Desire and Greed for Judiciary: Warnings and Shar‘i Guidelines
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
◈ Appointment of a Judge
It is not permissible for a ruler to appoint as judge one who seeks or desires the position. Even one who is qualified for judiciary is in great danger.
Abu Musa (RA) said:
I, along with two men from my cousins, went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. One of them said:
يا رسول الله أمرنا على بعض ما ولاك الله عزو جل
“O Messenger of Allah, appoint us over some part of what Allah has entrusted to you.”
The other also requested the same. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
إنا والله لا نولى هذا العمل أحدا يسأله أو أحدا حرص عليه
“By Allah, we will never appoint to this work (leadership) one who seeks it or is eager for it.”
[Bukhari: 7149, Kitab al-Ahkam: Bab ma yukrahu min al-hirs ‘ala al-imarah; Muslim: 1733]
◈ Grave Warnings Regarding Judiciary
① Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من جعـل قـاضيـا بين الناس فقد ذبح بغير سكين
“Whoever is appointed as judge among the people has indeed been slaughtered without a knife.”
[Sahih: Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir: 6190; Ahmad: 2/23; Abu Dawud: 3571, Kitab al-Aqdiyah: Bab fi Talab al-Qada; Ibn Majah: 2308; Tirmidhi: 1325; Hakim: 4/91; Bayhaqi: 10/96; Dar Qutni: 4/204; Ibn Hibban: 1375]
② ‘Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إن الله مع القاضى ما لم يجر فإذا جار وكـلـه إلى نفسه
“Allah is with the judge so long as he does not commit injustice. But when he commits injustice, Allah leaves him to himself.”
In Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, the wording is:
فإذا جـار تخلى عنه ولزمه الشيطان
“When the judge commits injustice, Allah departs from him, and Satan clings to him.”
[Hasan: Sahih Ibn Majah: 1870, Kitab al-Ahkam: Bab al-Taghleez fi al-Hayf wal-Rishwah; Ibn Majah: 2312; Tirmidhi: 1330; Hakim: 4/93; Bayhaqi al-Sunan al-Kubra: 10/88; Ibn Hibban: 1540 – al-Mawarid]
③ ‘A’ishah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لتأتين على القاضي العدل يوم القيامة ساعة يتمنى أنه لم يقض بين اثنين فى تمرة قط
“A just judge will face on the Day of Judgment a moment in which he will wish that he had never passed judgment between two people over even a date.”
[Ahmad: 6/75; Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 4/195]
④ Abu Dharr (RA) requested the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Appoint me as a governor. The Prophet ﷺ said:
إنك ضعيف وإنها أمانة وإنها يوم القيامة خزى وندامة إلا من أخذها بحقها وأدى الذى عليه فيها
“You are weak, and it is indeed a trust. On the Day of Resurrection, it will be a cause of disgrace and regret — except for one who takes it with full responsibility and fulfills what is due from him regarding it.”
[Muslim: 1825, Kitab al-Imarah: Bab Karahiyat al-Imarah bighayr Darurah; Ahmad: 5/173]
◈ Scholarly Commentary
✔ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله):
This Hadith is a great proof regarding the avoidance of leadership and governance.
[Sharh Muslim: 6/450]
