The Testimony of an Accuser and an Ex-convict

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about an accuser who is convicted and subjected to penalty and about what his repentance is. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must call his soul a liar.’ I then asked, ‘If he calls his soul a liar and repents, is then his testimony acceptable ? 5 He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it then becomes acceptable. 5 ”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who accuses a man, then he is whipped as penalty then he repents and nothing but good is seen from him; if his testimony is acceptable. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is acceptable. What do people in your area say about it ? 5 I replied, ‘They say that his repentance is between him and Allah but his testimony is never acceptable . 5 He (the Imam) said, ‘What they say is bad. My father would say that if he repents and nothing but good is seen from him his testimony is acceptable . 555

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), accepted the testimony of a man whose hand and foot was cut off, he had repented and his repentance had become known . 555

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), has said, ‘If one is subjected to penalty and he thereafter repents, his testimony becomes admissible . 555

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who accuses married woman: if his testimony after his being subjected to penalty and his repenting is admissible. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is admissible . 5 I then asked, ‘What is his repentance ? 5 He (the Imam) said, ‘He comes before the Imam and calls his soul a liar and says that he had fabricated against so and so and retracts what he had said , 555

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is subjected to penalty; then he repents: if his testimony becomes acceptable. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he repents which is retracting what he has said and calls himself a liar before the Imam of the Muslims. When he does this then it is necessary for the Imam to accept his testimony thereafter .