How many witnesses are sufficient to attest
باب تَعْدِيلِ كَمْ يَجُوزُ
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Witnesses(view book)
Narrated Anas:
A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has been affirmed (Paradise)." Then another funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has been affirmed (Hell)." Allah's Apostle was asked, "O Allah's Apostle! You said it has been affirmed for both?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "The testimony of the people (is accepted), (for) the believer are Allah's witnesses on the earth."
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ مُرَّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِجَنَازَةٍ، فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ " وَجَبَتْ ". ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا ـ أَوْ قَالَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ ـ فَقَالَ " وَجَبَتْ ". فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قُلْتَ لِهَذَا وَجَبَتْ، وَلِهَذَا وَجَبَتْ، قَالَ " شَهَادَةُ الْقَوْمِ، الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ ".
Classification
Narrated Abu Al-Aswad:
Once I went to Medina where there was an outbreak of disease and the people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with 'Umar and a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed" (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed." (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed (Paradise)." Then a third funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed (Hell)." I asked Umar, "O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?" He said, "I have said what the Prophet ﷺ said. He said, 'Allah will admit into paradise any Muslim whose good character is attested by four persons.' We asked the Prophet, 'If there were three witnesses only?' He said, 'Even three.' We asked, 'If there were two only?' He said, 'Even two.' But we did not ask him about one witness."
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْفُرَاتِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَقَدْ وَقَعَ بِهَا مَرَضٌ، وَهُمْ يَمُوتُونَ مَوْتًا ذَرِيعًا، فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَمَرَّتْ جِنَازَةٌ فَأُثْنِيَ خَيْرٌ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ وَجَبَتْ. ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ خَيْرًا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ. ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِالثَّالِثَةِ فَأُثْنِيَ شَرًّا، فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ. فَقُلْتُ مَا وَجَبَتْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ ". قُلْنَا وَثَلاَثَةٌ قَالَ " وَثَلاَثَةٌ ". قُلْتُ وَاثْنَانِ قَالَ " وَاثْنَانِ ". ثُمَّ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ عَنِ الْوَاحِدِ.