(68) Chapter: Leading an Abstemious Life and refraining from the Doubtful

'Uqbah bin Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that he had married a daughter of Abu Ihab bin 'Aziz and a woman came to him and said she had suckled both 'Uqbah and the woman whom he had married, to which he replied:
"I am not aware that you suckled me, and you did not inform me." So he ('Uqbah) rode to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Al-Madinah and put the matter before him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "How can you continue (to be her husband) after what you have been told?" 'Uqbah (May Allah be pleased with him) therefore divorced her and she married another man.

[Al- Bukhari].

Commentary: Opinions differ about the evidence of a woman. But it is so about financial matters and Hudud (punishments) and Qisas (retaliation in punishment). For example, regarding the first, the Qur'an says that the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man. Similarly, the `Ulama' have not trusted the evidence of a woman about matters concerning Hudud and Qisas, rather they have considered in this connection, the evidence of man indispensable. However, they are all unanimous in accepting the evidence of even a single woman in matters of which men are uninformed. These, for instance, include the problems of a child's birth and its legitimacy and the weak points of women. And the argument is supported by this Hadith. When the woman gave evidence that she had suckled both the husband and the wife and was the foster-mother of the two, they separated from each other. Also, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) declared their wedlock untenable. The Hadith urges us to dispense with what is doubtful in order to be on the safe side in matters of religion.