Testimony by what is most predominantly thought to be the truth

11-1-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu aleikum One day, a few months back. I was involved in a car accident. I was approaching a red light and had already stopped or was almost coming to a stop ( I don't remember for sure), when a driver who had lost control of his car hit me in the back. Due to the force with which I was hit in the back, My car got pushed forward and it hit another car that was stopped at the red light. The fault was clearly on the person who hit me on the back instead of stopping at the sight of the red light. My problems arise after this point. Given the nature and role of the insurance companies(it is mandatory in the US) in the processing of these accident events, I was asked to give a statement on what exactly happened. In my statement, I made a mistake that I have since regretted. When asked about what happened I said that I was hit by the car in back AFTER i HAD ALREADY STOPPED FOR THE RED LIGHT. Now the thing is, I was not sure whether I had already stopped or was in the process of stopping and had almost stopped. Hence my worries that I may have uttered a false statement. I simply cannot remember with certainty whether I had come to a complete stop or whether I had "almost stropped". As soon as I gave my statement I wanted to call back and correct my words to reflect that I am unsure whether I was totally stopped or not, but I was prevented by my fear that it might cause complications and because my father and I had previously thought that we were stopped. (My father was sitting next to me in the front seat when the accident happened). I am extremely worried about this. I fear that I will be held accountable for giving false testimony when I was not sure about the facts. My greatest hope is that we were actually stopped so that my statements will turn out to be true after all. What can I do? I am worried that I am indebted to whomever I have wronged due to my statements. Please advice me on this issue as soon as possible. Salaams.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

Giving testimony could be with certainty or by what a person most predominantly thinks to be the truth, and the Prophet permitted the Ansaar to make an oath of Al-Qasaamah (compurgation by oath taken by 50 men from among the people of a slain man that so and so murdered him) according to what a person most predominantly thinks to be the truth. Since this is permissible in Al-Qasaamah, then it is more appropriate to testify in the incident which you mentioned in the question.

Allaah Knows best.