Li'aan (kiapo cha laana) kinatokana na neno Li'aan (laana) kwa sababu kila mmoja wa wanandoa hujilaani mwenyewe (katika mara ya tano) iwapo anasema uongo. Asili yake iko katika kauli yake (SWT):

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:

“Na kwa wale wanaowashutumu wake zao lakini hawana mashahidi isipokuwa nafsi zao wenyewe, basi ushahidi wa mmoja wao ni kushuhudia mara nne kwa Allah kwamba yeye ni miongoni mwa wasema kweli. Na ushahidi wa tano ni kumwomba laana ya Allah juu yake mwenyewe ikiwa yeye ni miongoni mwa waongo kwa mkewe. Lakini itamwondolea adhabu (ya kupigwa mawe hadi kufa) mwanamke huyo ikiwa atashuhudia mara nne kwa Allah kwamba mume wake ni mwongo. Na ushahidi wa tano ni ghadhabu ya Allah imshukie yeye (mwanamke) ikiwa mume wake (huyo mwanamume) anasema kweli” [An-Nur: 6-9] Abu Dawood anasimulia kupitia sanad yake (mnyororo wa wapokezi) kwa mamlaka ya Ibn Abbas (ra) aliyesema: “Hilal bin Umayyah alikuwa mmoja wa watu watatu ambao toba yao ilikubaliwa na Allah. Usiku mmoja alirudi nyumbani kutoka shambani kwake na akamkuta mwanamume pamoja na mkewe. Alishuhudia kwa macho yake na kusikia kwa masikio yake. Hakumsogelea mpaka asubuhi. Siku iliyofuata alienda asubuhi kwa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, akasema: ‘Ee Mtume wa Allah ﷺ! Nilimwendea mke wangu usiku nikamkuta mwanamume pamoja naye. Nimeona kwa macho yangu mwenyewe na kusikia kwa masikio yangu mwenyewe.’ Nabii wa Allah ﷺ hakupendezwa na alichokieleza, akalichukulia kwa uzito. Hapo ndipo aya ifuatayo ya Qur’an iliposhuka: ‘Na kwa wale wanaowashutumu wake zao, lakini hawana mashahidi isipokuwa nafsi zao wenyewe, basi ushahidi wa mmoja wao...’ Kisha Mtume wa Allah ﷺ akatulia moyo na kusema: ‘Habari njema kwako, Hilal. Allah Mtukufu ameweka njia rahisi ya kutoka kwako.’ Hilal akasema: ‘Nilikuwa nikitarajia hilo kutoka kwa Mola wangu.’ Mtume wa Allah ﷺ akasema: ‘Mtumeni aje kwake.’ Basi akaja. Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliwasomea (zile aya) kwamba adhabu ya Akhera ni kali zaidi kuliko ile ya dunia. Hilal akasema: ‘Naapa kwa Allah, nilisema kweli dhidi yake.’ Yeye (mwanamke) akasema: ‘Amesema uongo.’ Mtume wa Allah ﷺ akasema: ‘Tekelezeni utaratibu wa kuapiana laana baina yao.’” Hilali aliambiwa: ‘Shuhudia’. Basi akashuhudia mbele ya Allah mara nne kwamba alisema kweli. Alipokuwa karibu kutoa ushahidi wa mara ya tano, aliambiwa: ‘Hilali, mche Allah, kwani adhabu ya dunia ni nyepesi kuliko ile ya Akhera; na hili ndilo jambo la kuamua, ambalo hakika litakuletea adhabu.’ Akasema: ‘Naapa kwa Allah, Allah hataniadhibu kwa tendo hili, kwa kuwa hakunifanya nipigwe kwa tendo hili.’ Basi akashuhudia mara ya tano akimwomba Allah amlaani iwapo yeye ni miongoni mwa waongo. Kisha mkewe aliambiwa: ‘Shuhudia.’ Basi akatoa ushahidi mbele ya Allah kwamba mumewe ni mwongo. Alipokuwa karibu kutoa ushahidi wa mara ya tano, aliambiwa: ‘Mche Allah, kwani adhabu ya dunia ni nyepesi kuliko ile ya Akhera. Hili ndilo jambo la kuamua, ambalo hakika litakuletea adhabu.’ Akasita kidogo, kisha akasema: ‘Naapa kwa Allah, sitaaibisha watu wangu.’ Basi akashuhudia mara ya tano akimwomba Allah amlaani iwapo mumewe alisema kweli. Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ aliwatenganisha na kuamua kwamba mke hatakuwa na makazi wala matumizi kutoka kwa mume. Hivyo, ikiwa mtu atamshutumu mkewe na kumwambia: “Umezini, au wewe ni mzinzi, au nimekuona ukizini”, kisha asilete ushahidi, basi adhabu ya kashfa itamlazimu iwapo hawataapiana laana. Ikiwa yeye atamlaani mkewe na mke hatafanya vivyo hivyo kwake, basi adhabu itamlazimu mke kwa kauli ya Allah (swt):

“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):

