Chapter

The Book of the Etiquette of Judges

كتاب آداب القضاة

Arabic Text

أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مِسْكِينُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ خَرَجَتِ امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا وَلَدَاهُمَا فَأَخَذَ الذِّئْبُ أَحَدَهُمَا فَاخْتَصَمَتَا فِي الْوَلَدِ إِلَى دَاوُدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى مِنْهُمَا فَمَرَّتَا عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ قَضَى بَيْنَكُمَا قَالَتْ قَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى ‏.‏ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ أَقْطَعُهُ بِنِصْفَيْنِ لِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ وَلِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ ‏.‏ قَالَتِ الْكُبْرَى نَعَمِ اقْطَعُوهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لاَ تَقْطَعْهُ هُوَ وَلَدُهَا ‏.‏ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلَّتِي أَبَتْ أَنْ يَقْطَعَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that :

The Prophet said: "Two women went out with their two children, and the wolf took one of the children from them. They referred their dispute to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the remaining child) belonged to the older woman. Then they passed by Sulaiman, peace be upon him, and he said: 'How did he judge between you?' She said: 'He ruled that (the child) belongs to the older woman.' Sulaiman said: 'Cut him in half, and give half to one and half to the other.' The older woman said: 'Yes, cut him in half.' The younger woman said: 'Do not cut him, he is her child.' So he ruled that the child belonged to the woman who refused to let him be cut."