Muḥammad Ṭāhir b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Kurdī on Ghayrah

Muḥammad Ṭāhir b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Kurdī related an example of praiseworthy ghayrah. In Nishapur, there was a woman who took her husband to court over a debt of five hundred dīnārs. Her husband denied the debt. Consequently, the judge summoned witnesses to attend the proceeding. In the courtroom, it was mentioned that the woman must confirm her identity by showing her face and then the proceedings may continue. She understood what they asked of her. Her husband become overcome by his ghayrah and yelled out in the courtroom: “You all want to look at my wife’s face!? O judge! I bear witness that I owe her six hundred dīnārs.” The judge and the witnesses were surprised by this. His wife then said: “O judge! I bear witness that he is free of this debt. I forgive what he owes.” They were amazed by her response as well.

(Tuḥfat al-ʿIbād, 66)