Hazrat Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man marries a woman in a distant city and accuses her (of adultery) but has not seen her, then the punishment (hadd) applies to him and not li'an; the same ruling applies to a blind man and an unreliable witness. Hazrat Hammad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whether the man has seen the woman or not, li'an will take place; the same ruling applies to a blind man, an unreliable witness, and an apostate.