[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

[Machine] Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, would refer to the Book of Allah whenever a disputant came to him. If he found a ruling in it, he would judge accordingly. If he did not find any ruling in the Book, he would then check whether the Prophet ﷺ had a sunnah regarding it. If he knew the sunnah, he would rule accordingly, but if he did not know, he would seek the counsel of the Muslims. He would say, "So and so came to me with such and such matter, and I checked in the Book of Allah and the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but I did not find anything regarding it. Do you know if the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had ruled in this matter?" The group of Muslims may respond, "Yes, he ruled in this way and that," and he would then adhere to the ruling of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ja'far, and other than him, narrated that Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, would say at such times, "All praise is due to Allah who has placed among us those who preserve the teachings of our Prophet ﷺ, and if fatigue overcomes him, he called upon the leaders of the Muslims and their scholars, and sought their consultation. If their opinions unanimously agreed on a matter, he would make a judgement according to it." Ja'far, and Ma'moon also narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would do the same. If he was unable to find a ruling in the Quran and the sunnah, he would check whether Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, had a ruling on it. If Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, had already made a ruling on it, he would follow that ruling. Otherwise, he would call upon the leaders of the Muslims and their scholars, and seek their consultation. If they reached a consensus on a matter, he would make a judgement accordingly.

كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ خَصْمٌ نَظَرَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ فِيهِ مَا يَقْضِي بِهِ قَضَى بِهِ بَيْنَهُمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فِي الْكِتَابِ نَظَرَ هَلْ كَانَتْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِيهِ سُنَّةٌ؟ فَإِنْ عَلَمِهَا قَضَى بِهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ خَرَجَ فَسَأَلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَالَ أَتَانِي كَذَا وَكَذَا فَنَظَرْتُ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَفِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَهَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَضَى فِي ذَلِكَ بِقَضَاءٍ؟ فَرُبَّمَا قَامَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّهْطُ فَقَالُوا نَعَمْ قَضَى فِيهِ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَأْخُذُ بِقَضَاءِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ وَحَدَّثَنِي غَيْرُ مَيْمُونٍ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؓ كَانَ يَقُولُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِينَا مَنْ يَحْفَظُ عَنْ نَبِيِّنَا ﷺ وَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ ذَلِكَ دَعَا رُءُوسَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَلَمَاءَهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ عَلَى الْأَمْرِ قَضَى بِهِ قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ وَحَدَّثَنِي مَيْمُونٌ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فَإِنْ أَعْيَا أَنْ يَجِدَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ نَظَرَ هَلْ كَانَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ فِيهِ قَضَاءٌ؟ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؓ قَدْ قَضَى فِيهِ بِقَضَاءٍ قَضَى بِهِ وَإِلَّا دَعَا رُءُوسَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعُلَمَاءَهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى الْأَمْرِ قَضَى بَيْنَهُمْ