Sunan Abi Dawud · Book 25

كِتَاب الْأَقْضِيَةِ

The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)

69 hadith · 31 chapters

The chapter divisions

Chapters in this book

1باب فِي طَلَبِ الْقَضَاءِChapter: Regarding Seeking Appointment As A Judge.2باب فِي الْقَاضِي يُخْطِئُChapter: Regarding The Judge Who Is Mistaken.3باب فِي طَلَبِ الْقَضَاءِ وَالتَّسَرُّعِ إِلَيْهِChapter: Regarding Seeking The Position Of Judge and Hastening To Accept That Position.4باب فِي كَرَاهِيَةِ الرِّشْوَةِChapter: Regarding Bribery Being Disliked.5باب فِي هَدَايَا الْعُمَّالِChapter: Regarding gifts for workers.6باب كَيْفَ الْقَضَاءُChapter: How to Judge.7باب فِي قَضَاءِ الْقَاضِي إِذَا أَخْطَأَChapter: Regarding the Judges judge when he is mistaken.8باب كَيْفَ يَجْلِسُ الْخَصْمَانِ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الْقَاضِيChapter: How should the disputants sit before the judge.9باب الْقَاضِي يَقْضِي وَهُوَ غَضْبَانُChapter: A judge passing judgement while he is angry.10باب الْحُكْمِ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِChapter: Judgement between ahl adh-dhimmah.11باب اجْتِهَادِ الرَّأْىِ فِي الْقَضَاءِChapter: Struggling for an opinion when passing judgements.12باب فِي الصُّلْحِChapter: Regarding reconciliation.13باب فِي الشَّهَادَاتِChapter: Regarding testimonies.14باب فِيمَنْ يُعِينُ عَلَى خُصُومَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ أَمْرَهَاChapter: Regarding a man who helps someone in a dispute without knowing about the case.15باب فِي شَهَادَةِ الزُّورِChapter: Regarding false witness.16باب مَنْ تُرَدُّ شَهَادَتُهُChapter: The one whose testimony is to be rejected.17باب شَهَادَةِ الْبَدَوِيِّ عَلَى أَهْلِ الأَمْصَارِChapter: Testimony of a bedouin against townpeople.18باب الشَّهَادَةِ فِي الرَّضَاعِChapter: Testimony with regard to breastfeeding.19باب شَهَادَةِ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ وَفِي الْوَصِيَّةِ فِي السَّفَرِChapter: The testimony od ahl adh-dhimmah and a will made when traveling.20باب إِذَا عَلِمَ الْحَاكِمُ صِدْقَ الشَّاهِدِ الْوَاحِدِ يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِهِChapter: If the judge knows that the testimony of one person is true, is it permissible for him to pass judgment on the basis of that.21باب الْقَضَاءِ بِالْيَمِينِ وَالشَّاهِدِChapter: Judgement on the basis of oath and one witness.22باب الرَّجُلَيْنِ يَدَّعِيَانِ شَيْئًا وَلَيْسَتْ لَهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌChapter: Two men who claim something but have no proof.23باب الْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِChapter: The defendent should swear on oath.24باب كَيْفَ الْيَمِينُChapter: How the oath should be sworn.25باب إِذَا كَانَ الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ ذِمِّيًّا أَيَحْلِفُChapter: If a defendent is a dhimmi, should he swear on oath?26باب الرَّجُلِ يَحْلِفُ عَلَى عِلْمِهِ فِيمَا غَابَ عَنْهُChapter: When a man swears an oath on a basis of what he knows and not on the basis of what he has witnessed.27باب كَيْفَ يَحْلِفُ الذِّمِّيُّChapter: How should a dhimmi be asked to swear an oath?28باب الرَّجُلِ يَحْلِفُ عَلَى حَقِّهِChapter: A man who swears to establish his right.29باب فِي الْحَبْسِ فِي الدَّيْنِ وَغَيْرِهِChapter: Regarding a person in debt, should he be detained?30باب فِي الْوَكَالَةِChapter: Regarding authorization.31باب فِي الْقَضَاءِChapter: Regarding judicial matters.

