The Book of the Etiquette of Judges

The Prophet [SAW] said: "Those who are just and fair will be with Allah, Most High, on thrones of light, at the right hand of the Most Merciful, those who are just in their rulings and in their dealings with their …

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "There are seven whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will shade with His shade on the Day of Resurrection, the Day when there will be no shade but His: A just ruler, a young man who …

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'If a judge passes judgment and strives to reach the right conclusion and gets it right, he will have two rewards; if he strives to reach the right conclusion but gets it wrong, he …

"Some people from among the Ash'aris came to me and said: 'Go with us to the Messenger of Allah [SAW], for we have something to ask him.' So I went with them, and they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, use us to do your …

A man from among the Ansar came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and said: "Will you not appoint me as you appointed so-and-so?" He said: "You will encounter selfishness after I am gone, so be patient until you meet me at …

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Do not ask for governorship. For if it is given to you because of asking, you will be left to your own devices, but if it is given to you without asking, you will be helped (by Allah)

The Prophet [SAW] said: "You will be keen for governorship but it will be regret and loss on the Day of Resurrection. What a good position it is when they are alive, but how miserable their state when they die (and leave …

A group from Banu Tamim came to the Prophet [SAW]. Abu Bakr said: "Appoint Al-Qa'qa' bin Ma'bad (as commander or governor)," and 'Umar said: "No, (appoint) Al-Aqra' bin Habis." They argued until they began to raise their …

When he came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and he heard them calling Hani' by the nickname of Abu Al-Hakam, the Messenger of Allah [SAW] called him and said to him: "Allah is Al-Hakam (the Judge) and judgment is His. …

"Allah protected me with something that I heard from the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. When Chosroes died, he said: 'Whom have they appointed as his successor?' They said: 'His daughter.' He said: 'No people will ever …

He was riding behind the Messenger of Allah [SAW] on the morning of the Day of Sacrifice, when a woman from Khath'am came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to His …

"A woman from Khath'am asked the Messenger of Allah [SAW] a question when Al-Fadl was riding behind the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. She said: 'O Messenger of Allah, the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to His …

"Al-Fadl bin 'Abbas was riding behind the Messenger of Allah [SAW] when a woman from Khath'am came to ask him a question. Al-Fadl started looking at her, and she at him, and the Messenger of Allah [SAW] turned the face …

A woman from Khath'am said: "O Messenger of Allah, the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to His slaves to perform Hajj has come while my father is an old man, and he cannot sit upright in the saddle. Will it …

A man asked the Messenger of Allah [SAW]: "The (command to perform) Hajj has come while my father is an old man and cannot sit firmly in the saddle, and if I tie him, I fear that he may die. Can I perform Hajj on his …

He was riding behind the Messenger of Allah [SAW], when a man came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my mother is an old woman; if I put her on a mount she cannot sit firmly, and if I tie her, I fear that I may kill her." …

"A man came to the Prophet [SAW] and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, my father is an old man and cannot perform Hajj. If I put him on a mount he cannot sit firm. Can I perform Hajj on his behalf?' He said: 'Perform Hajj on …

A man came to the Prophet [SAW] and said: "My father is an old man, can I perform Hajj on his behalf?" He said: "Yes. Don't you think that if he owed a debt and you paid it off, that would suffice him?

"The people asked 'Abdullah too many questions one day, and 'Abdullah said: 'There was a time when we did not pass so many judgments, but now that time is over. Now Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has decreed that we …

"There was a time when we did not pass so many judgments, but now that time is over. Now Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has decreed that we reach a time when, as you see, (we are asked to pass many judgments). Whoever …

He wrote to 'Umar, to ask him (a question), and 'Umar wrote back to him telling him: "Judge according to what is in the Book of Allah. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah, then (judge) according to the Sunnah …

"There were kings after 'Isa bin Mariam who altered the Tawrah and the Injil, but there were among them believers who read the Tawrah. It was said to their kings: 'We have never heard of any slander worse than that of …

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "You refer your disputes to me, but I am only human, and some of you may be more eloquent in arguing their case than others. If I pass judgment in favor of one of you, against his …

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "There were two woman who had two children, and the wolf came and took away the son of one of them. She said to her companion: 'It took away your son.' The other one said: 'No, it took …

