"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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3583)   

رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلِيَّ 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 فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, I am only human, and you have disputes which you bring to me for judgment. It may be that some of you are more eloquent in their argumentation than others, so I will decide in favor of what I hear. So whoever I decide a right for his brother, let him not take even a rope from him, for I am only giving him a slice of the Fire."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلِيَّ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْضِيَ لَهُ عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا أَسْمَعُ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَلَا يَأْخُذَنَّ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ  

(the wife of the Prophet) Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard some people quarreling at the door of his dwelling. He came out and said, "I am only a human being, and opponents come to me (to settle their problems); maybe someone amongst you can present his case more eloquently than the other, whereby I may consider him true and give a verdict in his favor. So, If I give the right of a Muslim to another by mistake, then it is really a portion of (Hell) Fire, he has the option to take or give up (before the Day of Resurrection). (Using translation from Bukhārī 2458)   

أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَخْبَرَتْهَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ خُصُومَةً بِبَابِ حُجْرَتِهِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِينِي الْخَصْمُ فَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَهُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبْلَغَ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَحْسِبَ أَنَّهُ صَادِقٌ فَأَقْضِيَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِحَقِّ مُسْلِمٍ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ قِطْعَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ فَلْيَأْخُذْهَا أَوْ لِيَتْرُكْهَا  

Saʿd bin Abi Waqqas and 'Abu bin Zamʿa quarreled over a boy. Saʿd said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! This boy is the son of my brother (ʿUtba bin Abi Waqqas) who took a promise from me that I would take him as he was his (illegal) son. Look at him and see whom he resembles." 'Abu bin Zamʿa said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! This is my brother and was born on my father's bed from his slave-girl." Allah's Apostle cast a look at the boy and found definite resemblance to ʿUtba and then said, "The boy is for you, O 'Abu bin Zamʿa. The child goes to the owner of the bed and the adulterer gets nothing but the stones (despair, i.e. to be stoned to death). Then the Prophet ﷺ said, "O Sauda bint Zama! Screen yourself from this boy." So, Sauda never saw him again. (Using translation from Bukhārī 2218)   

سَعْدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَذَا ابْنُ أَخِي عُتْبَةَ عَهِدَ إِلِيَّ أَنَّهُ ابْنُهُ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى شَبَهِهِ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ هَذَا أَخِي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وُلِدَ عَلَى فِرَاشِ أَبِي مِنْ وَلِيدَتِهِ فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى شَبَهٍ بَيِّنٍ بِعُتْبَةَ فَقَالَ هُوَ لَكَ يَا عَبْدُ الْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَلِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ وَاحْتَجِبِي مِنْهُ يَا سَوْدَةُ فَلَمْ يَرَ سَوْدَةَ قَطُّ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever introduces something in this matter of ours that is not part of it, it will be rejected."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ  

[Machine] 'Umar wrote to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, "Verily, judgment is a mandatory duty and a followed Sunnah, so understand when it is presented to you. Speaking the truth without any effect does not benefit you, so avoid showing displeasure to people in your face, gatherings, and judgments, so that neither a noble person desires a disgrace from you, nor a weak person loses hope in your clear justice. Proof is required for one who claims, and an oath is required for one who denies, and reconciliation is permissible between Muslims except for reconciling what is forbidden or forbidding what is permissible. And whoever claims a hidden right or provides evidence, then give him the amount he claims. If he fails to produce evidence, then punish him for the time necessary for him to bring it forth. If he comes with proof, give him his due. If he is unable to produce evidence, then you have the right to pass judgment in his absence and this is the fairest excuse and the most just for the blind. This should not prevent you from executing a judicial decision you made today just because you doubted and were guided by another opinion. Review what is presented to you that is not in the Qur'an or Sunnah, then assess the matter at that point and learn proverbs and analogies. Then turn to Allah in what you see and what resembles it in truth. Beware of anger, anxiety, boredom, annoying people during disputes, and pretending. For God rewards him who executes judgment in the rightful places, and enriches him with it. Whoever intends solely for the sake of God, even if it is against his own self, God will suffice for him in what is between him and people. And whoever pretends to have what is not in his heart, God will disgrace him. Indeed, God, glorified and exalted be He, accepts only what is done sincerely for Him. And what do you think of a reward other than Allah's in his immediate provisions and the treasures of His mercy?"  

