The Book of the Judiciary

The Manners of Judging

صِفَةِ اْلحُكْمِ

Stations

Glossary

The Manner of Judging (Court Proceedings)

When the two litigants sit before him (the judge), and one of them makes a claim against the other, the claim will not be heard unless it is accurately detailed and the details are revealed to the defendant.
If (the subject of dispute) is a debt, he must mention its amount and type. ¹⁷¹⁶ If it is real estate, he must mention its location and borders. If it is a particular item that is present, he must point it out. If it is absent, he must mention its type and value. Then he says to his opponent, “What do you say?” If he admits (the charges made by the claimant), a ruling will be made in favor of the claimant. If he denies them, then there are only three possibilities:

ِذاَ جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ اْلخَصْمَانِ، فَادَّعَى أَحَدُهُمَا عَلىٰ اْلآخَرِ، لَمْ تُسْمَعِ الدَّعْوٰى إِلاَّ مُحَرَّرَةً تَحْرِيْرًا يَعْلَمُ بِهِ الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ. فَإِنْ كَانَ دَيْنًا، ذَكَرَ قَدْرَهُ وَجِنْسَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَقَارًا، ذَكَرَ مَوْضِعَهُ وَحُدُوْدَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَيْنًا حَاضِرَةً عَيَّنَهَا. وَإِنْ كَانَتْ غَائِبَةً، ذَكَرَ جِنْسَهَا وَقِيْمَتَهَا، ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُ لِخَصْمِهِ: مَا تَقُوْلُ؟ فَإِنْ أَقَرَّ، حُكِمَ لِلْمُدَّعِيْ، وَإِنْ أَنْكَرَ، لَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةِ أَقْسَامٍ:

The first: (The subject of dispute) is physically in the possession of one of them. In this case, (the judge) will ask the claimant, “Do you have proof?” If he says yes and establishes it, then a ruling will be made in his favor on this basis.
If he has no proof, (the judge) will say, “You are entitled to have him take an oath (of denial).” If (the claimant) demands it, (the judge) will ask (the defendant) to take the oath and thereby be acquitted. This is because the Messenger of Allah (SA) said, “If people were given whatever they claimed (in disputes), some people would claim the lives and wealth of others – but the oath (of denial) must be taken by the defendant.” ¹⁷¹⁷
If (the defendant) declines to take the oath and passes

أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ تَكُوْنَ فِيْ يَدِ أَحَدِهِمَا، فَيَقُوْلُ لِلْمُدَّعِيْ: أَلَكَ بَيِّنَةٌ؟ فَإِنْ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَأَقَامَهَا، حَكَمَ لَهُ. وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ بَيِّنَةٌ، قَالَ لَهُ: فَلَكَ يَمِيْنُهُ، فَإِنْ طَلَبَهَا، اسْتَحْلَفَهُ وَبَرِئَ؛ لِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ : "لَوْ أُعْطِيَ اَلنَّاسُ بِدَعْوَاهُمْ، لَادَّعَى نَاسٌ دِمَاءَ رِجَالٍ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ، وَلَكِنِ اَلْيَمِينُ عَلَى اَلْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ". وَإِنْ نَكَلَ عَنِ اْليَمِيْنِ،

1716. The type of currency (e.g., US vs. Canadian dollars) or the type of grains. For example, if wheat comes in many types, the type of wheat in dispute must be specified, etc.

1717. (Ag – from Ibn ‘Abbâs)

it back to the claimant, (the judge) will demand that he (the claimant) take the oath and (if he does, he should) judge in his favor;¹⁷¹⁸ however, if (the claimant) also declines to take the oath, (the judge) will dismiss them both.
If they both have proof, he will judge in favor of the claimant. ¹⁷¹⁹
If the person who is in possession (of the disputed property) acknowledges that it is owned by another party, then that party – instead of the one who possesses (the disputed property) – will be the claimant’s opponent.

وَرَدَّهَا عَلىٰ الْمُدَّعِيْ، اسْتَحْلَفَهُ وَحَكَمَ لَهُ، وَإِنْ نَكَلَ أَيْضًــا، صَرَفَهُمَـا. وَإِنْ كَانَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَــا بَيِّنَةٌ، حَكَمَ بِهَا لِلْمُدَّعِيْ. وَإِنْ أَقَرَّ صَاحِبُ اْليَدِ لِغَيْرِهِ، صَارَ الْمُقَرُّ لَهُ اْلخَصْمَ فِيْهَا، وَقَامَ مَقَامَ صَاحِبِ اْليَدِ فِيْ مَا ذَكَرْنَا.

The second: Both of them have physical possession. In this case, if either one of them has proof (of his entitlement to the disputed property), the judge will judge in his favor on the basis of that proof.
If neither of them has proof, or if they both have proof, it will be divided between them. Each of them will take an oath concerning the one-half he is granted.
If one of them claims to own the entire property, while the other claims to own one-half of it, but there is no proof, then it will be divided between them. The one who claims one-half will be responsible for taking the oath.
If they both have proof, it will be given to the one who claims to own the entire property.

الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَاثْنَانِ فِي النَّارِ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَقَضَى بِهِ وَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّالثَّانِيْ: أَنْ تَكُوْنَ فِيْ يَدَيْهِمَا، فَإِنْ كَانَتْ لِأَحَدِهِمَا بَيِّنَةٌ، حُكِمَ لَهُ بِهَا.
وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ، أَوْ لَهُمَا بَيِّنَتَانِ، قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَحَلَفَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَلىٰ النِّصْفِ الْمَحْكُوْمِ لَهُ بِهِ.
وَإِنِ ادَّعَاهَا أَحَدُهُمَا، وَادَّعَى اْلآخَرُ نِصْفَهَا، وَلاَ بَيِّنَةَ، قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَاْليَمِيْنُ عَلىٰ مُدَّعِيْ النَّصْفِ.
وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَهُمَا بَيِّنَتَانِ، حُكِمَ بِهَا لمدَّعِي اْلكَلِّ.

The third: It is in the possession of a third party. If the possessor acknowledges that one of them or another

الْقُضَاةُ ثَلاَثَةٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَاثْنَانِ فِي النَّارِ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ فَقَضَى بِهِ وَرَجُلٌ عَرَفَالثَّالِثُ: أَنْ تَكُوْنَ فِيْ يَدِ غَيْرِهِمَا، فَإِنْ أَقَرَّ

1718. (A/SM & Iqnâ‘): The judge will not demand that the claimant take the oath, but if he asks him to rule in his favor due to the defendant’s refusal to take the oath, the judge should do so.

1719. (A2): He should judge in favor of the defendant because he has possession and proof, whereas the claimant has proof only.

person owns it, then the one whom he acknowledges as the owner will be in the position of one who has possession.
If he acknowledges that they both own it, it will be like the example where they both are in possession (of the disputed property).
If he says, “I don’t know which one of them is the owner,” and one of them has proof, it will be his. If both have no proof, or if both have proof, they will cast lots to determine which one will take the oath. He whose lot comes out first will take the oath and thereby take (the disputed property).

بِهَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا، أَوْ لِغَيْرِهِمَا، صَارَ الْمُقَرُّ لَهُ كَصَاحِبِ اْليَدِ.
وَإِنْ أَقَرَّ لَهُمَا، صَارَتْ كَالَّتِيْ فِيْ يَدَيْهِمَا.
وَإِنْ قَالَ: لاَ أَعْرِفُ صَاحِبَهَا مِنْهُمَا، وَلِأَحَدِهِمَا بَيِّنَةٌ، فَهِيَ لَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ، أَوْ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ بَيِّنَةٌ، اسْتَهَمَا عَلىٰ اْليَمِيْنِ، فَمَنْ خَرَجَ سَهْمُهُ، حَلَفَ وَأَخَذَهَا.

The Manners of Judging

( Page : no 173)

The Book of the Judiciary

The Manners of Judging

صِفَةِ اْلحُكْمِ

Stations

Introduction

The Book of Purification

The Book of Prayer

The Book of Funerals

The Book of Fasting

The Book of Hajj and 'Umrah

Book of Zakat

The Book of Selling and Commercial Transactions

The Book of Bequests

The Book of Inheritance

The Book of Marriage

The Book of Divorce

The Book of Sadaq

The Book of Dhihar

The Book of Lian

The Book of Foods

The Book of Oaths

Book of Fatal and Non-Fatal Assault

The Book of Indemnities

The Book of Hudood

The Book of Jihad

The Book of the Judiciary

The Book of Testimonies

Appendix

Glossary

The Manners of Judging