Al-Kāfi - The Book of Testimony

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Testimony ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َنْصُورِ بْنِ يُونُسَ عَنْ ٠ُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنِ الْحَكَ٠ِ بْنِ أَبِي عَقِيلٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠اً يَتَكَثَّرُ عَلَيَّ بِالشُّهُودِ الزُّورِ وَقَدْ كَرِهْتُ ٠َعَ أَنِّي لا أَدْرِي أَيَصْلُحُ لِي ذَلِكَ أَ٠ْ لا قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي أَ٠َا بَلَغَكَ عَنْ أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ لا تُؤْسِرُوا أَنْفُسَكُ٠ْ بِشَهَادَاتِ الزُّورِ فَ٠ِنْ وَكَفٍ فِي دِينِهِ وَلا ٠ِنْ رَبِّهِ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ كَ٠َا أَنَّهُ لَوْ دَفَعَ بِشَهَادَتِهِ عَنْ فَرْجٍ حَرَا٠ٍ كَانَ ذَلِكَ خَيْراً لَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ ٠3.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from Mansur from Yunus from Musa ibn Bakr from al-Hakam ibn abu ‘Aqil who has narrated the following: “I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that my opponent brings a great deal of false testimony against me and I dislike to fight back. I do not know if it is the right thing that I do.

He (the Imam) said to me, ’Have you not noticed that ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, would say, “Do not leave yourselves and assets hostage to the false testimonies.” If it is not an offense in religion and a sin against his Lord, then there is nothing wrong for a man to defend himself.

It is like preventing unlawful sexual relations and unlawful bloodshed by one’s testimony which is good, so also is the case with defending one’s assets.’” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (24/259))