Legal maxim
البينة على المدعي واليمين على المدعى عليه
Al-Bayyinah 'ala al-Mudda'i: The Burden of Proof Is on the Claimant
14 hadith in the six books
الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي , وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ
Al-bayyinatu 'ala al-mudda'i, wal-yaminu 'ala al-mudda'a 'alayh.
The proof is due from the claimant, and the oath is due from the one the claim is made against.
“The proof is on the claimant, and the oath is on the one against whom the claim is made” is one of the best-known legal maxims drawn from hadith. Tirmidhi records it in exactly these words from a sermon of the Prophet; Bukhari and Muslim record, from Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet ruled that the oath is on the defendant.
The form often quoted, “wal-yaminu 'ala man ankar” (the oath is on the one who denies), is not found in this wording in the six books indexed here; the six books use “al-mudda'a 'alayh” (the defendant).
The maxim in the Prophet's words
If people were given what they claim
Ibn Abbas narrates that if people were given according to their claims, some would claim the blood and wealth of others, but the oath is on the defendant.
Muslim · 4470لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ لَادَّعَى نَاسٌ دِمَاءَ رِجَالٍ ، وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIbn Abbas reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:If the people were given according to their claims, they would claim the lives of persons and their properties, but the oath must be taken by the defendant5 narratorsBukhari · 4552لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ ، لذَهَبَ دِمَاءُ قَوْمٍ وَأَمْوَالُهُمْ ذَكِّرُوهَا بِاللَّهِ ، وَاقْرَءُوا عَلَيْهَا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ سورة آل عمران آية 77فَذَكَّرُوهَا فَاعْتَرَفَتْ ، فَTwo women were stitching shoes in a house or a room. Then one of them came out with an awl driven into her hand, and she sued the other for it. The case was brought before Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Messenger 5 narratorsIbn Majah · 2321لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمُ ادَّعَى نَاسٌ دِمَاءَ رِجَالٍ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَكِنْ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIt was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“If the people were given what they claimed, some would have claimed the lives and property of men. But the one the claim is made against is obliged to5 narratorsNasa'i · 5427أَنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ , وَلَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ أُعْطُوا بِدَعْوَاهُمْ لَادَّعَى نَاسٌ أَمْوَالَ نَاسٍ ، وَدِمَاءَهُمْIt was narrated from Nafi' bin 'Umar, that Ibn Abi Mulaikah said:"There were two female neighbors who used to do leatherwork (with an awl) in At-Ta'if. One of them came out with her hand bleeding and claimed that her com5 narrators
The ruling that the oath is on the defendant
Bukhari · 2514فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى أَنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِI wrote a letter to Ibn 'Abbas and he wrote to me that the Prophet (ﷺ) had given the verdict that the defendant had to take an oath.4 narratorsBukhari · 2668أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIbn `Abbas wrote that the Prophet (ﷺ) gave his verdict on the basis of the defendant's oath.4 narratorsMuslim · 4471قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIbn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pronounced judgment on the basis of oath by the defendant5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3619قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIbn Abi Mulaikah said: Ibn Abbas wrote to me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad defendant should take an oath.4 narratorsTirmidhi · 1342أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى أَنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِIbn 'Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) judged that the oath is due from the one the claim is made against5 narrators
“Your two witnesses or his oath”
Bukhari · 2669مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهَا مَالًا لَقِيَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ ، ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَصْدِيقَ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ إِلَى عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ سور`Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) said, "Whoever takes a (false) oath in order to grab some property (unjustly), Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him. Allah confirmed that through His Divine Revelation "Verily! Those 6 narratorsMuslim · 356مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ ، يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهَا مَالًا ، وهُوَ فِيهَا فَاجِرٌ ، لَقِيَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُIt is narrated on the authority of Abdullah that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying:He who took an oath in order to entitle himself (to the possession) of a property, whereas he is a liar, would meet Allah in a state that H5 narrators
Judgment with one witness and an oath
Muslim · 4472وحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدٌ وَهُوَ ابْنُ حُبَابٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي سَيْفُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، أَخْبَرَنِي قَيْسُ بْنُ Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pronounced judgment on the basis of an oath and a witness (by the plaintiff)7 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3608حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ، أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ الْحُبَابِ حَدَّثَهُمْ ، حَدَّثَنَا سَيْفٌ الْمَكَّيُّ ، قَالَ عُثْمَانُ ، سَيْفُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ سَعْدIbn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave a decision on the basis of an oath and a single witness.7 narrators
More in legal maxims in hadith