Is substitution of the prescribed words in the five declarations of Li'an permissible?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Mutual Imprecation (Li'an)
Primary text
The count of five specific utterances is a condition for the validity of the Li'an; omission of any invalidates the process. Substitution of 'I am among the truthful' with 'she has committed adultery' (Zana) is likely permissible, as the meanings are identical. Similarly, substituting 'he is among the liars' with 'he has lied' is acceptable, as it describes the state of the Li'an. However, substituting the word 'I testify' (Ashhad) with other terms of oath like 'I swear' or 'I take an oath' is not valid because the testimony requires the specific formulation of 'testimony,' which is more rigorous and fitting for the intensification intended in Li'an, similar to testimony in financial rights.
Supporting text
Substitution of the word 'curse' (La'nah) with 'removal/banishment' (I'bad) is impermissible because 'curse' is more emphatic in deterring people. For the wife, substituting 'wrath' (Ghadab) with 'curse' is impermissible because 'wrath' is considered a stronger term appropriate for her, given the greater disgrace of adultery for a woman and the severity of her sin compared to the man's accusation. If the husband substitutes 'curse' with 'wrath,' it is debated whether it is permissible due to the greater force of 'wrath' or impermissible due to deviation from the prescribed text.