its judiciary, [so he fled to Syria, and he was requested to accept its judiciary], and it was said: There is no one here but you. He said: Then apply the matter as you have said, for my likeness is that of a swimmer who fell into the sea, so he swam for his day and departed, then he swam the second day and also went on, but when the third day came, his arms became weak. It used to be said: The most knowledgeable of people regarding the judiciary is the one most averse to it. Due to the magnitude of its danger, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever is appointed as a judge has been slaughtered without a knife." Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan (good) hadith. It has been said regarding this hadith that it was not stated in the context of condemning the judiciary, but rather it described its hardship; as if whoever takes charge of it has been burdened with hardship, like the hardship of slaughtering.
Section: People are of three categories regarding the judiciary. Among them is one for whom it is not permissible to enter into it; this is the one who is not proficient in it, and the conditions for it are not met in him. It has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: "Judges are three," and he mentioned among them a man who judged between people in ignorance, so he is in the Fire. This is because whoever is not proficient in it is unable to be just in it, so he takes the right from its rightful owner and delivers it to someone else. Among them is one for whom it is permissible, but it is not obligatory upon him; this is one who is of the people of integrity (adalah) and legal reasoning (ijtihad), and others like him are found. It is permissible for him to take charge of the judiciary by virtue of his status and suitability, and it is not obligatory upon him because it has not been assigned specifically to him. The apparent meaning of Ahmad's words is that it is not recommended for him to enter into it, due to the danger and risk it contains, the safety in avoiding it, the strictness and condemnation that have been reported concerning it, and because the path of the Salaf was to refrain from it and be wary of it, and...
(14) Dropped from the original. (15) Mentioned by Ibn Abi Shaybah in the chapter: "On the judiciary and what has been narrated concerning it," from the Book of Sales (al-Musannaf 7/238); by al-Bayhaqi in the chapter: "The aversion to authority..." from the Book of the Etiquettes of the Judge (al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/97); and by Waki' in Akhbar al-Qudat 1/23. (16) In the chapter: "What has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning the judge," from the chapters on legal rulings (Aridat al-Ahwadhi 6/66, 67). It was also recorded by Abu Dawud in the chapter: "What has been narrated regarding seeking the judiciary," from the Book of Judicial Decisions (Sunan Abi Dawud 2/268); by al-Hakim in the Book of Legal Rulings (al-Mustadrak 4/91); and by al-Bayhaqi in the chapter: "The aversion to authority..." from the Book of the Etiquettes of the Judge (al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/96). (17) Recorded by Abu Dawud in the chapter: "On the judge who errs," from the Book of Judicial Decisions (Sunan Abi Dawud 2/268); and by Ibn Majah in the chapter: "The ruler who exercises ijtihad and hits the truth," from the Book of Judgments (Sunan Ibn Majah 2/776). (18) In the original: "la" (not).
قَضائِها، [فهَرَبَ إلى الشَّامِ، فأُريدَ على قَضائِها] (١٤)، وقيلَ: ليس هاهُنا غيرُك. قال: فأنْزِلوا الأمرَ على ما قُلتُم، فإنَّما مَثَلى مَثَلُ سابحٍ وَقعَ في البحرِ، فسبحَ يومَه، فانطلقَ، ثم سبحَ اليومَ الثَّاني، فمضَى أيضًا، فلمَّا كانَ اليومُ الثالثُ فَتَرتْ يَداهُ (١٥). وكانَ يُقالُ: أعْلمُ النَّاسِ بالقَضاءِ أشدُّهُم له كَراهَةً. ولعِظَمِ خَطرِه، قال النَّبيُّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ جُعِلَ قَاضِيًا، فَقَدْ ذُبِحَ بِغَيْرِ سِكِّينٍ". قال الترمذيُّ: (١٦) هذا حديثٌ حسنٌ. وقيلَ في هذا الحديثِ: إنَّه لم يَخْرُجْ مَخْرَجَ الذَّمِّ للقضاءِ، وإنَّما وَصَفَه بالمشقَّةِ؛ فكأنَّ مَن وَلِيَهُ قد حُمِلَ على مشقَّةٍ، كَمَشَقَّةِ الذَّبحِ.
فصل: والنَّاسُ في القضاءِ على ثلاثةِ أضرُبٍ؛ منهم مَن لا يجوزُ له الدُّخولُ فيه، وهو من لا يُحسِنُه، ولم تجتَمعْ فيه شروطُه، فقد رُوِيَ عن النَّبِيِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-، أنَّه قال: "الْقُضَاةُ ثَلَاثَةٌ" ذَكَرَ منهم رجلًا قضَى بينَ النَّاسِ بِجَهْلٍ، فهو في النارِ (١٧). ولأنَّ مَن لا يُحْسِنُه لا يَقْدِرُ على العَدْلِ فيه، فيأخذُ الحقَّ من مُستحقِّه ويَدْفَعُه إلى غيرِه. ومنهم، مَن يَجوزُ له، ولا يجبُ عليه، وهو مَن كان مِن أهْلِ العَدالَةِ والاجْتهادِ، ويُوجدُ غيرُه مثلُه، فله أنْ يَلِيَ القضاءَ بحُكمِ حالِه وصَلاحِيَتِه، ولا يجبُ عليه؛ لأنَّه لم (١٨) يتَعَيَّنْ له. وظاهرُ كلامِ أحمدَ، أنَّه لا يُسْتحبُّ له الدُّخولُ فيه؛ لِما فيه من الخطرِ والغَرَرِ، وفي تَرْكِه من السَّلامةِ، ولما ورَدَ فيه من التَّشْديد والذَّمِّ، ولأنَّ طريقةَ السَّلفِ الامْتِناعُ منه والتَّوقِّي، وقد
(١٤) سقط من: الأصل.(١٥) ذكره ابن أبي شيبة، في: باب في القضاء وما جاء فيه، من كتاب البيوع. المصنف ٧/ ٢٣٨. والبيهقى، في: باب كراهية الإمارة. . .، من كتاب آداب القاضي. السنن الكبرى ١٠/ ٩٧. ووكيع، في أخبار القضاة ١/ ٢٣.(١٦) في: باب ما جاء عن رسول اللَّه -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- في القاضي، من أبواب الأحكام. عارضة الأحوذي ٦/ ٦٦، ٦٧.كما أخرجه أبو داود، في: باب ما جاء في طلب القضاء، من كتاب الأقضية. سنن أبي داود ٢/ ٢٦٨. والحاكم، في: كتاب الأحكام. المستدرك ٤/ ٩١. والبيهقي، في: باب كراهية الإمارة. . .، من كتاب آداب القاضي. السنن الكبرى ١٠/ ٩٦.(١٧) أخرجه أبو داود، في: باب في القاضي يخطىء، من كتاب الأقضية. سنن أبي داود ٢/ ٢٦٨. وابن ماجه، في: باب الحاكم يجتهد فيصيب الحق، من كتاب الأحكام. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ٧٧٦.(١٨) في الأصل: "لا".
