What is the ruling on the reported location of the Prophet's (PBUH) Li'an near the Minbar?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Mutual Imprecation (Li'an)
Primary text
The narration that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Li'an near the Minbar is not found in any widely known Hadith. If established, this action is likely due to circumstantial agreement because his assembly was near the Minbar, thus he performed the Li'an in his immediate vicinity.
Supporting text
If the Li'an is between two non-Muslims, the ruling is the same as between Muslims. However, intensification regarding place might be applied based on the analogy of oaths (Yamin); if non-Muslims have revered places where they hesitate to swear falsely (e.g., the Christian in the church, the Jew in the synagogue, the Magian in the fire temple), the Li'an should be performed there. If they lack such revered places, the ruler should have them swear in his court due to the impracticability of spatial intensification. If the Muslim wife is menstruating and Li'an must occur near the mosque, she should stand at its door without entering, as that is the closest permissible point.