The Order of Evidence in Proving Claims in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law

The discussion on the order of evidence in proving claims is an important topic in both jurisprudence and Islamic law, with various aspects of it being addressed in these fields. Considering that the evidence presented determines the extent and basis of a judge's ruling in judicial cases, assessing the probative value of evidence and understanding to what extent they can demonstrate the truth to the judge becomes highly significant. Regarding the order of evidence based on their probative value, it should be noted that our perception and understanding of the nature of each piece of evidence carry great importance. Many scholars have discussed this matter, and their perspectives have been taken into account in this article. This article aims to provide a general classification and hierarchy of the probative value of evidence in proving claims, considering the nature of each type of evidence. Ultimately, the hierarchy of evidence and its classification in terms of probative value and evidentiary power before judicial authorities can be summarized as follows: 1. Judicial knowledge, 2. Confession, 3. Written documents, 4. Testimony, 5. Expert opinion, 6. Judicial facts, 7. Legal presumptions, 8. Oath.