Judging and the reports about it

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever asks for the office of judge is entrusted to himself, and whoever is compelled to take it, an angel descends upon him from the sky and guides him."

Al-Harith said: When a man of the Children of Israel was appointed judge, he would be helped through prophethood.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is made a judge, it is as if he has been slaughtered without a knife."

Shurayh said: Judging is only a burning coal, so push the coal away from yourself with two sticks, meaning the two witnesses.

Shurayh would say to the witnesses: I neither summon you two (invite you) nor do I stop you two from standing. Judgment is given only because of you two, and I protect myself by means of you two, so protect yourselves.

A man said to al-Sha'bi: "Judge between us according to the knowledge Allah has given you." Al-Sha'bi said: "I do not judge by my own opinion."

It is narrated from Abu Abd al-Rahman that when Dawud (peace be upon him) was commanded to judge, he was cut off from judging (that is, he could not judge). Allah Almighty sent revelation to him: "Ask those people for witnesses and have them take an oath."

It is narrated from Amr that al-Hakam bin Ayyub wrote to a group of people, seeking their work as judges. Jabir bin Zayd said: "If he had sent to me, I would have run away."

It is narrated from Ayyub: When Abd al-Rahman bin Udhaynah died, Abu Qilabah was mentioned for the office of judge, and he fled and came to Syria. By coincidence, the governor of Syria was dismissed at that same time, so he fled from there and came to al-Yamamah. Then I met him after that and he said: "I have found the judge to be like a person swimming in the sea, and it is very rare that a swimmer does not drown."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is made a judge for the people has been slaughtered without a knife."