Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 6988

Abdullah bin Mawhab narrates: Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Go and act as judge between the people." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "O Commander of the Faithful, will you not excuse me from this?" Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I insist that you go and carry out the duties of a judge." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Do not be hasty. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever seeks refuge with Allah has sought a firm refuge.'" Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Yes." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I seek refuge with Allah from becoming a judge." Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Why will you not do it, when your father used to give judgments as a judge?" Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever becomes a judge and judges with ignorance will be among the people of Hell; and whoever becomes a judge while being knowledgeable, and judges according to the truth or with justice, will ask to be let off even, with nothing for or against him.'" (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:) "So what can I hope for after this?" (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: There is a hadith from him recorded by al-Tirmidhi in a different wording from this one.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and al-Bazzar and Ahmad also recorded it, but both of them in abridged form, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). Ahmad added these words: So Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) excused him and said: "Do not force anyone (to do it)."