Malik ibn Anas, from Rabi'ah, who said: "Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent down the Qur'an and left within it a place for the Sunnah, and the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established the Sunnah and left within it a place for opinion (ra'y)."

His saying, the Almighty: "To judge between people."

[5928] 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, [saying] Abu al-Tahir narrated to us, [saying] Ibn Wahb narrated to us, he said: Malik said to me: "The judgment by which one judges between people is of two types: as for that which is judged by the Qur'an and the established Sunnah, that is the obligatory and correct judgment. [As for] the judgment in which the scholar exercises his own ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) regarding that for which no text has come, then it is hoped that he might be granted success [in reaching the truth]." He said: "And a third is one who burdens himself with what he does not know; how likely it is that such a person will not be granted success."

His saying, the Almighty: "With what Allah has shown you."

[The first view]

[5929] My father narrated to us, [saying] 'Amr al-Naqid narrated to us, [saying] Shababa ibn Sawwar narrated to us, from Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: "Beware of [relying solely on] opinion (ra'y). Allah the Almighty said to His Prophet: 'Judge between them with what Allah has shown you,' and He did not say: 'With what you have opined (ra'ayta).'"

[5930] Muhammad Sa'd ibn 'Atiyyah al-'Awfi informed us in what he wrote to me, [saying] my father narrated to me, [saying] my paternal uncle narrated to me, [saying] my father narrated to me, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "With what Allah has shown you," he says: "With that which Allah has sent down to you of the Book."

[5931] Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, [saying] Ibn Fudayl ibn Marzuq narrated to us, from 'Atiyyah [regarding His saying]: "To judge between people with what Allah has shown you," he said: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Allah showed him His Book."

And the second view:

[5932] 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, [saying] 'Ali ibn Zanjah narrated to us, [saying] 'Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqiq narrated to us, from al-Husayn, from Matar regarding His saying: "To judge between people with what Allah has shown you," he said: "With clear proofs (bayyinat) and witnesses."

His saying, the Almighty: "And do not be an advocate for the treacherous."

[5933] Hashim ibn al-Qasim al-Harrani informed us in what he wrote to me, [saying] Muhammad ibn Salama narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada, from his father, from his grandfather, Qatada ibn al-Nu'man.