Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman A‘zami (رحمه الله)
Question:
How do we reconcile between the following two Hadiths?
① “Judges are three: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is he who recognized the truth and judged accordingly. The one who recognized the truth but acted unjustly will go to Hell. And the one who judged the people in ignorance will also be in Hell.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 3573]
② “When a judge makes a ruling and performs ijtihad, if he is correct, he will receive a double reward; and if he is mistaken, he will still receive one reward.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: 7352, Sahih Muslim: 1716/15]
Alḥamdulillāh, there is no contradiction between the two. Rather, the meanings of both are clear and distinct, and they address different situations:
This hadith refers to three types of judges:
❶ The Just Judge:
He knows the truth and judges according to it.
✔ He is worthy of Paradise.
❷ The Corrupt Judge:
He recognizes the truth but deliberately rules unjustly—perhaps due to personal interest, favoritism, or bribery.
✘ He is condemned to Hellfire.
❸ The Ignorant Judge:
He lacks knowledge yet takes it upon himself to issue judgments.
✘ He is also destined for Hell, as he fabricates lies against Allah without knowledge.
Thus, Hellfire is the consequence for:
This hadith refers to the qualified scholar who:
➤ If he reaches the correct ruling, he receives:
✔ Two rewards – one for his effort (ijtihad), and one for being correct.
➤ If he makes a mistake despite sincere effort, he receives:
✔ One reward for his effort.
✘ His error is forgiven because:
✦ The first hadith warns against ignorance and intentional injustice in the judiciary.
✦ The second hadith encourages qualified scholars to engage in ijtihad, assuring them of reward regardless of the outcome—as long as they are sincere and capable.
Hence, both hadiths complement each other:
[Ibn Baz: Majmu‘ al-Fatawa wa al-Maqalat: 23/212]
❖ Reconciling Two Seemingly Contradictory Hadiths
Question:
How do we reconcile between the following two Hadiths?
① “Judges are three: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is he who recognized the truth and judged accordingly. The one who recognized the truth but acted unjustly will go to Hell. And the one who judged the people in ignorance will also be in Hell.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 3573]
② “When a judge makes a ruling and performs ijtihad, if he is correct, he will receive a double reward; and if he is mistaken, he will still receive one reward.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: 7352, Sahih Muslim: 1716/15]
❖ Answer: No Contradiction Exists Between the Two Hadiths
Alḥamdulillāh, there is no contradiction between the two. Rather, the meanings of both are clear and distinct, and they address different situations:
✦ Understanding the First Hadith (Judges in Paradise and Hell):
This hadith refers to three types of judges:
❶ The Just Judge:
He knows the truth and judges according to it.
✔ He is worthy of Paradise.
❷ The Corrupt Judge:
He recognizes the truth but deliberately rules unjustly—perhaps due to personal interest, favoritism, or bribery.
✘ He is condemned to Hellfire.
❸ The Ignorant Judge:
He lacks knowledge yet takes it upon himself to issue judgments.
✘ He is also destined for Hell, as he fabricates lies against Allah without knowledge.
Thus, Hellfire is the consequence for:
- Judging without knowledge
- Deliberate injustice despite knowing the truth
✦ Understanding the Second Hadith (Reward of the Mujtahid Judge):
This hadith refers to the qualified scholar who:
- Possesses sound knowledge of Islamic rulings,
- Makes an earnest effort (ijtihad) to reach the correct judgment, and
- Is either correct or mistaken in his conclusion.
➤ If he reaches the correct ruling, he receives:
✔ Two rewards – one for his effort (ijtihad), and one for being correct.
➤ If he makes a mistake despite sincere effort, he receives:
✔ One reward for his effort.
✘ His error is forgiven because:
- He is not ignorant, and
- He sincerely sought the truth through valid methodology.
Conclusion:
✦ The first hadith warns against ignorance and intentional injustice in the judiciary.
✦ The second hadith encourages qualified scholars to engage in ijtihad, assuring them of reward regardless of the outcome—as long as they are sincere and capable.
Hence, both hadiths complement each other:
- One emphasizes the danger of ignorance and corruption in judicial matters,
- The other emphasizes the reward for sincere, scholarly effort.
[Ibn Baz: Majmu‘ al-Fatawa wa al-Maqalat: 23/212]
