30. Judicial Decisions
٣٠۔ كتاب الأقضية
The oath must be taken by the defendant
that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If the people were given according to their claims, they would claim the lives of persons and their properties, but the oath must be taken by the defendant."
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: «لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ لاَدَّعَى نَاسٌ دِمَاءَ رِجَالٍ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ۔»
Ibn 'Abbas reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ pronounced judgment on the basis of oath by the defendant.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ
30.2 The obligation of judging on the basis of a witness and an oath
٣٠۔٢ باب الْقَضَاءِ بِالْيَمِينِ وَالشَّاهِدِ
Ibn 'Abbas reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ pronounced judgment on the basis of an oath and a witness (by the plaintiff).
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى بِيَمِينٍ وَشَاهِدٍ
30.3 So the judgement of the judge does not change what happened
٣٠۔٣ باب الْحُكْمِ بِالظَّاهِرِ وَاللَّحْنِ بِالْحُجَّةِ
You bring to me, for (judgment) your disputes, some of you perhaps being more eloquent in their plea than others, so I give judgment on their behalf according to what I hear from them. (Bear in mind, in my judgment) if I slice off anything for him from the right of his brother, he should not accept that, for I sliced off for him a portion from the Hell.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَىَّ وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْضِي لَهُ عَلَى نَحْوٍ مِمَّا أَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ فَمَنْ قَطَعْتُ لَهُ مِنْ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَلاَ يَأْخُذْهُ فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ بِهِ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.
عَنْ هِشَامٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ
I am a human being and the claimants bring to me (the dispute) and perhaps some of them are more eloquent than the others. I judge him to be on the right, and thus decide in his favcur. So he whom I, by my judgment, (give the undue share) out of the right of a Muslim,. I give him a portion of Fire; he may burden himself with it or abandon it.
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَمِعَ جَلَبَةَ خَصْمٍ بِبَابِ حُجْرَتِهِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ وَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِينِي الْخَصْمُ فَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَهُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبْلَغَ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَحْسِبُ أَنَّهُ صَادِقٌ فَأَقْضِي لَهُ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِحَقِّ مُسْلِمٍ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ قِطْعَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ فَلْيَحْمِلْهَا أَوْ يَذَرْهَا
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ma'mar with a slight variation of words.
عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ يُونُسَ وَفِي حَدِيثِ مَعْمَرٍ قَالَتْ سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَجَبَةَ خَصْمٍ بِبَابِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ
30.4 The case of Hind
٣٠۔٤ باب قَضِيَّةِ هِنْدٍ
Hind. the daughter of 'Utba, wife of Abu Sufyan, came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Abu Sufyan is a miserly person. He does not give adequate maintenance for me and my children, but (I am constrained) to take from his wealth (some part of it) without his knowledge. Is there any sin for me? Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Take from his property what is customary which may suffice you and your children.
دَخَلَتْ هِنْدٌ بِنْتُ عُتْبَةَ امْرَأَةُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ لاَ يُعْطِينِي مِنَ النَّفَقَةِ مَا يَكْفِينِي وَيَكْفِي بَنِيَّ إِلاَّ مَا أَخَذْتُ مِنْ مَالِهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمِهِ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ جُنَاحٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خُذِي مِنْ مَالِهِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَيَكْفِي بَنِيكِ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chair of transmitters.
عَنْ هِشَامٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ
Messenger of Allah, by Allah, there was no other household upon the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherished Allah bringing disgrace upon it, (and now) there is no other household upon the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherish Allah granting it honour. Allah's Apostle ﷺ said: It is so, by Him in Whose Hand is my life She said: Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a niggardly person. Is there any harm for me if I spend upon his children out of his wealth without his permission? Thereupon Allah's Apostle ﷺ said: There is no harm for you if you spend upon them what is reasonable.