Opening leaves

First narrations

Abu Dawud · 3571مَنْ وَلِيَ الْقَضَاءَ فَقَدْ ذُبِحَ بِغَيْرِ سِكِّينٍNarrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet ﷺ said: He who has been appointed a judge has been killed without a knife.5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3572مَنْ جُعِلَ قَاضِيًا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ ، فَقَدْ ذُبِحَ بِغَيْرِ سِكِّينٍNarrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet ﷺ said: He who has been appointed a judge among the people has been killed without a knife.7 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3573الْقُضَاةُ ثَلَاثَةٌ : وَاحِدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ، وَاثْنَانِ فِي النَّارِ ، فَأَمَّا الَّذِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَقَضَى بِه ، وَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَجَارَ فِي الْحُكْمِ فَهُوَ فِي النَّارِ ، وَرَجُNarrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: The Prophet ﷺ said: Judges are of three types, one of whom will go to Paradise and two to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is a man who knows what is right and gives judgment accordin5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3574إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ ، فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌNarrated Buraidah: The Prophet ﷺ as saying: "Judges are of three types, one of who will go to Paradise and two to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is a man who knows what is right and gives judgement accordingly; by10 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3575مَنْ طَلَبَ قَضَاءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى يَنَالَهُ ، ثُمَّ غَلَبَ عَدْلُهُ جَوْرَهُ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ ، وَمَنْ غَلَبَ جَوْرُهُ عَدْلَهُ فَلَهُ النَّارُNarrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone seeks the office of judge among Muslims till he gets it and his justice prevails over his tyranny, he will go to Paradise; but the man whose tyranny prevails over his 6 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3576وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ الْفَاسِقُونَ سورة المائدة آية 44 ـ 47 هَؤُلَاءِ الْآيَاتِ الثَّلَاثِ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْيَهُودِ خَاصَّةً فِي قُرَيْظَةَ وَالنَّضِيرِIbn Abbas said: "If any do fail to judge (by the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) unbelievers" up to "wrongdoers. " These three verses were revealed about the Jews, particularly about Quraizah6 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3577دَخَلَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ كِنْدَةَ ، وَأَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ جَالِسٌ فِي حَلْقَةٍ ، فَقَالَا : أَلَا رَجُلٌ يُنَفِّذُ بَيْنَنَا ؟ ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْحَلْقَةِ : أَنَا ، فَأَخَذَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ كَفAbdur Rahman ibn Bishr al-Ansari al-Azraq said: Two men from the locality of Kindah came while Abu Masud al-Ansari was sitting n a circle. They said: Is there any man who decides between us. A man from the circle said: I7 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3578مَنْ طَلَبَ الْقَضَاءَ وَاسْتَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ وُكِلَ إِلَيْهِ ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَعِنْ عَلَيْهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مَلَكًا يُسَدِّدُهُNarrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone desires the office of Judge and seeks help for it, he will be left to his own devices; if anyone does not desire it, nor does he seek help for it, Allah will send do5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3579لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ أَوْ لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُAbu Buradah reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying: "We will never employ or we shall not employ (the narrator is doubtful) in our work one who wants it. "6 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3580لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّاشِي وَالْمُرْتَشِيNarrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes bribe.5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3581يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ، مَنْ عُمِّلَ مِنْكُمْ لَنَا عَلَى عَمَلٍ فَكَتَمَنَا مِنْهُ مِخْيَطًا فَمَا فَوْقَهُ فَهُوَ غُلٌّ يَأْتِي بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنِ الْأَنْصَارِ ، أَسْوَدُ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إNarrated Adi ibn Umayrah al-Kindi: The Prophet ﷺ said: O people, if any of you is put in an administrative post on our behalf and conceals from us a needle or more, he is acting unfaithfully, and will bring it on the Day5 narratorsAbu Dawud · 3582بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَاضِيًا ، فَقُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، تُرْسِلُنِي وَأَنَا حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ ، وَلَا عِلْمَ لِي بِالْقَضَاءِ ، فَقَالَ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيَهNarrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: 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 wi5 narrators