٧- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَيْفَ صَارَ الْقَتْلُ يَجُوزُ فِيهِ شَاهِدَانِ وَالزِّنَى لا يَجُوزُ فِيهِ إِلا أَرْبَعَةُ شُهُودٍ وَالْقَتْلُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الزِّنَى فَقَالَ لأنَّ الْقَتْلَ فِعْلٌ وَاحِدٌ وَالزِّنَى فِعْلانِ فَمِنْ ثَمَّ لا يَجُوزُ إِلا أَرْبَعَةُ شُهُودٍ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ شَاهِدَانِ وَعَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ شَاهِدَانِ وَرَوَاهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا عِنْدَنَا فِيهِ إِلا حَدِيثُ عُمَرَ أَنَّ اللهَ أَخَذَ فِي الشَّهَادَةِ كَلِمَتَيْنِ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ وَلَكِنَّ الزِّنَى فِيهِ حَدَّانِ وَلا يَجُوزُ إِلا أَنْ يَشْهَدَ كُلُّ اثْنَيْنِ عَلَى وَاحِدٍ لأنَّ الرَّجُلَ وَالْمَرْأَةَ جَمِيعاً عَلَيْهِمَا الْحَدُّ وَالْقَتْلُ إِنَّمَا يُقَامُ عَلَى الْقَاتِلِ وَيُدْفَعُ عَنِ الْمَقْتُولِ.
7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from ’Isma‘il ibn abu Hanifah from abu Hanifah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah , ‘Why in a murder case only two witnesses are required, and in the case of fornication four witnesses are required when murder is more serious than fornication?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because murder is one act and fornication is two acts, for this reason less than four witnesses is not admissible; two against man and two against the woman.’” Certain one of our people have narrated from him (abu Hanifah) that then he (the Imam) asked, ‘What is with you, O abu Hanifah?’ I replied, ‘We have nothing about it except the Hadith of ‘Umar that says, ‘Allah has taken two words in the testimony against the people.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It is not as such, O abu Hanifah, in fornication there are two penalties. It is not permissible for less than two to testify against one, two against the man and two against the woman; penalty is obligatory on both man and woman, when in murder it is applied to the killer only and the one murdered is defended.’” 