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.  

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  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Yemen. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you are sending me to people who are older than me, and I am young and do not know how to judge. He put his hand on my chest and said: ʿO Allah, make his tongue steadfast and guide his heart. O Ali, when two disputants sit before you, do not judge between them until you listen to the second one as you listened to the first. If you do that, the verdict will become clear to you.” ‘Ali said: I never got confused about any judgement after that or doubted a verdict after that.  

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تَبْعَثُنِي إِلَى قَوْمٍ أَسَنَّ مِنِّي وَأَنَا حَدَثٌ لَا أُبْصِرُ الْقَضَاءَ؟ قَالَ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى صَدْرِي وَقَالَ اللهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ لِسَانَهُ وَاهْدِ قَلْبَهُ يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا جَلَسَ إِلَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلا تَقْضِ بَيْنَهُمَا حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ تَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ قَالَ فَمَا اخْتَلَفَ عَلَيَّ قَضَاءٌ بَعْدُ أَوْ مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيَّ قَضَاءٌ بَعْدُ  

The Prophet ﷺ sent me to Yemen as a judge. I said: “Are you sending me to people when I am young and have no knowledge of judging?” He placed his hand on my chest and said: “May Allah make you steadfast and help you to get it right. If two disputants come to you, do not pass judgement in favour of the first one until you listen to what the other one has to say. That is more helpful and will enable you to reach the correct verdict.ʿ Since then I have become a (good) judge. It was narrated that ʿAli bin Abi Talib ؓ said: The Prophet ﷺ sent me as a judge to Yemen (and he narrated the above). He said: “Allah will make your heart steadfast and guide your mind and heart.” (and he mentioned the hadeeth.) A similar report was narrated from ‘Ali ؓ .  

بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَاضِيًا فَقُلْتُ تَبْعَثُنِي إِلَى قَوْمٍ وَأَنَا حَدَثُ السِّنِّ وَلا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ؟ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَىصَدْرِي فَقَالَ ثَبَّتَكَ اللهُ وَسَدَّدَكَ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلا تَقْضِ للأوَّلِ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخَرِ فَإِنَّهُ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يَبِينَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ قَالَ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا وَهَذَا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ دَاوُدَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الضَّبِّيِّ وَبَعْضُهُمِ أتَمُّ كَلامًا مِنْ بَعْضٍ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Yemen. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you are sending me to people who are older than me, and I am young and do not know how to judge. He put his hand on my chest and said: ʿO Allah, make his tongue steadfast and guide his heart. O Ali, when two disputants sit before you, do not judge between them until you listen to the second one as you listened to the first. If you do that, the verdict will become clear to you.” ‘Ali said: I never got confused about any judgement after that or doubted a verdict after that. (Using translation from Aḥmad 882)   

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ وَأَنَا شَابٌّ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تَبْعَثُنِي وَأَنَا شَابٌّ إِلَى قَوْمٍ ذَوِي أَسْنَانٍ لِأَقْضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَلَا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ؟ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى صَدْرِي ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِنَّ اللهَ سَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ وَيُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا جَلَسَ إِلَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلَا تَقْضِ بَيْنَهُمَا حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ تَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ» قَالَ عَلِيٌّ فَمَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيَّ قَضَاءٌ بَعْدُ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah sent me to Yemen, so I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you send me to a people where I must pass judgement among them and I am young and have little knowledge of judgement?" He said to me, "O Ali, when one of the two disputing parties comes to you, listen to what they have to say, but do not pass judgement until you have also heard from the other party, just as you have heard from the first one. Then, it will become clear to you how to pass judgement." I continued to be a judge like this, as narrated by Hatim ibn Abi Saghira.  

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تَبْعَثُنِي إِلَى قَوْمٍ أَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَنَا حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ لَا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ؟ فَقَالَ لِي يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا أَتَاكَ أَحَدُ الْخَصْمَيْنِ فَسَمِعْتَ مِنْهُ فَلَا تَقْضِ لَهُ حَتَّى تَسْتَمِعَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنِ الْأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَتَبَيَّنُ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ قَالَ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا كَذَا فِي رِوَايَةِ حَاتِمِ بْنِ أَبِي صَغِيرَةَ  

[Machine] When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Yemen, I said, "You are sending me while I am young and have little knowledge of the rulings?" So he said to me, "When the disputing parties come to you, do not decide in favor of the first one until you hear what the other says. For when you hear what the other says, you will know how to judge, as Allah will strengthen your tongue and guide your heart." Ali said, "I have continued to be a judge since then."  

لَمَّا بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قُلْتُ تَبْعَثُنِي وَأَنَا حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ لَا عِلْمَ لِي بِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ؟ فَقَالَ لِي إِذَا أَتَاكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلَا تَقْضِ لِلْأَوَّلِ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مَا يَقُولُ الْآخَرُ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا سَمِعْتَ مَا يَقُولُ الْآخَرُ عَرَفْتَ كَيْفَ تَقْضِي إِنَّ اللهَ سَيُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ وَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا بَعْدُ  

" عن عليٍّ قالَ: بعثَنِى رسولُ الله ﷺ إلى اليمنِ، فقلتُ: يا رسولَ الله بَعَثْتَنِى إلى قومٍ همْ أسَنُّ مِنِّى وأَنَا حَدِيثٌ لا أُبصِرُ القضاءَ، فوضع يَدهُ على صدرى وقَال: اللهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ لسانهُ واهدِ قلبَهُ، يا علىُّ إذا جَلَسَ إليكَ الخَصمانِ فلا تقضى بينهمَا حتَّى تسمَعَ من الآخَرِ كما سمعتَ من الأولِ، فإنَّك إِذَا فَعلتَ ذَلِكَ تبيَّنَ لكَ القضاءُ. فما أشكلَ علىَّ قضاءٌ بعدُ ".

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