30. The Book of Judicial Decisions
٣٠۔ كتاب الأقضية
The burden of proof lies with the one making the claim
Two women were stitching shoes in a house or a room. Then one of them came out with an awl driven into her hand, and she sued the other for it. The case was brought before Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿAbbaاs said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If people were to be given what they claim ˹without the burden of proof˺ the life and property of the people would be lost." So remind her of Allah and recite before her: "Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah... (Āl ʿImrān 3:77)" So they reminded her and she confessed. Ibn ʿAbbaاs then said: The Prophet ﷺ said, "The oath must be taken by the defendant."
أَنَّ امْرَأَتَيْنِ كَانَتَا تَخْرِزَانِ فِي بَيْتٍ أَوْ فِي الْحُجْرَةِ فَخَرَجَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَقَدْ أُنْفِذَ بِإِشْفًى فِي كَفِّهَا فَادَّعَتْ عَلَى الأُخْرَى فَرُفِعَ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ۔ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ، لَذَهَبَ دِمَاءُ قَوْمٍ وَأَمْوَالُهُمْ۔» ذَكِّرُوهَا بِاللَّهِ وَاقْرَءُوا عَلَيْهَا {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ} فَذَكَّرُوهَا فَاعْتَرَفَتْ۔ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ۔»
30.3 So the judgement of the judge does not change what happened
٣٠۔٣ باب الْحُكْمِ بِالظَّاهِرِ وَاللَّحْنِ بِالْحُجَّةِ
(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).
أَنَّ أُمَّهَا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ ؓ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَخْبَرَتْهَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ خُصُومَةً بِبَابِ حُجْرَتِهِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِينِي الْخَصْمُ فَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبْلَغَ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَحْسِبُ أَنَّهُ صَدَقَ فَأَقْضِيَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِحَقِّ مُسْلِمٍ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ قِطْعَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ فَلْيَأْخُذْهَا أَوْ فَلْيَتْرُكْهَا
30.4 The case of Hind
٣٠۔٤ باب قَضِيَّةِ هِنْدٍ
Hind bint ʿUtba said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Abu Sufyan is a miser and he does not give me what is sufficient for me and my children. Can I take of his property without his knowledge?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Take what is sufficient for you and your children, and the amount should be just and reasonable.
أَنَّ هِنْدَ بِنْتَ عُتْبَةَ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ وَلَيْسَ يُعْطِينِي مَا يَكْفِينِي وَوَلَدِي إِلاَّ مَا أَخَذْتُ مِنْهُ وَهْوَ لاَ يَعْلَمُ فَقَالَ خُذِي مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَوَلَدَكِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
Hind bint 'Utba came and said, "O Messenger of Allah! (Before I embraced Islam) there was no family on the surface of the earth I wished to see in degradation more than I did your family, but today there is no family on the surface of the earth I wish to see honored more than I did yours." The Prophet ﷺ said, "I thought similarly, by Him in whose Hand my soul is!" She further said, "O Messenger of Allah ! Abu Sufyan is a miser, so, is it sinful of me to feed my children from his property ?" He said, "I do not allow it unless you take for your needs what is just and reasonable."
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ أَنْ يَذِلُّوا مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ ثُمَّ مَا أَصْبَحَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ أَهْلُ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ أَنْ يَعِزُّوا مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ قَالَ وَأَيْضًا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ مِسِّيكٌ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ حَرَجٌ أَنْ أُطْعِمَ مِنَ الَّذِي لَهُ عِيَالَنَا قَالَ لاَ أُرَاهُ إِلاَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
30.5 The prohibition of asking too much with no need. The prohibition of withholding the rights of others and asking of them, which means refusing to give others their rights and asking for that to which one is not entitles
٣٠۔٥ باب النَّهْيِ عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْمَسَائِلِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنْ مَنْعٍ وَهَاتٍ وَهُوَ الاِمْتِنَاعُ مِنْ أَدَاءِ حَقٍّ لَزِمَهُ أَوْ طَلَبُ مَا لاَ يَسْتَحِقُّهُ
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) to not to pay the rights of the others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated for you (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الأُمَّهَاتِ وَوَأْدَ الْبَنَاتِ وَمَنَعَ وَهَاتِ وَكَرِهَ لَكُمْ قِيلَ وَقَالَ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَالِ
30.6 The reward of the judge if he strives to reach a decision, whether he gets it right or wrong
٣٠۔٦ باب بَيَانِ أَجْرِ الْحَاكِمِ إِذَا اجْتَهَدَ فَأَصَابَ أَوْ أَخْطَأَ
That he heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct (i.e. agrees with Allah and His Apostle's verdict) he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, (i.e. against that of Allah and His Apostle) even then he will get a reward ."
