28. Judgements and Decrees
«يُدْعَى بِالْقَاضِي الْعَادِلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَلْقَى مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْحِسَابِ مَا يَتَمَنَّى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْضِ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فِي عُمْرِهِ»
✧ "The just judge will be called on the Day of Resurrection and will meet such severity of reckoning that he will wish he had never judged between two people in his life."
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَنْ عَاذَ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ عَاذَ مَعَاذًا» قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَإِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ قَاضِيًا قَالَ وَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ وَقَدْ كَانَ أَبُوكَ يَقْضِي؟ قَالَ لِأَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَنْ كَانَ قَاضِيًا فَقَضَى بِالْجَهْلِ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَمَنْ كَانَ قَاضِيًا فَقَضَى بِالْجَوْرِ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَمَنْ كَانَ قَاضِيًا عَالِمًا يَقْضِي بِحَقٍّ أَوْ بِعَدْلٍ سَأَلَ التَّفَلُّتَ كَفَافًا» فَمَا أَرْجُو مِنْهُ بَعْدَ ذَا
✧ I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Whoever seeks refuge in Allah has sought a refuge." He said: Yes. He said: Then I seek refuge in Allah from being a judge. He said: What prevents you, when your father used to judge? He said: Because I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Whoever is a judge and judges with ignorance will be among the people of the Fire, and whoever is a judge and judges with injustice will be among the people of the Fire, and whoever is a judge, knowledgeable, judging with truth or with justice, asks to slip away with nothing." So what hope do I have after that?
كَانَتْ قُرَيْظَةُ وَالنَّضِيرُ وَكَانَتِ النَّضِيرُ أَشْرَفَ مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ قَالَ وَكَانَ إِذَا قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ رَجُلًا مِنَ النَّضِيرِ قُتِلَ بِهِ وَإِذَا قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ النَّضِيرِ رَجُلًا مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ وَدَى مِائَةَ وَسْقٍ مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَلَمَّا بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ النَّضِيرِ رَجُلًا مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ فَقَالُوا ادْفَعُوهُ إِلَيْنَا نَقْتُلُهُ فَقَالُوا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَأَتَوْهُ فَنَزَلَتْ {وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ} وَالْقِسْطُ النَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَتْ {أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ}
✧ There were Qurayzah and al-Nadir, and al-Nadir was nobler than Qurayzah. He said: When a man of Qurayzah killed a man of al-Nadir, he was killed for him, and when a man of al-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah, he paid a hundred wasq of dates as blood money. When the Prophet ﷺ was sent, a man of al-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah. They said: Hand him over to us so we may kill him. They said: Between us and you is the Prophet ﷺ. So they came to him, and the verse was revealed: {And if you judge, judge between them with justice} and justice is life for life. Then it was revealed: {Is it the judgment of ignorance they seek?}
لَمَّا رَجَعَتْ مُهَاجِرَةُ الْحَبَشَةِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «أَلَا تُحَدِّثُونِي بِأَعْجَبَ مَا رَأَيْتُمْ بِأَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ» قَالَ فِتْيَةٌ مِنْهُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بَيْنَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ مَرَّتْ عَلَيْنَا عَجُوزٌ مِنْ عَجَائِزِهِمْ تَحْمِلُ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا قُلَّةً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَمَرَّتْ بِفَتًى مِنْهُمْ فَجَعَلَ إِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهَا ثُمَّ دَفَعَهَا عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهَا فَانْكَسَرَتْ قُلَّتُهَا فَلَمَّا ارْتَفَعَتِ الْتَفَتَتْ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ سَتَعْلَمُ يَا غُدَرُ إِذَا وَضَعَ اللَّهُ الْكُرْسِيَّ وَجَمَعَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ وَتَكَلَّمَتِ الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَرْجُلُ بِمَا كَانَا يَكْسِبُونَ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُ أَمْرِي وَأَمْرَكَ عِنْدَهُ غَدًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «صَدَقَتْ ثُمَّ صَدَقَتْ كَيْفَ يُقَدِّسُ اللَّهُ قَوْمًا لَا يُؤْخَذُ لِضَعِيفِهِمْ مِنْ شَدِيدِهِمْ»
✧ When the emigrants to Abyssinia returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said: "Will you not tell me the most amazing thing you saw in the land of Abyssinia?" A group of young men among them said: O Messenger of Allah, while we were sitting, an old woman of their old women passed by us, carrying on her head a water skin. She passed by a young man of theirs, and he placed one of his hands between her shoulders, then pushed her onto her knees, and her water skin broke. When she got up, she turned to him and said: You will know, O treacherous one, when Allah places the Footstool and gathers the first and the last, and the hands and feet speak of what they used to earn. Then you will know my affair and your affair with Him tomorrow. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "She spoke the truth, then spoke the truth. How can Allah sanctify a people from whom the rights of their weak are not taken from their strong?"
«كَيْفَ تُقَدَّسُ أُمَّةٌ لَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْ شَدِيدِهِمْ لِضَعِيفِهِمْ؟ »
✧ "How can a nation be sanctified when the rights of their weak are not taken from their strong?"
«إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ»
✧ "When a judge rules and strives and is correct, he has two rewards; and when he rules and strives and errs, he has one reward."
«إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ»
✧ "When a judge rules and strives and is correct, he has two rewards; and when he rules and strives and errs, he has one reward."
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْقَاضِي مَا لَمْ يَجُرْ»
“Allah is with the judge so long as he is not unjust, but if he rules unjustly, He entrusts him to himself.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2312)
«لَا يَقْضِي الْقَاضِي بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ»
✧ The judge must not judge between two parties while he is angry.
«لَا يَقْضِي الْقَاضِي بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ»
✧ The judge must not judge between two parties while he is angry.
بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِرِسَالَةٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تَبْعَثُنِي وَأَنَا غُلَامٌ حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ؟ فَأُسْأَلُ عَنِ الْقَضَاءِ وَلَا أَدْرِي مَا أُجِيبُ قَالَ «مَا بُدٌّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ بِهَا أَنَا أَوْ أَنْتَ» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَإِنْ كَانَ وَلَا بُدَّ أَذْهِبُ أَنَا فَقَالَ انْطَلِقْ فَاقْرَأْهَا عَلَى النَّاسِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ وَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِنَّ النَّاسَ سَيَتَقَاضُونَ فَإِذَا أَتَاكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلَا تَقْضِي لِوَاحِدٍ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ الْآخَرِ فَإِنَّهُ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ لِمَنِ الْحَقُّ؟! »
✧ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me with a message. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you are sending me while I am a young boy of recent age, and I will be asked about judicial matters, and I do not know how to answer.' He said, 'There is no escape from this: either I go with it, or you go.' He said, 'I said, "If it must be so, then I will go."' He said, 'Go and recite it to the people, for Allah, exalted is He, will steady your tongue and guide your heart.' Then he said, 'People will bring disputes to you. When two adversaries come to you, do not judge in favor of one until you hear the words of the other, for that is more likely to make clear to you to whom the right belongs.'
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5066No grade recorded
«إِنَّ امْرَأَتَيْنِ أَتَتَا دَاوُدَ وَكُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ تَخْتَصِمُ فِي ابْنِهَا فَقَضَى لِلْكُبْرَى فَلَمَّا خَرَجَتَا قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ كَيْفَ قَضَى بَيْنَكُمَا فَأَخْبَرَتَاهُ فَقَالَ ائْتُونِي بِالسِّكِّينِ وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ» السِّكِّينُ «رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نُسَمِّيهَا الْمُدْيَةَ فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى مَهْ؟ قَالَ أَشُقُّهُ بَيْنَكُمَا قَالَتِ ادْفَعْهُ إِلَيْهَا وَقَالَتِ الْكُبْرَى شُقَّهُ بَيْنَنَا قَالَ فَقَضَاهُ سُلَيْمَانُ لِلصُّغْرَى وَقَالَ لَوْ كَانَ ابْنَكِ لَمْ تَرْضَيْ أَنْ نَشُقَّهُ
✧ Two women came to Dawud, each claiming the child as her own. He ruled in favor of the older one. When they went out, Sulayman said, 'How did he judge between you?' They told him. He said, 'Bring me a knife.'—The first person I heard say "al-sikkin" (knife) was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; we used to call it "al-mudya."—Then the younger woman said, 'What?' He said, 'I will split him between you.' She said, 'Give him to her.' The older woman said, 'Split him between us.' He said, 'So Sulayman ruled in favor of the younger one and said, "If he were your son, you would not be pleased for us to split him."'
«إِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي الطُّرُقِ فَدَعُوا سَبْعَةَ أَذْرُعٍ»
✧ If you differ concerning roads, then leave seven cubits.
«أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ ادَّعَيَا دَابَّةً فَأَقَامَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا شَاهِدَيْنِ فَقَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَهُمَا نِصْفَيْنِ»
✧ "That two men claimed ownership of a camel, so each of them presented two witnesses. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then judged between them, dividing the camel into two halves."
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5069No grade recorded
لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {إِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ} دَخَلَ قُلُوبَهُمْ مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَدْخُلْهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «قُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَسَلَّمْنَا فَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ الْإِيمَانَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ» فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ} الْآيَةَ وَقَالَ «رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا» قَالَ قَدْ فَعَلْتُ «{رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا} قَالَ قَدْ فَعَلْتُ»
✧ When this verse was revealed: {If you disclose what is in your souls or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it}, something entered their hearts that had never entered them before. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Say: We hear and obey and we submit.' Then Allah cast faith into their hearts. So Allah revealed: {The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers} until the verse, and he said, 'Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err.' He said, 'I have done so.' '{Our Lord, and do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us.' He said, 'I have done so.'
«إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَيَّ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْضِيَ لَهُ عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا أَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ فَلَا يَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ I am only human, and you bring disputes to me. Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting his argument than others, and I judge in his favor according to what I hear from him. Whoever I judge in his favor with something from his brother's right, let him not take anything from it, for I am only cutting off for him a piece of the Fire.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 5071Hasan sahih
«إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ يَكُونُ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ I am only human, and perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting his argument than others. Whoever I judge in his favor with something from his brother's right, I am only cutting off for him a piece of the Fire.
«إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَيَّ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ I am only human, and you bring disputes to me. Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting his argument than others. Whoever I judge in his favor with something from his brother's right, I am only cutting off for him a piece of the Fire.
«أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ مَعَ الشَّاهِدِ»
✧ The Prophet ﷺ ruled by an oath alongside a witness.
جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ حَضْرَمَوْتَ وَرَجُلٌ مِنْ كِنْدَةَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا قَدْ غَلَبَنِي عَلَى أَرْضٍ لِي كَانَتْ لِأَبِي فَقَالَ الْكِنْدِيُّ هِيَ أَرْضِي فِي يَدِي زَرَعْتُهَا لَيْسَ لَهُ فِيهَا حَقٌّ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِلْحَضْرَمِيِّ «أَلَكَ بَيِّنَةٌ؟ » قَالَ لَا قَالَ «فَلَكَ يَمِينُهُ» قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ فَاجِرٌ لَا يُبَالِي عَلَى مَا حَلَفَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَيْسَ يَتَوَرَّعُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قَالَ «لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ» قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ لِيَحْلِفَ لَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا أَدْبَرَ «أَمَا لَئِنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى مَالِهِ لِيَأْكُلَهُ ظُلْمًا لَيَلْقَيَنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَهُوَ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضٌ»
✧ A man from Hadramawt and a man from Kindah came to the Prophet ﷺ. The Hadrami said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this man has overpowered me regarding a land of mine that belonged to my father.' The Kindi said, 'It is my land, in my possession; I have cultivated it. He has no right in it.' The Prophet ﷺ said to the Hadrami, 'Do you have evidence?' He said, 'No.' He said, 'Then you have his oath.' He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the man is wicked; he does not care what he swears to, and he does not refrain from anything.' He said, 'You have nothing from him except that.' He said, 'So he went to make him swear. When he turned away, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Indeed, if he swears about his property to consume it unjustly, he will meet Allah, majestic and exalted is He, while He is turning away from him.'
«أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَعْتَقَ سِتَّةَ مَمْلُوكِينَ لَهُ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مَالٌ غَيْرَهُمْ فَأَقْرَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَعْتَقَ اثْنَيْنِ وَرَدَّ أَرْبَعَةً فِي الرِّقِّ»
✧ A man freed six slaves of his upon his death, and he had no property besides them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew lots among them, freed two, and returned four to slavery.
«لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الرَّاشِيَ وَالْمُرْتَشِيَ»
✧ «May Allah curse the briber and the bribed.»
«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ لَنَا عَمَلًا فَكَتَمَنَا مِنْهُ مِخْيَطًا فَمَا فَوْقَهُ فَهُوَ غَالٌّ يَأْتِي بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ» فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ أَسْوَدُ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ أَرَاهُ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ قَالَ اقْبَلْ عَنِّي عَمَلَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ » قَالَ سَمِعْتُكَ تَقُولُ الَّذِي قُلْتَ قَالَ «وَأَنَا أَقُولُهُ الْآنَ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَلْيَجِئْ بِقَلِيلِهِ وَكَثِيرِهِ فَمَا أُوتِيَ أَخَذَ وَمَا نُهِيَ عَنْهُ انْتَهَى»
✧ «O people, whoever of you performs a task for us and conceals from us even a needle or anything above it, he is a misappropriator and will come with it on the Day of Resurrection.» Then a dark-skinned man stood up—I can almost see him, I think he was from the Ansar—and said, «Accept my work from me, O Messenger of Allah.» He said, «And what is that?» He said, «I heard you say what you said.» He said, «And I say it now: whoever we appoint to a task, let him bring its little and its much. Whatever he is given, he takes, and whatever he is forbidden, he refrains from.»
«لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الرَّاشِيَ وَالْمُرْتَشِيَ فِي الْحُكْمِ»
✧ «May Allah curse the briber and the bribed in judgment.»