"Lakini itamzuia adhabu hiyo, iwapo atatoa ushahidi mara nne kwa jina la Allah" [An-Nur: 8] Adhabu ambayo itaondolewa kwake ni ile adhabu iliyotajwa katika kauli yake (SWT):

“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:

"Na kundi la waumini na lishuhudie adhabu yao" [An-Nur: 2] Kwa sababu Hilal bin Umayya alipomtuhumu mke wake kwa zinaa na akaja kwa Mtume ﷺ, Yeye alimwamuru amwite na akawafanya waapizane laana dhidi ya kila mmoja wao. Hii ni moja ya kesi maalum ambamo zinaa huthibitika, yaani kesi ambapo mume anamtuhumu mke wake kwa zinaa na kuithibitisha kwa kuapa laana dhidi yake, naye (mke) hakuapa. Ikiwa yeye angeapa laana dhidi ya mume, basi zinaa haithibitiki. Kukataa kwake kuapa laana kunathibitisha zinaa na kumlazimu kutekelezewa adhabu kutokana na Li'aan ya mume wake.

“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.

Wakisema wote wawili laana dhidi ya mwenzake, hakimu atawatenganisha (atakatisha ndoa) na hawataweza kuoana tena milele. Yeye (mwanamke) amekatazwa kwake milele kwa sababu Mtume ﷺ aliwatenganisha wawili waliolaaniana. Malik ameripoti kutoka kwa Nafi kutoka kwa Ibn Umar kwamba mwanamume mmoja alimshtaki mke wake na kumfanyia Li'aan katika zama za Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ, akamkataa mtoto wake; basi Mjumbe ﷺ akawatenganisha na akampa mtoto mwanamke. Sahl bin Sa'd ameripoti kwamba Sunnah iliyoendelea kuhusu wawili waliolaaniana ni kwamba wanatenganishwa na hawatarudiana kamwe. Utengano huu kwa laana (Li'aan) unachukuliwa kuwa ni kufutwa (Faskh) kwa mkataba wa ndoa, kwa sababu aina hii ya utengano inahitaji katazo la ndoa milele. Haifai kwake hata akidai kwamba amesema uongo. Hata hivyo, akirudi na kukiri kwamba alisema uongo, basi mwanamke ana haki ya kumwekea adhabu. Na nasaba ya mtoto itahusishwa naye, iwe alikiri uongo wake kabla au baada ya laana.

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.

Laana ambayo inamwondolea mume adhabu na kumlazimisha mke aadhibiwe iwapo atakataa kuapa laana ni kwamba mume aseme mbele ya hakimu: "Ninashuhudia kwa Allah kwamba yeye amezini," na amwelekezee kwa kidole. Ikiwa mke hayupo, atataja jina lake na nasaba yake, na atarudia hivyo mara nne, kisha mara ya tano atasimama. Ataambiwa: "Mche Allah, kwani hii ndiyo hukumu ya mwisho, kwa kuwa adhabu ya dunia ni nyepesi kuliko adhabu ya Akhera." Ikiwa atakataa kusimama, aseme (mara ya tano): "Laana ya Allah iwe juu yake iwapo alikuwa miongoni mwa waongo katika madai yake kwamba amezini." Naye mke aseme: "Ninashuhudia kwamba yeye amesema uongo," mara nne, kisha asimame mara ya tano. Ataambiwa amche Allah kama alivyoambiwa mume. Iwapo atakataa kusimama, aseme (mara ya tano): "Ghadhabu ya Allah iwe juu yake iwapo mume wangu alikuwa mkweli katika kumshtaki kwamba amezini." Ikiwa wamepata mtoto, basi mtoto hutajwa katika Li'aan. Mume anaposema: "Ninashuhudia kwamba amezini," aseme pia: "Na mtoto huyu si wangu." Naye mke aseme: "Kwa Allah, amesema uongo, na mtoto huyu ni wake."

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’.

Huu ndio mtindo wa li'aan (laana ya kuapizana), na hizi ndizo kauli zake na sentensi zake. Kwa sababu hiyo, iwapo mwanamke atazaa mtoto na mume akasema "mtoto huyu si wangu" au "huyu si mtoto wangu," basi hakuna adhabu juu yake kwa kuwa hii si qadhf (kumtuhumu kwa zina). Hata hivyo, ataulizwa: je, alikusudia kwamba mwanamke amefanya zina na kwamba amezaa mtoto kwa zina? Ikiwa alikusudia hivyo, basi hii ni qadhf, na inathibitishwa kwa li'aan. Ikiwa alisema "nilikusudia kwamba mtoto hafanani nami kimaumbile," au "nina shaka kwamba alijamiiana, na mtoto ni wa yule aliyejamiiana naye," au kauli zinazofanana na hizo, basi hakuna adhabu juu yake, na nasaba ya mtoto itahusishwa naye kwa sababu hajamtuhumu (qadhf) mwanamke. Hakuna li'aan katika hali kama hizi, kwa sababu mojawapo ya masharti ya li'aan ni qadhf.

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).