ACCUSING someone of committing sodomy is a qazaf offence if the sexual misconduct is not proven by four witnesses or without a confession by the accused, said Federal Territories mufti Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

In Islam, he said, the burden of proof is on the accuser or person who brings the claim, while the person who is being accused may take an oath to tell the truth about the accusation.

“In this way, the accuser must produce four witnesses to support the allegation that they clearly saw the act being committed.

“In the case of a video recording, the offence must be proven by the testimony of four witnesses who should be impartial, not blind and are righteous Muslims,” he said at an Aidilfitri event at his office in Putrajaya today.

Zulkifli was commenting on the qazaf complaint filed by Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali’s political secretary, Muhamad Hilman Idham, at the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) over the dissemination of sex clips purporting to show Azmin.

Azmin had denied allegations made by Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, who had linked the minister to the sex video.

Qazaf is a criminal offence under shariah law, and refers to the act of accusing someone of committing illicit sex without procuring four witnesses to support the allegation. – Bernama, June 15, 2019.