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Two women went out with two children of theirs, and the wolf attacked one of them and took her child. The next day they referred their dispute over the remaining child to Dawud, peace …

The Prophet [SAW] said: "Two women went out with their two children, and the wolf took one of the children from them. They referred their dispute to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the remaining …

"The Prophet [SAW] sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to Banu Jadhimah. He called them to Islam, but they could not say Aslamna (we submitted, i.e., became Muslim) so they started to say Saba'na (we changed our religion). Khalid …

"My father wrote to 'Ubaidullah bin Abi Bakrah - who was the judge of Sijistan - saying: 'Do not pass judgment between two people when you are angry, for I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: No one should pass …

He disputed with a man among Ansar who had been present at Badr with the Messenger of Allah [SAW], concerning a stream in Al-Harrah from which they both used to water their date palm trees. The Ansari said: "Let the …

He asked Ibn Abi Hadrad to pay off a debt that he owed him. Their voices grew so loud that the Messenger of Allah [SAW] heard them when he was inside his house. He came out to them, drew back the curtain of his room and …

"I came to Al-Madinah with my paternal uncles and entered one of its gardens, where I rubbed an ear of grain (to take some grains). The owner of the garden came, took my cloak and hit me. I came to the Messenger of Allah …

Two men referred a dispute to the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. One of them said: "O Messenger of Allah, pass judgment between us according to the Book of Allah." The other, who was wiser, said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, …

"We were with the Prophet [SAW] when a man stood up and said: 'I adjure you, by Allah, pass judgment between us according to the Book of Allah.' His opponent, who was wiser than him, stood up and said: 'He is right, pass …

A woman who had committed Zina was brought to the Prophet [SAW]. He said: "With whom?" She said: "With the paralyzed man who lives in the garden of Sa'd." He was brought and placed before (the Prophet [SAW]) and he …

"Words were exchanged between two clans of the Ansar, to the point that they began to throw rocks at one another. The Prophet [SAW] went to reconcile between them. The time for prayer came, so Bilal called Adhan and …

He owed a debt by 'Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami. He met him, and asked him to pay it off. They exchanged words until their voices became loud. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] passed by them and said: "O Ka'b!" and he …

"I saw the Messenger of Allah [SAW] when a killer was brought by the heir of the victim by a string. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to the heir of the victim: 'Will you forgive him?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you …

A man among the Ansar disputed with Az-Zubair concerning a stream in Al-Harrah from which they both used to water their date palm trees. The Ansari said: "Let the water flow," but he (Az-Zubair) refused. They brought …

The husband of Barirah was a slave called Mughith. It is as if I can see him walking behind her weeping, with the tears running down onto his beard. The Prophet [SAW] said to Al-'Abbas: "O 'Abbas, are you not amazed by …

"A man among the Ansar stated that his salve was to be set free after he died; he was in need, and he owed a debt. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] sold him (the slave) for eight hundred Dirhams, and he gave (the money) to …

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Whoever seizes the wealth of a Muslim unlawfully by means of his (false) oath, Allah makes the Fire required for him, Paradise unlawful for him." A man said to him: "O Messenger of …

"Hind came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and said : 'O Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a stingy man who does not spend enough on my child and I. Can I take from his wealth without him realizing?' He said: 'Take what …

"Abu Bakrah wrote to me, saying: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: No one should pass two judgments on one issue, and no one should pass judgment between two disputing parties while he is angry

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'You refer your disputes to me, but I am only human. And some of you may be more eloquent in arguing their case than others, and I may pass judgment on the basis of what I hear. If I …

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'The most hated of men to Allah is the most quarrelsome of opponents

That two men referred a dispute to the Prophet [SAW] concerning an animal, and neither of them had any evidence, so he ruled that it be shared equally between them

"There were two female neighbors who used to do leatherwork (with an awl) in At-Ta'if. One of them came out with her hand bleeding and claimed that her companion had injured her, but the other one denied it. I wrote to …

"Mu'awiyah, (may Allah be pleased with him,) said: 'The Messenger of Allah [SAW] went out to a circle - meaning, of his Companions - and said: 'What are you doing?' They said: 'We have come together to pray to Allah and …

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Isa bin Mariam, peace be upon him, saw a man stealing, and said to him: Are you stealing? He said: No, by Allah besides Whom there is no other God! 'Isa, peace be upon him, said: I …