Book of Testimonies

Acknowledgement (Continued)

مَنْ تُرَدُّ شَهاَدَتُهُ

The Book of Dhihar

Glossary


Acknowledgement (Continued)

[Acknowledgments by the Sick]

The acknowledgment by a (terminally) ill person in favor of non-inheritors is valid, but one in favor of an heir is not valid unless the other heirs concur. If he acknowledges (a right) in favor of an heir who later becomes a non-inheritor, the acknowledgment is not valid. However, if he acknowledges (a right) in favor of a non-inheritor who later becomes an heir, the acknowledgment is valid. 1767 His acknowledgment of an heir is valid. 1768

وَيَصِحُّ إِقْرَارُ الْمَرِيْضُ بِالدَّيْنِ لِأَجْنَبِيٍّ، وَلاَ يَصِحُّ إِقْرَارُهُ فِيْ مَرَضِ اْلمَوْتِ لِوَارِثٍ، إِلاَّ بِتَصْدِيْقِ سَائِرِ اْلوَرَثَةِ، وَلَوْ أَقَرَّ لِوَارِثٍ، فَصَارَ غَيْرَ وَارِثٍ، لَمْ يَصِحَّ، وَإِنْ أَقَرَّ لَهُ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ وَارِثٍ، ثُمَّ صَارَ وَارِثاً، صَحَّ إِقْرَارُهُ، وَيَصِحَّ إِقْرَارُهُ بِوَارِثٍ.


[Acknowledgments Concerning the Estate of the Deceased]

If all of the heirs acknowledge a debt owed by their testator, the debt is binding because of their acknowledgment. 1769
If only some of them acknowledge it, it will be

وَيَصِحُّ إِقْرَارُ الْمَرِيْضُ بِالدَّيْنِ لِأَجْنَبِيٍّ، وَلاَ يَصِحُّ إِقْرَارُهُ فِيْ مَرَضِ اْلمَوْتِ لِوَارِثٍ، إِلاَّ بِتَصْدِيْقِ سَائِرِ اْلوَرَثَةِ، وَلَوْوَإِنْ أَقَرَّ جَمِيْعَ اْلوَرَثَةِ بِدَيْنٍ عَلىٰ مُوَرِّثِهِمْ، ثَبَتَ بِإِقْرَارِهِمْ. وَإِنْ أَقَرَّ بِهِ بَعْضُهُمْ، ثَبَتَ

1767. In the two scenarios mentioned, what matters is the state, at the time of the acknowledgment, of the person who benefits. Since one may not pass onto one’s heirs more than they are entitled to, one who is terminally ill may not acknowledge a right in their favor, because he or she will be suspected of favoring them over the other heirs.
According to another report (a), the two scenarios mentioned here have the opposite rulings. The rationale behind this is treating the acknowledgment like the bequest. In bequests, what matters is the state of the legatee at the time of the testator’s death, not at the time of making the bequest.

1768. Such as acknowledging someone as his own child or brother.

1769. It will be only payable if the estate left by the deceased covers it or some of it. If not, they will not be responsible for paying it, although they are encouraged to do so.

binding for them in proportion to their shares. 1770 If the deceased left behind two sons and 200 dirhams, and one of the sons acknowledges that his father owed 100 dirhams, that son will be responsible for 50 dirhams only. If he is trustworthy and testifies in favor of the claimant, the claimant may take an oath and thereby take the rest of his money from the other brother.

بِقَدْرِ حَقِّهِ، فَلَوْ خَلَّفَ ابْنَيْنِ وَمِئَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ، فَأَقَرَّ أَحَدُهُمَا بِمِئَةٍ دَيْناً عَلىٰ أَبِيْهِ لَزِمَهُ خَمْسُوْنَ دِرْهَمًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ عَدْلاً وَشَهِدَ بِهَا، فَلِلْغَرِيْمِ أَنْ يَحْلِفَ مَعَ شَهَادَتِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ بَاقِيَهَا مِنْ أَخِيْهِ.

He leaves behind one son and 100 (coins); then a man claims that the deceased owed him 100, and the son agrees with him. Then another man claims the same, and the son agrees with him as well. If both happen in the same session, the 100 will be divided between them; if they occur in two different sessions, the first man gets the 100, and the second is not entitled to anything.
If the first man claims that the 100 (coins) are his wadee‘ah (money he had deposited with the father for safekeeping), and the son concurs, and then another man claims the same 100 (coins as his wadee‘ah), and the son concurs with him as well, it will all be for the first, with nothing for the second. The son will have to compensate the second man since it was his first acknowledgment that caused this man to lose it. 1771

وَإِنْ خَلَّفَ ابْنًا وَمِئَةً، فَادَّعَى رَجُلٌ مِئَةً عَلىٰ أَبِيْهِ، فَصَدَّقَهُ، ثُمَّ ادَّعَى آخَرُ مِثْلَ ذٰلِكَ وَصَدَّقَهُ اْلاِبْنُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيْ مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَالْمِئَةُ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِيْ مَجْلِسَيْنِ، فَهِيَ لِلْأَوَّلِ وَلاَ شَيْءَ لِلثَّانِيْ.
وَإِنْ كَانَ اْلأَوَّلُ ادَّعَاهَا وَدِيْعَةً، فَصَدَّقَهُ اْلاِبْنُ، ثُمَّ ادَّعَاهَا آخَرُ، فَصَدَّقَهُ اْلاِبْنُ فَهِيَ لِلْأَوَّلِ، وَلاَ شَيْءَ لِلثَّانِيْ، وَيغَرْمُهَا لَهُ؛ لأَنَّهُ فَوَّتَهَا عَلَيْهِ بِإِقْرَارِهِ.

1770. This is because:

Clear evidence is a transitive proof, whereas confession/acknowledgment is a restricted proof.

البَيِّنَةُ حُجَّةٌ مُتَعَدِّيَةٌ والإقْرارُ حُجَّةٌ قاصِرَةٌ

Thus, acknowledgment is a proof against the one who made it, not against anyone else.

1771. The same 100 coins cannot be given to both the first and the second man. If the son has already acknowledged the claim of the first man and given him the 100, and then he acknowledges the claim of the second man, he must compensate him for it. However, if the two men come at the same time, each claiming 100 coins, and the son concurs with them both, then the 100 coins will be divided between the two.
The difference between this scenario and the previous one is that in this scenario, the two claimants claimed the same property, and this is not possible. In the previous scenario, they each claimed that the deceased owed them money, which is possible.

Acknowledgement (Continued)

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