جَاءَتْ هِنْدٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ أَهْلُ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُذِلَّهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ وَمَا عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ أَهْلُ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُعِزَّهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَيْضًا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ مُمْسِكٌ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ حَرَجٌ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ مِنْ مَالِهِ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ حَرَجَ عَلَيْكِ أَنْ تُنْفِقِي عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
Messenger of Allah, by Allah, there was no household upon the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherished that it should be disgraced. But today there is no household on the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherish that it be honoured Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said. It will increase, by Him in Whose Hand is my life. She then said: Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a niggardly person; is there any harm for me if I spend out of that which belongs to him on our children? He said to her: No, but only that what is reasonable.
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ خِبَاءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَذِلُّوا مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ وَمَا أَصْبَحَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ خِبَاءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَعِزُّوا مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَيْضًا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ مِسِّيكٌ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ حَرَجٌ مِنْ أَنْ أُطْعِمَ مِنَ الَّذِي لَهُ عِيَالَنَا فَقَالَ لَهَا لاَ 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
Verity Allah, the Glorious and Majestic, has forbidden for you: disobedience to mothers, and burying alive daughters, withholding the right of others in spite of having the power to return that to them and demanding that (which is not one's legitimate right). And He disapproved three things for you; irrelevant talk, persistent questioning and wasting of wealth.
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الأُمَّهَاتِ وَوَأْدَ الْبَنَاتِ وَمَنْعًا وَهَاتِ وَكَرِهَ لَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا قِيلَ وَقَالَ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَالِ
A hadith like this has been trransmitted on the authority of Mansur with a slight vairiation of words.
عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَحَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ
Mu'awiya wrote to Mughira: Write for me something which you heard from Messenger of Allah ﷺ ; and he wrote: I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying. Verily Allah disapproves three thingq for you: irrelevant talk, wasting of wealth and persistent questioning.
كَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى الْمُغِيرَةِ اكْتُبْ إِلَىَّ بِشَىْءٍ سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَرِهَ لَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا قِيلَ وَقَالَ وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَالِ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ
Peace be upon you, and then coming to the poirt (I should say) that I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: Verily Allah has Prohibited three things and has forbidden three things. He has declared absolutely haram the disobedience of father, burying of daughters alive, and withholding that which you have power to return, and has forbidden three things: irrelevant talk, persistent questioning, and wasting of wealth.
كَتَبَ الْمُغِيرَةُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ ثَلاَثًا وَنَهَى عَنْ ثَلاَثٍ حَرَّمَ عُقُوقَ الْوَالِدِ وَوَأْدَ الْبَنَاتِ وَلاَ وَهَاتِ وَنَهَى عَنْ ثَلاَثٍ قِيلٍ وَقَالٍ وَكَثْرَةِ السُّؤَالِ وَإِضَاعَةِ الْمَالِ
Verily Allah likes three things for you and He disapproves three things for you. He is pleased with you that you worship Him and associate nor anything with Him, that you hold fast the rope of Allah, and be not scattered; and He disapproves for you irrelevant talk, persistent questioning ane the wasting of wealth.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْضَى لَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا وَيَكْرَهُ لَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا فَيَرْضَى لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْبُدُوهُ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَأَنْ تَعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَيَكْرَهُ لَكُمْ قِيلَ وَقَالَ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَالِ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters, but with a slight variation of words.
عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَيَسْخَطُ لَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا
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
When a judge gives a decision, having tried his best to decide correctly and is right, there are two rewards for him; and if he gave a judgment after having tried his best (to arrive at a correct decision) but erred, there is one reward for him.
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira with another chain of transmitters.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Usama b. al-Had al-Laithi.
حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ الْهَادِ اللَّيْثِيُّ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ مِثْلَ رِوَايَةِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ بِالإِسْنَادَيْنِ جَمِيعًا
30.7 It is disliked for a judge to pass a judgement when he is angry
٣٠۔٧ باب كَرَاهَةِ قَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ
My father dictated (and I wrote for him) to Ubaidullah b. Abu Bakra while he was the judge of Sijistan: Do not judge between two persons when you are angry, for I have heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: None of you should judge between two persons when he is angry.
