257. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:
257. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:
ثُمَّ اختَر لِلحُكمِ بَينَ النّاسِ أفضَلَ رَعِيَّتِكَ في نَفسِكَ ،
“Then choose to judge among men, the most excellent of subjects in your sight,
مِمَّن لا تَضيقُ بِهِ الاُمورُ ،
i.e., one who is not beleaguered by (complex) affairs,
ولا تُمَحِّكُهُ الخُصومُ ،
who is not rendered ill-tempered by the litigants,
ولا يَتَمادى فِي الزَّلَّةِ ،
who does not persist in error,
ولا يَحصَرُ مِنَ الفَيءِ إلَى الحَقِّ إذا عَرَفَهُ ،
who is not distressed by returning to the truth when he recognizes it,
ولا تُشرِفُ نَفسُهُ عَلى طَمَعٍ ،
whose soul does not descend to any kind of greed,
ولا يَكتَفي بِأَدنى فَهمٍ دونَ أقصاهُ ،
who is not satisfied with an inferior understanding (of a thing) short of the more thorough,
وأوقَفَهُم فِي الشُّبهاتِ ،
one who hesitates most in (acting in the face of) obscurities,
وآخَذَهُم بِالحُجَجِ ،
who adheres most to arguments,
وأقَلَّهُم تَبَرُّما بِمُراجَعَةِ الخَصمِ ،
who is the least to become annoyed at the petition of the litigants,
وأصبَرَهُم عَلى تَكَشُّفِ الاُمورِ ،
who is the most patient (in waiting) for the facts to become clear
وأصرَمَهُم عِندَ اتِّضاحِ الحُكمِ ،
and who is the firmest when the verdict has become manifest;
مِمَّن لا يَزدَهيهِ إطراءٌ
a man who does not become conceited when praise is lavished upon him
ولا يَستَميلُهُ إغراءٌ ،
and who is not attracted by temptation.
واُولئِكَ قَليلٌ .
But such (men) are few.”
نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
258. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:
258. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:
ثُمَّ اختَر لِلحُكمِ بَينَ النّاسِ أفضَلَ رَعِيَّتِكَ في نَفَسِكَ . . .
“Then choose to judge among men, the most excellent of subjects in your sight …
وَافسَح لَهُ فِي البَذلِ ما يُزيلُ عِلَّتَهُ وتَقِلُّ مَعَهُ حاجَتُهُ إلَى النّاسِ .
and grant generously to him that which will eliminate his wants and through which his need from men will decrease.”
نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
259. الكافي عن أحمد بن أبي عبد اللّه رفعه :
259. Al-Kafi, narrating from Ahmad ibn Abi `Abdullah who narrates this without its chain of transmission, saying:
قالَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام لِشُرَيحٍ :
“The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Shuraih:
لا تُسارَّ أحَدا في مَجلِسِكَ ،
“Do not whisper to anybody in your judgment session;
وإن غَضِبتَ فَقُم ؛
if you get angry, stand up [and leave],
فَلا تَقضِيَنَّ وأنتَ غَضبانُ .
for you should not judge when you are angry.”
الكافي : ج7 ص413 ح5 .
Al-Kafi, vol. 7, p. 413, h. 5.
260. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في كِتابِهِ إلى مُحَمَّدِ بنِ أبي بَكرٍ ـ:
260. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his letter to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr:
وإذا أنتَ قَضَيتَ بَينَ النّاسِ فَاخفِض لَهُم جَناحَكَ ،
“When you judge between people, be humble with them
ولَيِّن لَهُم جانِبَكَ ،
and treat them leniently.
وَابسُط لَهُم وَجهَكَ ،
Show a cheerful face to them,
وآسِ بَينَهُم في اللَّحظِ والنَّظَرِ ،
and be equal in your stares and looks at them,
حَتّى لا يَطمَعَ العُظَماءُ في حَيفِكَ لَهُم ،
so that the influential will not expect your injustice in their favour
ولا يَأيَسَ الضُّعَفاءُ مِن عَدلِكَ عَلَيهِم .
and the weak will not despair of your justice towards them.”
تحف العقول : ص177 .
Tuhaf al-`Uqul, p. 177.
261. عوالي اللآلي :
261. `Awali al-La’ali:
إنَّ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَلّى أبَا الأَسوَدِ الدُّؤلِيَّ القَضاءَ ثُمَّ عَزَلَهُ ،
“The Commander of the Faithful appointed Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali as a judge, then he dismissed him.
فَقالَ لَه: لِمَ عَزَلتَني وما جَنَيتُ وما خُنتُ ؟
He [Abu al-Aswad] asked him: “Why did you dismiss me, whereas I did not commit any crime nor betrayed?”
فَقالَ عليه السلام : إنّي رَأَيتُ كَلامَكَ يَعلو عَلى كَلامِ الخَصمِ .
‘Ali (AS) replied: “I noticed that your voice was louder than that of the litigant.”
عوالي اللآلي : ج2 ص343 ح5 .
`Awali al-La’ali, vol. 2, p. 343, h. 5.
262. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ، بَعدَ أن ذَكَرَ كَيفِيَّةَ اختِيارِ القُضاةِ ـ:
262. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar after mentioning how to select judges:
ثُمَّ أكثِر تَعاهُدَ قَضائِهِ .
“Then investigate frequently his decisions.”
نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
263. الإمام الصادق عليه السلام :
263. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said:
لَمّا وَلّى أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ ـ صَلَواتُ اللّهِ عَلَيهِ ـ شُرَيحا القَضاءَ
“When the Commander of the Faithful – blessings of Allah be upon him – appointed Shuraih as judge,
اشتَرَطَ عَلَيهِ أن لا يُنَفِّذَ القَضاءَ حَتّى يَعرِضَهُ عَلَيهِ .
he (AS) put the condition on him that he should not pass any judgment until he reviews it with him [Ali].”
الكافي : ج7 ص407 ح3 .
Al-Kafi, vol. 7, p. 407, h. 3.
264. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
264. Imam Ali (AS) said:
أفظَعُ شَيءٍ ظُلمُ القُضاةِ .
“The vilest act is the injustice of judges.”
غرر الحكم : ح3011 .
Ghurar al-Hikam, h. 3011.
265. عنه عليه السلام :
265. Imam Ali (AS) said:
مَن جارَت أقضِيَتُهُ زالَت قُدرَتُهُ .
“He whose judgments are unjust, his power will vanish.”
غرر الحكم : ح7943 .
Ghurar al-Hikam, h. 7943.
266. عوالي اللآلي :
266. `Awali al-La’ali:
رُوِيَ عَن عَلِيٍّ عليه السلام أنَّهُ كانَ يَفعَلُ ذلِكَ ] أي القَضاءَ [ في مَسجِدِ الكوفَةِ ، ولَهُ بِهِ دَكَّةٌ مَعروفَةٌ بِدَكَّةِ القَضاءِ .
“It is narrated that Ali (AS) would act as judge in the Mosque of Kufah, where he had a ‘Platform of Judgment’.”
عوالي اللآلي : ج2 ص344 ح8 .
`Awali al-La’ali, vol. 2, p. 344, h. 8.
267. إرشاد القلوب :
267. Irshad al-Qulub:
رُوِيَ أنَّهُ عليه السلام كانَ إذا يَفرُغُ مِنَ الجِهادِ يَتَفَرَّغُ لِتَعليمِ النّاسِ ،
“It is narrated that whenever he [Ali] (AS) came back from the battlefield, he would dedicate his time to teaching people
وَالقَضاءِ بَينَهُم .
and judging between them.”
إرشاد القلوب : ص218 .
Irshad al-Qulub, p. 218.
268. الإمام الباقر عليه السلام :
268. Imam al-Baqir (AS) said:
إنَّ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام أمَرَ قَنبَرا أن يَضرِبَ رَجُلاً حَدّا ،
“The Commander of the faithful (AS) ordered Qanbar to whip a man as a legal punishment,
فَغَلُظَ قَنبَرٌ فَزادَهُ ثَلاثَةَ أسواطٍ ،
but Qanbar made a mistake by whipping the person three extra times,
فَأَقادَهُ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام مِن قَنبَرٍ ثَلاثَةَ أسواطٍ .
so Ali (AS) retaliated him three lashes in return.”
الكافي : ج7 ص260 ح1 .
Al-Kafi, vol. 7, p. 260, h. 1.
269. الكامل في التاريخ عن الشعبي:
269. Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, narrating from al-Shu`bi, who said:
وَجَدَ عَلِيٌّ دِرعا لَهُ عِندَ نَصرانِيٍّ ،
“'Ali (AS) found his shield with a Christian
فَأَقبَلَ بِهِ إلى شُرَيحٍ وجَلَسَ إلى جانِبِهِ ، وقالَ: لَو كانَ خَصمي مُسلِما لَساوَيتُهُ ،
and he (AS) took him to Shurayh [the judge], sat beside him
وقالَ: هذِهِ دِرعي .
and said: “This is my shield.”
فَقالَ النَّصرانِيُّ: ماهِيَ إلّا دِرعي ، ولَم يَكذِب أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ .
“The Christian said: This is my own shield and the Commander of the Faithful is not a liar!”
فَقالَ شُرَيحٌ لِعَلِيٍّ: أ لَكَ بَيِّنَةٌ ؟
“Shurayh asked 'Ali (AS): “Do you have any proof?”
قالَ: لا ، وهوَ يَضحَكُ .
Ali (AS) laughingly said: “No.”
فَأَخَذَ النَّصرانِيُّ الدِّرعَ ومَشى يَسيرا ثُمَّ عادَ وقالَ:
“The Christian took the shield, walked a few steps away and then returned and said:
أشهَدُ أنَّ هذِهِ أحكامُ الأَنبِياءِ ،
“I bear witness that these are the Prophetic judgments.
أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ قَدَّمَني إلى قاضِيهِ ،
The Commander of the Faithful brought me to his judge
وقاضيهِ يَقضي عَلَيهِ !
and he judged against him.”
ثُمَّ أسلَمَ وَاعتَرَفَ أنَّ الدِّرعَ سَقَطَت مِن عَلِيٍّ عِندَ مَسيرِهِ إلى صِفّينَ ،
Then the Christian converted to Islam and admitted that 'Ali (AS) had unknowingly dropped the shield on his way to Siffin.
فَفَرِحَ عَلِيٌّ بِإِسلامِهِ ووَهَبَ لَهُ الدِّرعَ وفَرَسا ،
'Ali (AS) was pleased that he embraced Islam and granted him the shield and a horse as well.
وشَهِدَ مَعَهُ قِتالَ الخَوارِجِ .
The Christian took part in the battle against the Khawarij with him.”
الكامل في التاريخ : ج2 ص443 .
Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 443.