Understanding Al Yamin and Its Applications
Understanding Al Yamin and Its Applications
Week week 8
outline.
Definition
Legal basis
Elements of oath
Conditions of oath
Types of oath
- Cases
definition
1. Technically:
i) Certain words used in the name of Allah to state the definite stand with regards
to certain matters that cannot be authenticated unless sworn upon, includes
matters past & future.
a. last resort when the case cannot be authenticated, unless for the oath by the
party.
ii) Words uttered in the name of Allah / His attributes to show the seriousness
/emphasize in a matter that cannot be established without the
pronouncement of yamin.
e.g “ Wallahi, what is said by that person is true”
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“ Wallahi, I did not commit it.”
authority
1) Al Quran
1) Al Maidah: 89
2) Al Nahl : 91
3) Yunus : 53
4) Al- Saba :3
5) Al Taghabun :7
2) Hadith
i) Reported by Ibn. Abbas : the Prophet said, “........................evidence is on those
who claim, and oath is on those who denies”.
ii) One who wants to swear, take with the name of Allah or just keep silent.
iii) Reported by Abu Hurairah : the Prophet said “Do not take oath unless in the name
of Allah”.
3) Mejelle
Chapter 111 – Art. 1742 – 1753 (administering the oath to one of the parties)
article 76 - evidence for the person who claims, and the oath is for the person
who denies
art 77- evidence is for the proof of what is not clear, an oath is for the
confirmation of what is presumed.
rart 1742: one of the ground of judgement also is the oath, or refusal of oath.
4) FT Act
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an oath according to Hukum Syarak.19 - yamin asliah
(2) (a) Where the defendant takes the oath under subsection (1), the claim made
by the plaintiff shall be dismissed. - judgement will be given in favour of the
def.
(b) If the defendant refuses to take such oath (nukul al yamin) , the Court may
ask the plaintiff to take the oath upon which his claim shall be accepted.
(3) In a criminal case, evidence shall be given for the prosecution and the
accused unless the accused pleads guilty.
kalau pf claim, pastu tal cukup evidence, the court boleh orde rthe def to take an
oath. kalau def take an oath, the court will decide in favour of the def. kalau tak
agree nak take an oath, (nukul al yamin), pastu the oath is returned to the pf.
(yamin al mardudah) . alternative: tengok s88.
ILLUSTRATION
In a claim for the repayment of a debt by the plaintiff against the defendant, the
evidence of a witness produced by the plaintiff given together with the oath of the
plaintiff shall constitute sufficient proof of his claim.
types of oath.
1. made outside court
hukum
1. haram.
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1) Haram – take oath to abandon a compulsory thing/to commit a sinful act.
– Mandatory to transgress the oath and pay kafarat.
3. Harus- take oath to do/ not to do something which is harus - has to obey the oath
& not to transgress it.
(Oath outside court is not a means of proof and whether it need to be obeyed
/not, depends on the subject of the oath.)
Done unjustly
if the judge order the defendant to take oath to deny the claim- the intention of
the oath must be based on the intention of the judge.
Hadith : “The oath is dependent on the intention of the person who request
upon the taking of the oath”
However, Shafie & maliki specified two conditions where yamin before the court
is not based on the intention of the judge:-
2) When it is done unjustly i.e it violates its right in ordering someone to take
oath
elements of oath
1) Must be made in the name of Allah/His qualities/ His attributes and cannot be
added with the word Insya’ Allah.
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Art. 1743 –when the oath is to be administered to one of the two litigants, the
oath is taken in the name of God , the Highest by saying, Wallahi, Wabillahi.
Hadith
whoever swear in the name other than Allah has committed syirik.
2) Clear firm and definite – unqualified, unequivocal - sbb tu takleh tambah insya
Allah. sbb unequivocal.
Muslim/non-Muslim, if there is a place that can fear them to tell lies – then it
is mubah to swear at that particular place.
e.g.- Oath taken in Madinah need to be done at the Podium of the mosque of
Rasul Allah (mimbar Rasul Allah ).
Hanbali , Hanafi & Shafi’e : if the person is a non-Muslim, then his oath need
to be strengthened based on his believes.
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conditions
1. Islam
intoxicant:
2. oath is invalid bcs the they lost their mind, unconcsious, not accountable.
(wo looking at why he was drunk)
3. Intention
if before the court; tgk intention of the person who request for the oath.
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3) Family matters like marriage, divorce, mahr, etc.
4) In qisas and injury cases.
###Oath is not admissible to establish hudud cases and cases related to
religious practice such as prayers, fasting, hajj etc.
types of oath.
1. by defendant
a. original oath
b. s87
2. by plaintiff
a. yamin al jalibah
3. oath by witness.
a. s129
1. oath by defendant.
Made by the defendant who was accused / charged, on request by the plaintiff
in case the plaintiff fail to provide sufficient evidence.
kalau pf takleh fulfil nisab syahid, then boleh request the def to take an oath.
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if the def refuse:
cannot consider the evidenc eby the pf after the oath was taken.
Arguments:-
after pf has said he has no witness, but then he said he has another
witness, it will not be accepted.
2) Second view
( Accepted by Saidina Umar, and few jurists including Abu Hanifah, Shafi’e &
Ahmad, Imam Bukhari)
Arguments:-
Evidence is the original method of proof, while oath is the substitute which
could be overridden by the evidence.
