Sahih al-Bukhari Book 68, Hadith 57
'Uwaimir Al-Ajlani came to `Asim bin Ad Al-Ansari and said to him, "O `Asim! Suppose a man saw
another man with his wife, would he kill him whereupon you would kill him; or what should he do?
Please, O `Asim, ask about this on my behalf." `Asim asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ),
disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What `Asim heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was hard
on him. When `Asim returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said, "O `Asim! What did
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). say to you?" `Asim said to 'Uwaimir, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)
disliked the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not give up this
matter until I ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the
midst of people, and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If a man sees another man with his wife, would he kill
him, whereupon you would kill him, or what should he do?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has revealed
some decree as regards you and your wives case. Go and bring her." So they carried out the process of
Lian while I was present among the people with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When they had finished their Lian,
'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If I should now keep her with me as a wife, then I have told a lie."
So he divorced her thrice before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered him. (Ibn Shihab said: So divorce was the
tradition for all those who were involved in a case of Lian.)
Hilal bin Umaiyya accused his wife of illegal sexual intercourse and came to the Prophet (ﷺ) to bear witness (against her), (taking the oath of Lian). The Prophet (ﷺ) was saying, "Allah knows that either of you is a liar. Will anyone of you repent (to Allah)?" Then the lady got up and gave her witness.
Ibn Shihab informed me of Lian and the tradition related to it, referring to the narration of Sahl bin Sa`d, the brother of Bani Sa`idi He said, "An Ansari man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! If a man saw another man with his wife, should he kill him, or what should he do?' So Allah revealed concerning his affair what is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an about the affair of those involved in a case of Lian. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Allah has given His verdict regarding you and your wife.' So they carried out Lian in the mosque while I was present there. When they had finished, the man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If I should now keep her with me as a wife then I have told a lie about her. Then he divorced her thrice before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered him, when they had finished the Lian process. So he divorced her in front of the Prophet (ﷺ) ." Ibn Shihab added, "After their case, it became a tradition that a couple involved in a case of Lian should be separated by divorce. That lady was pregnant then, and later on her son was called by his mother's name. The tradition concerning their inheritance was that she would be his heir and he would inherit of her property the share Allah had prescribed for him." Ibn Shihab said that Sahl bin Sa`d As'Saidi said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said (in the above narration), "If that lady delivers a small red child like a lizard, then the lady has spoken the truth and the man was a liar, but if she delivers a child with black eyes and huge lips, then her husband has spoken the truth." Then she delivered it in the shape one would dislike (as it proved her guilty).