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  

[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] The Prophet ﷺ sent me as a judge to Yemen, so I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I am still young and you are sending me to a people with crooked teeth." He then made supplication for me and said, "When the two disputants come to you, listen to one of them and do not make a judgment until you have heard from the other, for it will be more fair for you." He said, "After that, I did not face any differing rulings."  

بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَاضِيًا يَعْنِي إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي شَابٌّ وَتَبْعَثُنِي إِلَى أَقْوَامٍ ذَوِي أَسْنَانٍ قَالَ فَدَعَا لِي بِدَعَوَاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِذَا أَتَاكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَسَمِعْتَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا فَلَا تَقْضِيَنَّ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ فَإِنَّهُ أَثْبَتُ لَكَ قَالَ فَمَا اخْتَلَفَ عَلَيَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْقَضَاءُ  

"يا عليُّ إِذا جلسَ إِليكَ الخْصمان فسمعْتَ من أحدهما فلا تَقْضِ لأحدِهما حتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخرِ كما سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الأوّلِ، فإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلتَ ذلك تَبَيَّنَ لكَ القضاءُ".  

" 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 ".

. . . .  

"عَنْ عَلِىٍّ قَالَ: بَعَثَنى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَاضِيًا يَعْنِى: إِلَى الْيَمَنِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! إِنِّى شَابٌّ وَتَبْعَثُنِى إِلَى أَقْوَامٍ ذَوِى أَسْنَانٍ فَدَعَا لِى بِدَعَوَاتٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِذَا أَتَاكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَسَمِعْتَ مِنْ أَحَدهِما فَلَا تَقْضِى حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخَرِ، فَإِنَّهُ أَثْبَتُ لَكَ، قَالَ: فَما اخْتَلَفَ عَلِىٌّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ".