The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)

"‏ مَنْ وَلِيَ الْقَضَاءَ فَقَدْ ذُبِحَ بِغَيْرِ سِكِّينٍ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who has been appointed a judge has been killed without a knife.

"‏ مَنْ جُعِلَ قَاضِيًا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَقَدْ ذُبِحَ بِغَيْرِ سِكِّينٍ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who has been appointed a judge among the people has been killed without a knife.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ السَّمْتِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَاثْنَانِ فِي النَّارِ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَقَضَى بِهِ وَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَجَارَ فِي الْحُكْمِ فَهُوَ فِي النَّارِ وَرَجُلٌ قَضَى لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى جَهْلٍ فَهُوَ فِي النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ شَىْءٍ فِيهِ يَعْنِي حَدِيثَ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ ‏"‏ الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Judges are of three types, one of whom will go to Paradise and two to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is a man who knows what is right and gives judgment accordingly; but a man who knows what is right and acts tyrannically in his judgment will go to Hell; and a man who gives judgment for people when he is ignorant will go to Hell. Abu Dawud said: On this subject this is the soundest tradition, that is, the tradition of Ibn Buraidah: Judges are of three types.

"‏ إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ ‏"

'If a judge passes a judgment having exerted himself to arrive at what is correct, and he is indeed correct, he will have two rewards. If he passes judgment having exerted himself to arrive at what is correct, but it is incorrect, he will have one reward.'" I narrated it to Abu Bakr bin Hazm and he said: "This is what Abu Salamah narrated to me from Abu Hurairah.

"‏ مَنْ طَلَبَ قَضَاءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى يَنَالَهُ ثُمَّ غَلَبَ عَدْلُهُ جَوْرَهُ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ وَمَنْ غَلَبَ جَوْرُهُ عَدْلَهُ فَلَهُ النَّارُ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone seeks the office of judge among Muslims till he gets it and his justice prevails over his tyranny, he will go to Paradise; but the man whose tyranny prevails over his justice will go to Hell.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ أَبِي يَحْيَى الرَّمْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ أَبِي الزَّرْقَاءِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ ‏ {‏ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ ‏} ‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ‏{‏ الْفَاسِقُونَ ‏}‏ هَؤُلاَءِ الآيَاتُ الثَّلاَثُ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْيَهُودِ خَاصَّةً فِي قُرَيْظَةَ وَالنَّضِيرِ ‏.‏

"If any do fail to judge (by the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) unbelievers" up to "wrongdoers." These three verses were revealed about the Jews, particularly about Quraizah and al-Nadir.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ رَجَاءٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ بِشْرٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ الأَزْرَقِ، قَالَ دَخَلَ رَجُلاَنِ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ كِنْدَةَ وَأَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ جَالِسٌ فِي حَلْقَةٍ فَقَالاَ أَلاَ رَجُلٌ يُنَفِّذُ بَيْنَنَا فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْحَلْقَةِ أَنَا ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ كَفًّا مِنْ حَصًى فَرَمَاهُ بِهِ وَقَالَ مَهْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُكْرَهُ التَّسَرُّعُ إِلَى الْحُكْمِ ‏.‏

Two men from the locality of Kindah came while AbuMas'ud al-Ansari was sitting n a circle. They said: Is there any man who decides between us. A man from the circle said: I, AbuMas'ud took a handful of pebbles and threw at him, saying: Hush! It is disapproved to make haste in decision.

"‏ مَنْ طَلَبَ الْقَضَاءَ وَاسْتَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ وُكِلَ إِلَيْهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَعِنْ عَلَيْهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مَلَكًا يُسَدِّدُهُ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone desires the office of Judge and seeks help for it, he will be left to his own devices; if anyone does not desire it, nor does he seek help for it, Allah will send down an angel who will direct him aright. Waki' said: (This tradition has also been transmitted) by Isra'il, from 'Abd al-A'la, from Bilal bin Abi Musa, from Anas, from the Prophet (ﷺ). Abu 'Awanah said: from 'Abd al-A'la, from Bilal bin Mirdas al-Fazari, from Khaithamah al-Basri from Anas.

"‏ لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ - أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ - عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ ‏"

"We will never employ or we shall not employ (the narrator is doubtful) in our work one who wants it."

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرَّاشِيَ وَالْمُرْتَشِيَ ‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes bribe.