TWO WITNESSES
Haji Imdadullah (1817–1899) was one of the revered spiritual elders of Deoband and a distinguished Indian Muslim figure of the Chishti Sufi order. He had a unique approach whenever someone brought a complaint about another person. He would immediately say, “Bring two witnesses.” If they failed to do so, he would drop the matter, saying, “If you cannot produce two witnesses for your claim, then your word has no credibility.”
This is exactly the Islamic method. Islam has established the principle of shahadah (witness testimony) as the foundation for verifying claims. If someone makes an accusation, they must support it with reliable evidence. In the case of serious allegations like adultery, four witnesses are required; for other matters, two are sufficient.
This is based on the legal principle: al-bayyinatu ‘ala al-mudda‘i—the burden of proof lies on the one who makes the claim. If the claimant fails to provide such proof, the accusation is to be dismissed as baseless.
But in our times, this principle has almost vanished, largely due to the moral decline in social behaviour. Especially when someone has a grievance against another, there’s no longer any expectation of evidence. Any slanderous remark about the disliked individual is accepted without question. No one asks for proof. No one demands two witnesses.
This ethical collapse has become so widespread that not only the general public, but even prominent individuals are caught up in it. Even senior religious figures are not immune. In my entire life, I have not seen a single instance where someone is accused in front of another, and the listener responds, “Bring two witnesses, or your claim will not be accepted.”
In earlier times, being a respected spiritual figure meant maintaining this very standard—as shown in the incident above. However, today, the concept of piety has changed significantly. Now, even if someone accepts and spreads a false accusation without evidence, their spiritual reputation remains intact. Their followers continue to view them as ‘sacred’—as if nothing is wrong.
