The informa- >Ip a perfon fend his fervant, or a hireling, bèing a Magian, to
fidd°may be purchafe meat, and he purchafe meat accordingly, and acquaint his
credited^w'tb mafl-er that he had bought it from a Jew, a Chrijiian, or a Mujfulman,
ln.vtuinefs-of it is lawfulfor him [the mafter] to eat the food lo purchafed ; becaufe
foodT the word-of an infidel iscreditable in all matters of a temporal nature,
as he is prefumed to be poflefibd of reafon, and falfehood is prohibited
in his religion : befides, there is a neceffity for believing his affertion
in-temporal concérns, from their fréquent occurrence. If, on the
■ contrary, the fervant inform his mafter, that “ he purchafed the
“ meat from an infidel who is not a fcripturift, and it was flain by
“ one who was neither a fcripturift nor a Mujfulman,” it is in that
cafe unlawful for the mafter to eat the flefh fo purchafed; for as the
word of an infidel is credited with refpett to the legality o f meat, it is
credited with refpeft to the illegality, in a fuperior degree.
A prefent I f a Have, either male or female, ; or an infant, fhould carry fome-
™pttdbydie thing to a perfon, faying “ fuch an one has fent this to you as a prehands
of a “ fent,” in that cafe the perfon may juftly credit the information, as
fn&nt!ran it is a frequent cuftom to fend prefents by fuch meffengers. In the
fame manner, i f either of thefe fhould intimate to a flave that his
mafter had given him a licence to trade, he is allowed, accordingly, to
accept of it ; becaufe it is perhaps impoflible for them to bring wit-
neffes to atteft the intention of the mafter, whence, i f their word
were not credited, it would occafion an obftruclion to bufinefs, and
an unneceffary reftraint amongft mankind.— It is related, in the Jama
Sagheer, that where a flave girl comes to a perfon and fays, “ my
“ mafter has fent me as a prefent to you,” it is lawful for that perfon
to accept of her.
The word of J N aft temporal concerns the word of a reprobate * may be taken;
a reprobate
* Arab. Fàftk, inoppofition to M l, t ju jl or upright perfon.—'The diftinaion between
thefe terms has been fully explained elfewhere.
but
but in matters of a fpiritual nature the word o f an upright man only is
to be credited. T h e reafon of this diftimftion is, that affairs of a temporal
nature are of frequent occurrency amongft every fe£t of men ;
whence if, in the tranfadlion of them, any thing more than maturity
o f age and fanity of intelle'& (fuch as integrity, &c.) were required,
it would occafion a reftriftion in bufinefs; to obviate which, the
word of one perfon, in fuch cafe, is creditable, whether that perfon
be virtuous or diffolute, a Mujfulman or an infidel, a man or a woman.
Concerns o f a fpiritual nature, on the contrary, are not of fuch frequent
occurrency; hence it is requifite that in relation to them a
greater caution be ufed. The word, therefore, of none but an upright
Mujfulman, is admiffible in fpiritual matters; becaufe an unjuft
man lies under a fufpicion of falfehood; and an infidel, as not following
the l a w himfelf, has no right of enforcing it upon others. The
cafe is different with refpedi: to temporal matters; ‘ for an infidel is permitted
to refide iti a Mujfulman territory purely on account of his temporal
bufinefs, for which he would be incapacitated i f his'word in
temporal matters were to be rejected. From this neceffity, therefore,
credit is given to it.— A perfon,,alfo, whofe charader is unknown, is'
confidered in the fame light as an unjuft man or reprobate; and his
word relative to matters o f faith is inadmiffible. It is, however, related
in the Zahir Rawdyet, that fufpicion and probable conjecture are
the grounds on which it is lawful to determine in this point;—in other
words, pra&ice muft accord with the conjecture which appears moft
probable or beft fupported. There is alfo another tradition from Ha-
neefa, that the word of a perfon of unknown charadter may be believed
in matters of a fpiritual nature.
T he word of a freeman or flave, whether male or female, is admitted
in fpiritual concerns, provided they be upright*; for, incon-
fequence o f integrity, veracity preponderates; and this is a caufe of
A rab . Adit-, in oppofition to Fafik.
N
may be taken
in all temporal
concerns; but
not in / f t r itu a l
matters ;
and the fame
of a perfon of
unknown character.
The word of
an up rig ht
perfon, whether
freeman
or flave, may
V ol. IV.
belief.