آدابُ القَضاءِ The Etiquette of Judging

أ ـ المُواساةُ بينَ الخُصومِ

11ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَنِ ابتُلِيَ بالقَضاءِ بينَ المُسلمينَ فَلْيَعدِلْ بَينَهُم في لَحظِهِ وإشارَتِهِ ومَقعدِهِ ومَجلِسِهِ.

a. Equity Between Opposing Plaintiffs
11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever is stricken with having to judge between Muslims must do so with fairness, in their glance, their indications, their sitting, and their gatherings.’[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 15032]

 

12ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِشُرَيحٍ ـ: ثُمّ واسِ بينَ المسلمينَ بوَجهِكَ ومَنطِقِكَ ومَجلِسِكَ، حتّى لا يَطمَعَ قَريبُكَ في حَيفِكَ، ولا يَيأسَ عَدُوُّكَ مِن عَدلِكَ .

12– Imam Ali (AS), speaking to Shurayh said, ‘…And act with equity between the Muslims with your face, speech, and sitting, in order that those who are close to you will not hope for bias from you, nor will your enemies despair of your justice.’[Wasa`il al-Shi`aa, v. 18, p. 155, no. 1]
 

ب ـ أن لا يَعلُوَ كلامُهُ كلامَ الخصمِ

13ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لأبي الأسوَدِ الدُّؤَليِّ لمّا سَألَهُ عن عِلّةِ عَزلِهِ عنِ القَضاءِ وهُو لم يَخُنْ ولم يَجنِ ـ: إنّي رَأيتُ كلامَكَ يَعلُو على كلامِ الخَصمِ .

b. The Judge Should Not Raise His Voice over the Plaintiff’s
13– Imam Ali, speaking to Abu al-Aswad al-Du`ali when he asked the Imam about the reason why he was discharged from being a judge, when he had neither been treacherous nor committed a crime, replied, ‘I saw that your voice was raised above the voice of your plaintiff’s.’[Mustadrak al-Wasa`il, v. 17, p. 359, no. 21581]
 

ج ـ عَدَمُ التَضَجَُّرِ

14ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِشُرَيحٍ ـ: إيّاكَ والتَّضَجُّرَ والتَّأذِّيَ في مَجلِسِ القَضاءِ، الذي أوجَبَ اللّه‏ُ فيهِ الأجرَ، ويُحسِنُ فيهِ الذُّخرَ لِمَن قَضى بالحَقِّ.

c. Not Becoming Irritated
14– Imam Ali (AS) said to Shurayh, ‘Beware of becoming bored and irritated in the court of justice, wherein Allah has prescribed a reward and for which there will be good provision for he who judges honestly.’[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 413, no. 1]
 

د ـ اِستِماعُ كلامِ الخَصمَينِ

15ـ رُويَ عن عليٍّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) أنّه قالَ: قالَ رسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إذا تَقاضى إلَيكَ رَجُلانِ فلا تَقضِ لِلأوّلِ حتّى تَسمَعَ مِن الآخَرِ ؛ فإنّكَ إذا فَعلتَ ذلكَ تَبَيَّنَ لكَ القَضاءُ .
قالَ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): فما زِلتُ بَعدَها قاضياً، وقالَ لَهُ النبيُّ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): اللّهُمَّ فَهِّمْهُ القَضاءَ.

d. Listening to Both Sides
15– The Prophet (SAWA) said to Imam Ali (AS), ‘When two people bring a case against each other before you to be judged, do not judge the first before you hear out the second. If you adhere to this, judging will become clear for you.’ Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘And after that I continued to be a judge.’ The Prophet (SAWA) said [supplicating for him], ‘O Allah, make him understand judgment.’[al-Faqih, v. 3, p. 13, no. 3238]
 

ه ـ عَدَمُ القَضاءِ في الغَضَبِ

16ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِشُرَيحٍ ـ: لا تُسارَّ أحَداً في مَجلِسِكَ، وإن غَضِبتَ فَقُمْ، فلا تَقضِيَنَّ فأنتَ غَضبانُ.

e. Not Passing Judgment While Angry
16– Imam Ali (AS), said to Shurayh, ‘Do not whisper to anyone in your court, and if you get angry leave, but do not judge whilst you are angry.’[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 413, no. 5]
 

و ـ أن لا يَقضيَ وهو مُثقَلٌ بالنَّومِ

17ـ نَهى رسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) أن يَقضيَ القاضي وهُو غَضبانُ أو جائعٌ أو ناعِسٌ.

f. Not Passing Judgment Whilst Being Overcome by Sleep
17– The Prophet (SAWA) forbade for a judge to pass judgment whilst being angry, hungry or tired.’[Mustadrak al-Wasa`il, v. 17, p. 349, no. 21544]
 

ز ـ أن لا يَقضيَ وهو جُوعانُ أو عَطشانُ

18ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِشُرَيحٍ ـ: ولا تَقعُدَنَّ في مَجلِسِ القَضاءِ حتّى تَطعَمَ .

g. Not Passing Judgment While Hungry or Thirsty
18– Imam Ali (AS), said to Shurayh, ‘Do not sit in a session of justice until you have eaten.’[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 413, no. 1]
 

ح ـ أن لا يُضيفَ أحدَ الخَصمَينِ

19ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ رجُلاً نَزَلَ بأميرِ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) فمَكَثَ عِندَهُ أيّاماً، ثُمّ تَقَدَّمَ إلَيهِ في خُصومَةٍ لم يَذكُرْها لأميرِ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ)، فقالَ لَهُ: أخَصمٌ أنتَ ؟ قالَ: نَعَم، قالَ: تَحَوَّلْ عنّا، إنَّ رسولَ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) نَهى أن يُضافَ الخَصمُ إلّا ومَعهُ خَصمُهُ .

h. Not Hosting Any of the Plaintiffs as a Guest
19– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) narrated, ‘A person was a guest of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and stayed with him for some days. He then presented him with a prior dispute that he had not mentioned to him (AS). The Imam said to him, ‘Are you making a formal complaint?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ The Imam said, ‘Transfer from us [from our house], for the Messenger of Allah (SAWA) forbade the hosting of a plaintiff [for whom one is judge] unless the rival plaintiff is also with him.’[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 413, no. 4]
 

ط ـ عَدَمُ تَلقِينِ الشُّهودِ

20ـ رُوِيَ: أنّ رسولَ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) نَهى أن يُحابِيَ القاضي أحَدَ الخَصمَينِ بكَثرَةِ النَّظَرِ وحُضورِ الذِّهنِ، ونَهى عَن تَلقينِ الشُّهودِ.

I. Not Suborning the Witnesses
20– It is narrated in Mustadrak al-Wasa`il: The Prophet (SAWA) forbade the judge to favour one of the plaintiffs [over the other] by looking at him too much or paying more attention to him, and he also forbade suborning witnesses.’[Mustadrak al-Wasa`il, vo.17, p. 350, no. 21549]