Hadith 13
The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)
Zaid bin Khalid al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:
"Shall I not tell you of the best witnesses ? He is the one who produces his deposition or gives his evidence (the narrator is doubtful) before he is asked for it." 'Abd Allah bin Abi Bakr dobted which of them he said. Abu Dawud said: Malis said: This refers to a man gives his evidence, but he does not know for whom it is meant. Al-Hamdani said: "He should inform the authorities. Ibn al-Sarh said: "He should give it to the ruler. The work ikhbar (inform) occurs in the version of al-Hamdani." Ibn al-Sarh said: "Ibn Abi 'Amrah and not 'Abd al-Rahman."
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ السَّرْحِ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَبِي عَمْرَةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ الشُّهَدَاءِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي بِشَهَادَتِهِ أَوْ يُخْبِرُ بِشَهَادَتِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْأَلَهَا
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