Hadith 4.1
The Offices of Commander and Qadi
Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “If people were given what they asked when they brought a case some would claim the lives and property of others; but the oath must be taken by the defendant.” Muslim transmitted it. In the commentary on his work by Nawawi it says that in Baihaqi’s version with an <i>isnad</i> which is <i>hasan</i> or <i>sahih</i> there is an addition on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas which is traced to the Prophet, “But the proof lies on the plaintiff and the oath must be taken by him who rejects the claim.”
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ لَادَّعَى نَاسٌ دِمَاءَ رِجَالٍ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَفِي «شَرْحِهِ لِلنَّوَوِيِّ» أَنَّهُ قَالَ: وَجَاءَ فِي رِوَايَةِ «الْبَيْهَقِيِّ» بِإِسْنَادٍ حَسَنٍ أَوْ صَحِيحٍ زِيَادَةٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ مَرْفُوعًا: «لَكِنَّ الْبَيِّنَةَ على المدَّعي واليمينَ على مَنْ أنكر»
Hadith gradings, numbering and translations can differ between editions. For legal rulings or detailed interpretation, consult qualified scholarship and the referenced edition.