بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

:الجواب وباللہ التوفیق

If the case is instituted in court or “panchayat” or “majlis shariah” and imam is arbitrator or a party, then he has the right to ask questions to examine the allegations made in the middle of the proceedings.

As for the issue of swearing-in by the wife; if the wife is the plaintiff, and her accusation is a claim, then there is no oath on her, rather it will be necessary for her to produce evidence or a witness to that claim. If she is unable to present it, then the husband who is the defendant will be sworn in by Shariah rules. After he swears, his word will be considered credible and valid. But if the husband denies the oath, the statement of the plaintiff i.e., the wife will be considered reliable. 

Instead of resolving it in court, it is better that you take up this case with a Muslim “Panchayat". If such facility does not exist there, then a few Muslims knowledgeable in Muslim Family Laws and Shariah rules and guidelines should try to establish one, to resolve family related or other issues through this body. 

Non-Muslims are neither qualified nor eligible to resolve those Muslim issues and their decisions are not valid in Shariah. According to “Heelah Najizah": “But if the decision-making authority is a non-Muslim person, then his decision is invalid, and his order of annulment etc. cannot be trusted at al". 

لأن الكافرليس بأهل للقضاء على المسلم كماهومصرح في جميع كتب الفقه (الحیلۃ الناجزۃ،ص: 31)

الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى ‌الْمُدَّعِي،» ‌وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى ‌الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ (سنن ترمذی: ۱۳۴۱)

وجملۃ الکلام فیہ انہ لا خلاف فی انہ اذا طعن الخصم فی الشاھد انہ لایکتفی بظاہر العدالۃ ..... فلا بد من الترجیح بالسوال۔(بدائع الصنائع :۵؍۴۰۵)

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب

مفتی محمد رئیس منہاج الدین قاسمی

مفتی محمد عطاء الرحمن ساجد