3) Third view
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Acceptable with condition .i.e
If he knows that he has evidence but still request the judge to order the
defendant to take oath and after that, claimed that he has evidence, it is
inadmissible- because it has been invalidated by the oath of the defendant.
4. No signs / indication which shows that the plaintiff is lying/making a false charge.
1. Jumhur: The conflict end temporarily until further evidence can be produced by
the plaintiff.
jumhur might consider the evidence by the pf after the oath was taken.
2. oath by plaintiff.
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yamin al jalibah. = takmilah
Oath taken by the plaintiff in order to:-
i) establish his right together with the testimony of a single witness (s.88)
ii) As a result of the refusal of the defendant to take oath (nukul al yamin) where
the oath is returned to the plaintiff (yamin al mardudah)
v) to strengthen trust
Hadith: The Prophet accepted one male witness with oath by the plaintiff.
Sec. 88.
Norazaha case.
cerai taklik
s88
def said that the house at kg sungai serai and kancil as matrimonial property.
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court order the pf to take an oath to strengthen the evidence by the one
witness. s88
arahan no 2
poligamous marriage.
apart from providing the evidence, the applicant provoide one witness.
held: valid.
yamin tuhmah.
In case the plaintiff cannot ascertain the truth of his claim/ allegation against the
defendant.
yamin istizhar.
in marital cases. (min 33 recording)
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- This opinion is not against a’qidah / syara’ especially in cases where there is a
tuhmah. As a matter of fact, Saiyidina Ali had requested the plaintiff to take oath even
though there are two male witnesses. Qadhi Syuraih even asked a man to take oath
despite the existence of evidence/proof. This is also the opinion of Al-Auzai’e, al-
Nakhai’e, al-Syibie and others.
Absence of parties.
121. (1) If, when any action is called on for hearing—
(a) neither party appears, the Court may dismiss the action;
(b) the defendant does not appear, the Court may, subject to proof of due
service, hear and determine the action in his absence; or
(c) the plaintiff does not appear, the Court may dismiss the action and hear and
determine any counterclaim.
(2) The Court shall, before making any judgment on the plaintiff’s claim under
paragraph (1)(b) or the defendant’s counterclaim under paragraph (1)(c), order
the
plaintiff or the defendant, as the case may be,
to take an oath of istizhar.
(3) Where there are more than one plaintiff or defendant and only one of them is
present, the Court may hear the action against the one present and determine
the
action against the parties absent in accordance with subsection (1) or (2).
(4) The Court may in its discretion in any of the cases specified in subsection (1)
or
oath by witness.
To make people believe the truth of his evidence & to replace تذكية الشهود
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Section 129.
Effect – 3 views:-
1. Judgement will be passed against the defendant & oath will not be returned
back to the plaintiff . ( Shuraih, Hanafis and first opinion of Imam Ahmad)
if the def refused, the court will straitgh away pass judgment.
Arguments:-
2. Judgement cannot be passed against the defendant and the oath must be
returned to the plaintiff. (Majority of sahabah such as Umar, ali and agreed
by Ibnu Sirin, Shafi’is, Malikis and according to one tradition , it is also
agreed by Imam Ahmad in his second opinion).
s87
Arguments:-
i) Al Maidah : 107 & 108
ii) Hadith reported by Ibn. Umar that the Prophet has returned the oath to
the plaintiff
3. Judgement cannot be passed and oath cannot be returned to the plaintiff but
the defendant will be detained until he admit. (Ibn Hazm)
Arguments:-
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i) البينة على المدعي واليمين على من انكر
cases
oath by def.
husb said it has been remitted. so that she can get the divorce easier. husb
said the wife agreed.
not necessary that the pf need to prove. husb failed to prove the claim.
court ordered the wfe to take the oath to dney the agreemtn.
oath by def.
taklik
abuse
Tuminah v Ariffin
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oath by pf.
yamin istizhar.
desertion.
whether the court can accept the evidence by petitioner in the absence of the
def.
oath by pf.
yamin istizhar
taklik.
desertion.
pf produced the witnesses, and the court asked the pf to take oath.
Zainuddin v Anita
matrimonial property
in the absence of contribution, both parties should take an oath. property will
divide equally.
if one party agree, one refuse, the property will be given absolutely to the
party who agrees.
harta sepencarian.
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held: if neither of them to prove their claim, and to take an oath, the property
will be devided equally.
oath by pf.
cerai taklk
2 witnesses
granted.m
s88
mamat v fatimah
harta sepencaria
trial court: if the appellant did not take oath, it is to be returned to the pf or
resp. when the oath is taken, the right is established.
FT
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s87 - in mal cases: manner of giving evidence
takzir:
differentiate:
halimah confess, but the other one took oath to deny. accepted.
•Pendakwa Jenayah Kelantan V Omar & dan Seorang lagi (Khalwat case)
accused request to take oath to deny the charge. and defend himself.
for criminal cases: s87(3) - to deny the charge, the evidence must bring
evidence. cannot use oath.
view:
commented: once it is clearly stated that only mal cases is applicable, not
mentioned in s96 = that is the position in malaysia.
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pakistan
Chapter X1I :Decision of Case on the Basis of oath
brunei
PART 111 - CHAPTER 11 :Yamin
arahan amalan
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