The Case of Two Women Each of Whom Claimed to be the Mother of One and the Same Child

Sarui has described in Irshad that during the caliphate of Hazrat Omar (r) two women were produced before Hakim, the then Qazi of Medina. Both of them claimed the same child to be her own. Hakim was puzzled and did not know what to do. The case was, therefore, taken to Hazrat Omar (r) for decision, but he also could not decide it.
Hazrat Ali (a) was then requested to decide the case. Hazrat Ali (a) asked the women as to whether they had any objection if the child were cut into two and one part given to each of them.
One of the woman agreed to it, but the other started crying. She said to Hazrat Ali (a): “O\' Abul Hasan! I forego my claim. Give the child to this woman.” Thus the child was restored to its real mother.