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 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  

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3582)   

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَاضِيًا فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تُرْسِلُنِي وَأَنَا حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ وَلَا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ سَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ وَيُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ فَإِذَا جَلَسَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلَا تَقْضِيَنَّ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّهُ أَحْرَى أَنْ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ قَالَ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا أَوْ مَا شَكَكْتُ فِي قَضَاءٍ بَعْدُ وَهَذَا يَتَنَاوَلُ الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي يَحْضُرُهُ الْخَصْمَانِ جَمِيعًا وَبِمَعْنَاهُ  

I heard Abul-Bakhtari At-Taʿi say: Someone who heard ‘Ali ؓ told me that he said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Yemen, I said: Are you sending me when I am young and I do not know much about judging? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ struck my chest and said: Go, for Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will make your tongue steadfast and guide your heart.ʿ He said: I never found it difficult to judge between two people. (Using translation from Aḥmad 1145)   

سَمِعَ عَلِيًّا ؓ يَقُولُ لَمَّا بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تَبْعَثُنِي وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ لَا عَلِمَ لِي بِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ؟ قَالَ فَضَرَبَ يَدَهُ فِي صَدْرِي وَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ سَيُثَبِّتُ لِسَانَكَ وَيَهْدِي قَلْبَكَ فَمَا أَعْيَانِي قَضَاءٌ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