عُمَرُ إِلَى أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ ؓ إِنَّ الْقَضَاءَ فَرِيضَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَسُنَّةٌ مُتَّبَعَةٌ فَافْهَمْ إِذَا أُدْلِيَ إِلَيْكَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ تَكَلُّمُ حَقٍّ لَا نَفَاذَ لَهُ وَآسِ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِي وَجْهِكَ وَمَجْلِسِكَ وَقَضَائِكَ حَتَّى لَا يَطْمَعَ شَرِيفٌ فِي حَيْفِكَ وَلَا يَيْأَسَ ضَعِيفٌ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى مَنِ ادَّعَى وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَرَ وَالصُّلْحُ جَائِزٌ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إِلَّا صُلْحًا أَحَلَّ حَرَامًا أَوْ حَرَّمَ حَلَالًا وَمَنِ ادَّعَى حَقًّا غَائِبًا أَوْ بَيِّنَةً فَاضْرِبْ لَهُ أَمَدًا يَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ فَإِنْ جَاءَ بِبَيِّنَةٍ أَعْطَيْتَهُ بِحَقِّهِ فَإِنْ أَعْجَزَهُ ذَلِكَ اسْتَحْلَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَضِيَّةَ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَبْلَغُ فِي الْعُذْرِ وَأَجْلَى لِلْعَمَى وَلَا يَمْنَعْكَ مِنْ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ الْيَوْمَ فَرَاجَعْتَ فِيهِ لِرَأْيِكَ وَهُدِيتَ فِيهِ لِرُشْدِكَ أَنْ تُرَاجِعَ الْحَقَّ لِأَنَّ الْحَقَّ قَدِيمٌ لَا يُبْطِلُ الْحَقَّ شَيْءٌ وَمُرَاجَعَةُ الْحَقِّ خَيْرٌ مِنَ التَّمَادِي فِي الْبَاطِلِ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ عُدُولٌ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الشَّهَادَةِ إِلَّا مَجْلُودٌ فِي حَدٍّ أَوْ مُجَرَّبٌ عَلَيْهِ شَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ أَوْ ظَنِينٌ فِي وَلَاءٍ أَوْ قَرَابَةٍ فَإِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ تَوَلَّى مِنَ الْعِبَادِ السِّرَائِرَ وَسَتَرَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحُدُودَ إِلَّا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْأَيْمَانِ ثُمَّ الْفَهْمَ الْفَهْمَ فِيمَا أُدْلِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُرْآنٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ ثُمَّ قَايِسِ الْأُمُورَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَاعْرِفِ الْأَمْثَالَ وَالْأَشْبَاهَ ثُمَّ اعْمِدْ إِلَى أَحَبِّهَا إِلَى اللهِ فِيمَا تَرَى وَأَشْبَهِهَا بِالْحَقِّ وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْغَضَبَ وَالْقَلَقَ وَالضَّجَرَ وَالتَّأَذِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ عِنْدَ الْخُصُومَةِ وَالتَّنَكُّرَ فَإِنَّ الْقَضَاءَ فِي مَوَاطِنِ الْحَقِّ يُوجِبُ اللهُ لَهُ الْأَجْرَ وَيُحْسِنُ بِهِ الذُّخْرَ فَمَنْ خَلُصَتْ نِيَّتُهُ فِي الْحَقِّ وَلَوْ كَانَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ كَفَاهُ اللهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَمَنْ تَزَيَّنَ لَهُمْ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهِ شَانَهُ اللهُ فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَا يَقْبَلُ مِنَ الْعِبَادَةِ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ لَهُ خَالِصًا وَمَا ظَنُّكَ بِثَوَابِ غَيْرِ اللهِ فِي عَاجِلِ رِزْقِهِ وَخَزَائِنِ رَحْمَتِهِ؟  

[Machine] He used to say to the man, "I will decide for you, and I suspect you are unjust. However, I can only judge based on the evidence that is presented to me. My judgement is not allowed to make something forbidden for you."  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ لِلرَّجُلِ إِنِّي لَأَقْضِي لَكَ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ ظَالِمًا وَلَكِنْ لَا يَسَعُنِي إِلَّا أَنْ أَقْضِيَ بِمَا يَحْضُرْنِي مِنَ الْبَيِّنَةِ وَإِنَّ قَضَائِي لَا يُحِلُّ لَكَ حَرَامًا