Muwatta Malik #1490
Judgements
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
قَالَ يَحْيَى قَالَ مَالِكٌ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُؤَذِّنِ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَحْضُرُ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَهُوَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَإِذَا جَاءَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَدَّعِي عَلَى الرَّجُلِ حَقًّا نَظَرَ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا مُخَالَطَةٌ أَوْ مُلاَبَسَةٌ أَحْلَفَ الَّذِي ادُّعِيَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَىْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُحَلِّفْهُ . قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَعَلَى ذَلِكَ الأَمْرُ عِنْدَنَا أَنَّهُ مَنِ ادَّعَى عَلَى رَجُلٍ بِدَعْوَى نُظِرَ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا مُخَالَطَةٌ أَوْ مُلاَبَسَةٌ أُحْلِفَ الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ حَلَفَ بَطَلَ ذَلِكَ الْحَقُّ عَنْهُ وَإِنْ أَبَى أَنْ يَحْلِفَ وَرَدَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي فَحَلَفَ طَالِبُ الْحَقِّ أَخَذَ حَقَّهُ .
Yahya said, "Malik said about Jamil ibn Abd ar-Rahman al-Muadhdin
that he was present with Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz when he was judging
between people. If a man came to him with a claim against a man, he
examined whether or not there were frequent transactions and dealings
between them. If there were, the defendant could make an oath. If
there was nothing of that nature he did not accept an oath from him."
Malik summed up, "What is done in our community is that if
some one makes a claim against a man, it is examined. If there are
frequent transactions and dealings between them, the defendant is made
to take an oath. If he takes an oath, the claim against him is
dropped. If the defendant refuses to take an oath, and returns the
oath to the claimant, the one claiming his right takes an oath and
takes his due."
Topics
About Muwatta Malik
This hadith is #1490 from Muwatta Malik, in the Book of Judgements.