Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ جُبَيْرٍ قَالَ سُئِلْتُ عَنْ الْمُتَلَاعِنَيْنِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فِي إِمَارَةِ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ فَمَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَقُولُ فَقُمْتُ مِنْ مَكَانِي إِلَى مَنْزِلِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَقُلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُتَلَاعِنَيْنِ أَيُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يَرَى امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى فَاحِشَةٍ فَإِنْ تَكَلَّمَ تَكَلَّمَ بِأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَسَكَتَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدُ أَتَاهُ فَقَالَ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ عَنْهُ قَدْ ابْتُلِيتُ بِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْآيَاتِ فِي سُورَةِ النُّورِ { وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ حَتَّى بَلَغَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ الصَّادِقِينَ } فَبَدَأَ بِالرَّجُلِ فَوَعَظَهُ وَذَكَّرَهُ وَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْآخِرَةِ فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا كَذَبْتُكَ ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَوَعَظَهَا وَذَكَّرَهَا وَأَخْبَرَهَا أَنَّ عَذَابَ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْآخِرَةِ فَقَالَتْ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُ لَكَاذِبٌ قَالَ فَبَدَأَ بِالرَّجُلِ فَشَهِدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنْ الصَّادِقِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ الْكَاذِبِينَ ثُمَّ ثَنَّى بِالْمَرْأَةِ فَشَهِدَتْ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنْ الْكَاذِبِينَ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ الصَّادِقِينَ ثُمَّ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا.
English Translation
Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated to us: 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Sulayman narrated to us: I heard Sa'id ibn Jubayr say: I was asked, during the governorship of Ibn al-Zubayr, about a couple who curse each other in the manner of li'an — whether they are to be separated — and I did not know what to say. So I got up from where I was and went to the house of Ibn 'Umar and said: "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, the couple who curse each other in li'an, are they to be separated?" He said: "Glory be to Allah! The first one to ask about that was so-and-so, son of so-and-so. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you say of a man who finds his wife committing an indecency — if he speaks, he speaks of a grave matter, and if he stays silent, he stays silent over the same' — so the Prophet remained silent and did not answer him. Then afterward the man came to him and said: 'That which I asked you about has now befallen me.' So Allah, Mighty and Sublime, revealed these verses in Surat al-Nur: 'And those who accuse their wives...' up to '...that the wrath of Allah descend upon her if he was among the truthful.' He began with the man, admonishing him, reminding him, and informing him that the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter. He said: 'By the One who sent you with the truth, I have not lied against her.' Then he turned to the woman, admonishing her, reminding her, and informing her that the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter. She said: 'By the One who sent you with the truth, he is indeed a liar.' He said: He then began with the man, and he testified four times by Allah that he was truthful, and a fifth time that the curse of Allah be upon him if he were among the liars. Then he turned to the woman, and she testified four times by Allah that he was among the liars, and a fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he were among the truthful. Then he separated the two of them."