[Machine] Abu Bakr, when faced with an opponent, would look into the book of Allah. If he found in it something that would settle the matter between them, he would judge by it. And if it was not mentioned in the book, but he knew about it from the messenger of Allah ﷺ , he would judge by his knowledge. If it made him tired, he would come out and ask the Muslims, saying, "So and so has come to me with such and such matter. Did you know that the messenger of Allah ﷺ judged in it by a certain judgment?" Perhaps a group of people would gather to him, all of them mentioning a judgment from the messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding it. And Abu Bakr would say, "Praise be to Allah who has placed among us someone who preserves the teachings of our prophet ﷺ ." And if he found in it a sunnah from the messenger of Allah ﷺ , he would gather the heads of the people and their best ones, and consult them. When their opinions came together on a matter, he would judge by it.
كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ الْخَصْمُ نَظَرَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ فِيهِ مَا يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ قَضَى بِهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْكِتَابِ وَعَلِمَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ذَلِكَ الْأَمْرِ سُنَّةً قَضَى بِهِ فَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ خَرَجَ فَسَأَلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقَالَ «أَتَانِي كَذَا وَكَذَا فَهَلْ عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى فِي ذَلِكَ بِقَضَاءٍ؟» فَرُبَّمَا اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ النَّفَرُ كُلُّهُمْ يَذْكُرُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهِ قَضَاءً فَيَقُولُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ «الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِينَا مَنْ يَحْفَظُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا» ﷺ فَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ أَنْ يَجِدَ فِيهِ سُنَّةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَمَعَ رُءُوسَ النَّاسِ وَخِيَارَهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَضَى بِهِ