Burden of proof and oath

البينة واليمين في الخصومات

The rule of litigation founded by Ibn Abbas's hadith — the thirty-third of the Forty — 'proof lies on the claimant and the oath on the one who denies': were people given by mere claims, some would claim others' blood and wealth, so the claimant must produce evidence for what he alleges and the denier swear to the negation of what is imputed to him; the two Sahihs word it 'but the oath is on the one against whom claim is made', the Prophet so ruling in Nafi' ibn Umar al-Jumahi's route, and al-Isma'ili's wording has 'proof on the seeker and the oath on the one sought from' — the root of the Islamic evidentiary order in judgment (Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam p. 684).