Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of The Office of the Judge

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

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.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، عَنْ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ
" مَنْ طَلَبَ الْقَضَاءَ وَاسْتَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ وُكِلَ إِلَيْهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَعِنْ عَلَيْهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مَلَكًا يُسَدِّدُهُ " . وَقَالَ وَكِيعٌ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِي مُوسَى عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ . وَقَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ مِرْدَاسٍ الْفَزَارِيِّ عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ الْبَصْرِيِّ عَنْ أَنَسٍ .

Abu Buradah reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying:

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

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ
" لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ - أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ - عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ " .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

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

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 ﷺ الرَّاشِيَ وَالْمُرْتَشِيَ .

Narrated Adi ibn Umayrah al-Kindi:

The Prophet ﷺ said: O people, if any of you is put in an administrative post on our behalf and conceals from us a needle or more, he is acting unfaithfully, and will bring it on the Day of Resurrection. A black man from the Ansar, as if I am seeing him, stood and said: Messenger of Allah, take back from me my post. He asked: What is that? He replied: I heard you say such and such. He said: And I say that. If we appoint anyone to an office, he must bring what is connected with it, both little and much. What he is given, he may take, and he must refrain from what is kept away from him.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَدِيُّ بْنُ عُمَيْرَةَ الْكِنْدِيُّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ لَنَا عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَكَتَمَنَا مِنْهُ مِخْيَطًا فَمَا فَوْقَهُ فَهُوَ غُلٌّ يَأْتِي بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " . فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَسْوَدُ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اقْبَلْ عَنِّي عَمَلَكَ . قَالَ " وَمَا ذَاكَ " . قَالَ سَمِعْتُكَ تَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَ " وَأَنَا أَقُولُ ذَلِكَ مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَلْيَأْتِ بِقَلِيلِهِ وَكَثِيرِهِ فَمَا أُوتِيَ مِنْهُ أَخَذَهُ وَمَا نُهِيَ عَنْهُ انْتَهَى " .

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to the Yemen as judge, and I asked: Messenger of Allah, are you sending me when I am young and have no knowledge of the duties of a judge? He replied: Allah will guide your heart and keep your tongue true. When two litigants sit in front of you, do not decide till you hear what the other has to say as you heard what the first had to say; for it is best that you should have a clear idea of the best decision. He said: I had been a judge (for long); or he said (the narrator is doubtful): I have no doubts about a decision afterwards.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ حَنَشٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَاضِيًا فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُرْسِلُنِي وَأَنَا حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ وَلاَ عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ فَقَالَ
" إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ وَيُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ فَإِذَا جَلَسَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلاَ تَقْضِيَنَّ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّهُ أَحْرَى أَنْ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ " . قَالَ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا أَوْ مَا شَكَكْتُ فِي قَضَاءٍ بَعْدُ .

Umm Salamah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying:

"I am only a human being, and you bring your disputes to me, some perhaps being more eloquent in their plea than others, so that I give judgement on their behalf according to what I hear from them. Therefore, whatever I decide for anyone which by right belongs to his brother, he must not take anything, for I am granting him only a portion of Hell.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
" إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَىَّ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْضِيَ لَهُ عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا أَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ بِشَىْءٍ فَلاَ يَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ " .

Umm Salamah said:

Two men came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who were disputing over their inheritance. They had no evidence except their claim. The Prophet ﷺ then said in a similar way. Thereupon both the men wept and each of them said: This right of mine go to you. The Prophet ﷺ then said: Now you have done whatever you have done ; do divide it up, aiming at what is right, then drew lots, and let each of you consider the other to have what is legitimately his"

حَدَّثَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ أَبُو تَوْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلاَنِ يَخْتَصِمَانِ فِي مَوَارِيثَ لَهُمَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ إِلاَّ دَعْوَاهُمَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ فَبَكَى الرَّجُلاَنِ وَقَالَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا حَقِّي لَكَ . فَقَالَ لَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ
" أَمَّا إِذْ فَعَلْتُمَا مَا فَعَلْتُمَا فَاقْتَسِمَا وَتَوَخَّيَا الْحَقَّ . ثُمَّ اسْتَهِمَا ثُمَّ تَحَالاَّ " .

Umm Salamah reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying when two men were disputing over inheritance and old things:

I decide between you on the basis of my opinion in cases about which no revelation has been sent down to me.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى الرَّازِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنَا أُسَامَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ يَخْتَصِمَانِ فِي مَوَارِيثَ وَأَشْيَاءَ قَدْ دَرَسَتْ فَقَالَ
" إِنِّي إِنَّمَا أَقْضِي بَيْنَكُمْ بِرَأْيِي فِيمَا لَمْ يُنْزَلْ عَلَىَّ فِيهِ " .

Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:

Umar said while he was (sitting) on the pulpit: O people, the opinion from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was right, because Allah showed (i.e. inspired) him; but from us it is sheer conjecture and artifice.

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ الرَّأْىَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُصِيبًا لأَنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ يُرِيهِ وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنَّا الظَّنُّ وَالتَّكَلُّفُ .

Mu'adh bin Mu'adh said:

Abu 'Uthman al-Shami, whose name is Hariz bin 'Uthman, told me. I think I did not see anyone from Syria better than him.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ الضَّبِّيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عُثْمَانَ الشَّامِيُّ، وَلاَ إِخَالُنِي رَأَيْتُ شَامِيًّا أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ يَعْنِي حَرِيزَ بْنَ عُثْمَانَ .