Zeinab Al-`Alawani, Instructor of Fiqh and Islamic Studies, Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, states the following: “For the issue of women testimony, this is a detailed issue as you refer in your question. First of all, concerning the issue in surat al-Baqarah the case is related to business contracts, in which case two women and one man, or four women without a man. The verse explains the reason behind such request, “so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her” and they should be together when declaring the testimony.
There are other cases when the woman can be a witness by herself such as issues related to women experience such as delivery, nursing, etc. in which case the witness of the man is not accepted at all.
In case of false accusation of women’s chastity, the Qur’an says: “And as for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves, let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies (i.e. testifies four times) by Allah that he be one of those who speak the truth. And the fifth (testimony) (should be) invoking the Curse of Allah on him if he be one of those who tell a lie (against her). But it shall avert the punishment (of stoning to death) from her, if she bears witness four times by Allah, that he (her husband) is telling a lie. And the fifth (testimony) should be that the Wrath of Allah be upon her if (her husband) speaks the truth”. (An-Nur 24:6- 9)
As for criminal cases, there seems to be a majority opinion among Muslim jurists that women are excluded from cases of major crimes, and cases requiring retaliation in kind, in order to protect women and distance them from sites of crime and aggressions against souls, honour and property. It is not infrequent, for instance, to see a woman closing her eyes, or running away in panic from a scene of bloodshed; therefore, it becomes difficult for that woman to give a reliable account of the crime. However, the Qur’an does not speak explicitly of such exclusion.”
Women Testimony
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