Chapter

The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)

كتاب الأقضية

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ السَّمْتِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَاثْنَانِ فِي النَّارِ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَقَضَى بِهِ وَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَجَارَ فِي الْحُكْمِ فَهُوَ فِي النَّارِ وَرَجُلٌ قَضَى لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى جَهْلٍ فَهُوَ فِي النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ شَىْءٍ فِيهِ يَعْنِي حَدِيثَ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ ‏"‏ الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated 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 accordingly; but a man who knows what is right and acts tyrannically in his judgment will go to Hell; and a man who gives judgment for people when he is ignorant will go to Hell. Abu Dawud said: On this subject this is the soundest tradition, that is, the tradition of Ibn Buraidah: Judges are of three types.