أَنْ لاَ تَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَنْتَ غَضْبَانُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَحْكُمْ أَحَدٌ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra through another chain of transmitters.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ
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
He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ۔»
I asked Qasim b. Muhammad about a person who had three dwelling houses and he willed away the third part of every one of these houses; he (Qasim b. Muhammad) said: All of them could be combined in one house; and then said: 'A'isha informed me that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
سَأَلْتُ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ لَهُ ثَلاَثَةُ مَسَاكِنَ فَأَوْصَى بِثُلُثِ كُلِّ مَسْكَنٍ مِنْهَا قَالَ: يُجْمَعُ ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ فِي مَسْكَنٍ وَاحِدٍ۔ ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ۔»
30.9 The best of witnesses
٣٠۔٩ باب بَيَانِ خَيْرِ الشُّهُودِ
Should I not tell you of the best witnesses? He is the one who produces his evidence before he is asked for it.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ الشُّهَدَاءِ الَّذِي يَأْتِي بِشَهَادَتِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْأَلَهَا
30.10 Differences between mujtahids
٣٠۔١٠ باب بَيَانِ اخْتِلاَفِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ
While two women had been going along witn their two sons, a wolf came and made away with the child of one of them. One of them said to her companion: It is with your child that it (the wolf) has run away The other one said: It has run away with your child. They brought the matter to (Hadrat) Dawud (David) for decision and he made a decision in favour of the elder one. They then went to Sulaiman b. Dawud (may there be peace upon both of them) and told them (the story). He said: Bring me a knife so that I may cut him (the child) (into two parts) for you. The younger one said: No, it can't be, may Allah have mercy upon you, he (the child) belongs to her (the elder). So he gave a decision in favour of the younger one. abu Huraira said: If ever I heard of the word as-sikin at all, it was that day. We called it by no other name but al-Mudya.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا ابْنَاهُمَا جَاءَ الذِّئْبُ فَذَهَبَ بِابْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَقَالَتْ هَذِهِ لِصَاحِبَتِهَا إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ أَنْتِ وَقَالَتِ الأُخْرَى إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ فَتَحَاكَمَتَا إِلَى دَاوُدَ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى فَخَرَجَتَا عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ فَأَخْبَرَتَاهُ فَقَالَ ائْتُونِي بِالسِّكِّينِ أَشُقُّهُ بَيْنَكُمَا فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لاَ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ هُوَ ابْنُهَا فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلصُّغْرَى قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَاللَّهِ إِنْ سَمِعْتُ بِالسِّكِّينِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ مَا كُنَّا نَقُولُ إِلاَّ الْمُدْيَةَ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu az-Zinad with the same chain of transmitters.
عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَ مَعْنَى حَدِيثِ وَرْقَاءَ
30.11 It is recommended for a judge to reconcile between disputants
٣٠۔١١ باب اسْتِحْبَابِ إِصْلاَحِ الْحَاكِمِ بَيْنَ الْخَصْمَيْنِ
Abu Huraira reported (so many) ahadith of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and one of them is this: A person bought from another person a piece of land, and the person who had, bought that land found in it an earthen ware which contained gold. The person who had bought the land said (to the seller of the land): Take your gold from me, for I bought only the land from you and not the gold. The man who had sold the land said: I sold the land to you and whatever was in it. They referred the matter to a person. One who was made as a judge said to them: Have you any issue? One of them said: I have a boy, and the other said: I have a young daughter He (the judge) said: Marry this young boy with the girl, and spend something on yourselves and also give (some) charity out of it.
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ 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 فَقَالَ الَّذِي شَرَى الأَرْضَ إِنَّمَا بِعْتُكَ الأَرْضَ وَمَا فِيهَا قَالَ فَتَحَاكَمَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ فَقَالَ الَّذِي تَحَاكَمَا إِلَيْهِ أَلَكُمَا وَلَدٌ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَالَ الآخَرُ لِي جَارِيَةٌ قَالَ أَنْكِحُوا الْغُلاَمَ الْجَارِيَةَ وَأَنْفِقُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمَا مِنْهُ وَتَصَدَّقَا