon each other. This is one of the specific cases in which fornication is proven, i.e. the case in which the husband accuses his wife of fornication and proves it by invoking curses upon her and she does not. If she invoked curses upon Him then it is not proven. Her refusal to invoke curses proves fornication and obliges the imposition of the punishment on her due to his Li’aan.

إذا تلاعنا معًا، يفرّق القاضي بينهما (فيُفسخ النكاح)، ولا يجوز لهما أن يعودا إلى الزواج أبدًا. وتكون محرمة عليه أبدًا، لأن النبي ﷺ فرّق بين المتلاعنين. روى مالك عن نافع عن ابن عمر أن رجلًا قذف امرأته ولاعنها في عهد رسول الله ﷺ، وانتفى من ولدها، ففرّق رسول الله ﷺ بينهما، وألحق الولد بالمرأة. وروى سهل بن سعد أن السنّة التي استمرت في شأن المتلاعنين أنهما يُفرَّق بينهما ولا يجتمعان أبدًا. وهذا التفريق باللعان فسخٌ للعقد، لأن هذا النوع من الفرقة يقتضي التحريم المؤبد. ولا يجوز له نكاحها ولو أقرّ بأنه كاذب. لكن إن رجع وأقرّ بالكذب، فلها الحق في أن يُقام عليه الحد. ويُنسب الولد إليه سواء أقرّ بالكذب قبل اللعان أو بعده.

If they both invoked curses upon each other the judge will separate them (terminate the marriage) and they can never marry each other again. She is forbidden for Him forever because the Prophet (pbuh) separated the two cursing parties. Malik reports from Nafi from Ibn Umar that a man accused and made Li'aan to his wife in the time of the Messenger of Allah and rejected her child so the Messenger separated them and granted the child to the woman. Sahl b. Sad reported that the Sunnah which continued with respect to the two cursing parties is that they are separated and shall never come back together again. This separation by imprecation (Li’aan) constitutes an annulment (Faskh) of the marriage contract because this type of separation requires prohibition of marriage forever. It is not allowed for Him even if He declares Himself to have lied. However if He returns and admits to lying then she has the right for the punishment to be imposed on Him. And the child’s paternity will be ascribed to Him whether He admitted lying before or after the imprecation.

واللعان الذي يُسقط عن الزوج الحد ويوجبه على الزوجة إذا امتنعت من الملاعنة، أن يقول الزوج بين يدي القاضي: «أشهد بالله أنها زنت» ويشير إليها. وإن لم تكن حاضرة ذكر اسمها ونسبها، ويكرر ذلك أربع مرات، فإذا بلغ الخامسة أُمسك، فيُقال له: اتقِ الله، فإن هذه الموجبة، فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة. فإن أبى أن يُمسك قال في الخامسة: «لعنة الله عليه إن كان من الكاذبين فيما رماها به من الزنا». وتقول هي: «أشهد بالله أنه لمن الكاذبين» أربع مرات، وتُمسك عند الخامسة، ويُقال لها: اتقِي الله كما قيل للرجل. فإن أبت أن تُمسك قالت في الخامسة: «غضب الله عليها إن كان من الصادقين» فيما رماها به من الزنا. وإن كان لهما ولد ذُكر الولد في اللعان، فإذا قال: «أشهد بالله أنها زنت» قال: «وإن هذا الولد ليس مني». وتقول هي: «والله إنه لمن الكاذبين، وإن هذا الولد ولده».

The imprecation which absolves the husband from the punishment and obliges it to be imposed on the wife if she refuses to invoke curses, is that the husband should say in the presence of the judge; ‘I bear witness by Allah that she has committed fornication’ and He points to her. If she is not present He mentions her name and lineage until He repeats it four times and then at the fifth time He stops. It will be said to Him fear Allah this is the deciding one, for the punishment in this world is easier than that in the next world. If He refuses to stop He should say; (in the fifth) ‘The curse of Allah is on Him if He was one of those who told lies in regards to his accusation that she committed fornication’. And she should say: ‘I bear witness that He has lied’ (four times) and stops at the fifth. She will be told to fear Allah as the man was told. If she refuses to stop she should say (in the fifth): ‘Allah’s wrath be on her if He was telling the truth’ with respect to accusing her of fornication. If they have a child then the child is mentioned in the Li’aan. When He said: ‘I bear witness she has committed fornication’ He should say: ‘and this child is not mine’. And she should say: ‘By Allah He has lied, and this child is his’.

هذه طريقة اللِّعان المتبادَل، وهذه ألفاظه وجُمَله. ولذلك، إذا ولدت المرأةُ ولدًا فقال الزوج: هذا الولد ليس منّي، أو: هذا ليس ولدي، فلا حدَّ عليه، لأن هذا ليس قذفًا. غير أنه يُسأل: فإن كان قصد أنها زنت وأن ولدها من الزنا، فهذا قذف، وهو يثبت باللِّعان. وإن قال: "قصدتُ أنه لا يشبهني في خلقتي"، أو "شككتُ في أنها جامعها أحد، وأن الولد من الذي جامعها"، أو ما يشبه ذلك، فلا عقوبة عليه، ويُنسب الولد إليه، لأنه لم يقذفها. ولا لعانَ في مثل هذه الحالات، لأن من شروط اللِّعان أن يكون هناك قذف.

This is the method of mutual imprecation (Li'aan) and these are its words and sentences. That is why if the woman gives birth to a child and He says this child is not from me or this is not my child, there is no punishment on Him because this is not defamation (Qadhf). However He will be asked: If He meant she has committed adultery and she gave birth from Zina, this is defamation (Qadhf) and it is proven through imprecation. If He said “I meant that He does not physically resemble me or I doubt she had intercourse and the boy is from the one who had intercourse” or things similar to that. In such case there will be no punishment on Him, and the child’s lineage will be ascribed to Him because He has not defamed (Qadhf) her. There is no imprecation in such situations because one of the conditions of imprecation is defamation (Qadhf).