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ قَالَ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ فَقَالَ هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ الْمُطَّلِبِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَهُ
30.7 It is disliked for a judge to pass a judgement when he is angry
٣٠۔٧ باب كَرَاهَةِ قَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ
Abu Bakra wrote to his son who was in Sijistan: 'Do not judge between two persons when you are angry, for I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "A judge should not judge between two persons while he is in an angry mood."
كَتَبَ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ إِلَى ابْنِهِ وَكَانَ بِسِجِسْتَانَ بِأَنْ لاَ تَقْضِيَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَنْتَ غَضْبَانُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَقْضِيَنَّ حَكَمٌ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَهْوَ غَضْبَانُ
30.8 Rejection of wrong rulings and of newly-invented matters
٣٠۔٨ باب نَقْضِ الأَحْكَامِ الْبَاطِلَةِ وَرَدِّ مُحْدَثَاتِ الأُمُورِ
An innovation in religion that is not in harmony with it is rejected
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ۔»
30.10 Differences between mujtahids
٣٠۔١٠ باب بَيَانِ اخْتِلاَفِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "My example and the example o the people is like that of a person who lit a fire and let the moths, butterflies and these insects fall in it." He also said, "There were two women, each of whom had a child with her. A wolf came and took away the child of one of them, whereupon the other said, 'It has taken your child.' The first said, 'But it has taken your child.' So they both carried the case before David who judged that the living child be given to the elder lady. So both of them went to Solomon bin David and informed him (of the case). He said, 'Bring me a knife so as to cut the child into two pieces and distribute it between them.' The younger lady said, 'May Allah be merciful to you! Don't do that, for it is her (i.e. the other lady's) child.' So he gave the child to the younger lady."
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ النَّاسِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَجَعَلَ الْفَرَاشُ وَهَذِهِ الدَّوَابُّ تَقَعُ فِي النَّارِ وَقَالَ كَانَتِ امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا ابْنَاهُمَا جَاءَ الذِّئْبُ فَذَهَبَ بِابْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَقَالَتْ صَاحِبَتُهَا إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ وَقَالَتِ الأُخْرَى إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ فَتَحَاكَمَتَا إِلَى دَاوُدَ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى فَخَرَجَتَا عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ فَأَخْبَرَتَاهُ فَقَالَ ائْتُونِي بِالسِّكِّينِ أَشُقُّهُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لاَ تَفْعَلْ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ هُوَ ابْنُهَا فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلصُّغْرَى قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَاللَّهِ إِنْ سَمِعْتُ بِالسِّكِّينِ إِلاَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَمَا كُنَّا نَقُولُ إِلاَّ الْمُدْيَةُ
30.11 It is recommended for a judge to reconcile between disputants
٣٠۔١١ باب اسْتِحْبَابِ إِصْلاَحِ الْحَاكِمِ بَيْنَ الْخَصْمَيْنِ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A man bought a piece of land from another man, and the buyer found an earthenware jar filled with gold in the land. The buyer said to the seller. 'Take your gold, as I have bought only the land from you, but I have not bought the gold from you.' The (former) owner of the land said, "I have sold you the land with everything in it.' So both of them took their case before a man who asked, 'Do you have children?' One of them said, "I have a boy.' The other said, "I have a girl.' The man said, 'Marry the girl to the boy and spend the money on both of them and give the rest of it in charity.'"
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اشْتَرَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ رَجُلٍ عَقَارًا لَهُ فَوَجَدَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي اشْتَرَى الْعَقَارَ فِي عَقَارِهِ جَرَّةً فِيهَا ذَهَبٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ الَّذِي اشْتَرَى الْعَقَارَ خُذْ ذَهَبَكَ مِنِّي إِنَّمَا اشْتَرَيْتُ مِنْكَ الأَرْضَ وَلَمْ أَبْتَعْ مِنْكَ الذَّهَبَ وَقَالَ الَّذِي لَهُ الأَرْضُ إِنَّمَا بِعْتُكَ الأَرْضَ وَمَا فِيهَا فَتَحَاكَمَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ فَقَالَ الَّذِي تَحَاكَمَا إِلَيْهِ أَلَكُمَا وَلَدٌ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَالَ الآخَرُ لِي جَارِيَةٌ قَالَ أَنْكِحُوا الْغُلاَمَ الْجَارِيَةَ وَأَنْفِقُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمَا مِنْهُ وَتَصَدَّقَا