I asked permission to enter upon him, and I was told that he was taking his midday rest. He heard my voice and said, "Ibn Jubayr, come in. Nothing has brought you except some need."So I entered, and there he was, lying on a saddle blanket of his. I said, "Abu Abdul-Rahman, the two who engage in mutual cursing (lian), are they to be separated?"He said, "Glory be to Allah! Yes. The first person to ask about that was so-and-so, son of so-and-so. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'Messenger of Allah, what do you think if one of us were to see his wife committing an indecency, what should he do? If he speaks, he speaks of a grave matter, and if he stays silent, he stays silent over a grave matter.'The Prophet ﷺ remained silent and did not answer him. Some time later, the man came back to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'The very thing I asked you about has now afflicted me.'So Allah revealed these verses in Surat an-Nur, 'And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves...' [Nur 24:6] until the end of the verses. He summoned the man, recited the verses to him, admonished and reminded him, and informed him that the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the hereafter.The man said, 'No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I have not lied about her.'Then he turned to the woman and admonished her, reminded her, and informed her that the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the hereafter.She said, 'No, by the One who sent you with the truth, he has not told the truth.'He began with the man, who bore witness four times by Allah that he was among the truthful, and a fifth time that the curse of Allah be upon him if he was among the liars. Then he turned to the woman, and she bore witness four times by Allah that he was among the liars, and a fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was among the truthful. Then he separated the two of them."
حدثنا هناد حدثنا عبدة بن سليمان عن عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان عن سعيد بن جبير قال سئلت عن المتلاعنين في إمارة مصعب بن الزبير أيفرق بينهما فما دريت ما أقول فقمت مكاني إلى منزل
استأذنت عليه فقيل لي إنه قائل فسمع كلامي فقال ابن جبير ادخل ما جاء بك إلا حاجة قال فدخلت فإذا هو مفترش بردعة رحل له فقلت يا أبا عبد الرحمن المتلاعنان أيفرق بينهما فقال سبحان الله نعم إن أول من سأل عن ذلك فلان بن فلان أتى النبي ﷺ فقال يا رسول الله أرأيت لو أن أحدنا رأى امرأته على فاحشة كيف يصنع إن تكلم تكلم بأمر عظيم وإن سكت سكت على أمر عظيم قال فسكت النبي ﷺ فلم يجبه فلما كان بعد ذلك أتى النبي ﷺ فقال إن الذي سألتك عنه قد ابتليت به فأنزل الله هذه الآيات التي في سورة النور {والذين يرمون أزواجهم ولم يكن لهم شهداء إلا أنفسهم} حتى ختم الآيات فدعا الرجل فتلا الآيات عليه ووعظه وذكره وأخبره أن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة فقال لا والذي بعثك بالحق ما كذبت عليها ثم ثنى بالمرأة فوعظها وذكرها وأخبرها أن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة فقالت لا والذي بعثك بالحق ما صدق قال فبدأ بالرجل فشهد أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الصادقين والخامسة أن لعنة الله عليه إن كان من الكاذبين ثم ثنى بالمرأة فشهدت أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الكاذبين والخامسة أن غضب الله عليها إن كان من الصادقين ثم فرق بينهما
Muslim also narrated it in the chapter on lian, hadith no. 1493, through Abdul-Malik, and Bukhari, hadith no. 5311, through Saeed bin Jubayr, with this same wording.There are also narrations on this subject from Sahl bin Saad [Bukhari, no. 5259, and Muslim, no. 1492], Ibn Abbas [Bukhari, no. 5310, and Muslim, no. 1497], Huzaifa [Tabarani in Al-Awsat, 9/51, no. 8107], and Ibn Masud [Muslim, no. 1495].