Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/268)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

between them. As for enforcing one person’s right against another, that is handled by another body. The supervision of the property of those who are not legally competent is still within his remit, as is placing under legal interdiction those who warrant it—not the Ministry of Commerce. The administration of endowments is no longer his responsibility; today there is a Ministry of Endowments that undertakes this. The execution of wills apparently also falls under the Endowments Ministry, not the judge. As for marrying off a woman who has no guardian, there are now authorized marriage registrars. They are of two types: one registrar is known as a marriage judge; he is responsible for marrying off a woman who has no guardian. The other is authorized merely to conclude the marriage contract, and he is not responsible for conducting such a marriage. The enforcement of prescribed punishments is no longer the judge’s responsibility: he passes judgment, while someone else carries it out. Leading the Friday and Eid prayers is likewise no longer his duty. Some scholars do not permit anyone other than the judge to do so. Supervising the interests of the jurisdiction by removing harm from the roads is also no longer his duty; rather, it belongs to the municipality.

Thus, what judicial office entails is not a matter prescribed by the Shariah and received from it, such that we bind the judge to it. Rather, it is a customary matter, determined by what the office entails according to prevailing custom.

“It is permissible for him to be appointed with general jurisdiction over a general area of authority, ………”

His statement, “It is permissible for him to be appointed”: the one who appoints a judge is the ruler or the general governor.

His statement, “general jurisdiction”: “jurisdiction” means the cases over which he has authority—for example, that he be appointed over all rulings concerning sales, pledges, leases, marriages, inheritances, and everything related to disputes.

His statement, “over a general area of authority,” means the place in which he exercises his office. Generality of area cannot be absolute, for absolute generality is inconceivable; rather, it is relative generality. Thus, generality of area is for him to say:

بينهم، وأما أخذ الحق لبعضهم من بعض فعلى جهة أخرى، فالنظر في أموال غير المرشدين له إلى الآن، والحجر على من يستوجبه له وليس لوزارة التجارة، والنظر في وقوف عمله ليس له، فالآن هناك وزارة الأوقاف هي التي تتولى هذا، وتنفيذ الوصايا الظاهر أنه للأوقاف أيضاً، وليس للقاضي، وتزويج من لا ولي لها، الآن جعل مأذونون شرعيون، وهم على قسمين: مأذون يسمى قاضي أنكحة، هذا يتولى تزويج من لا ولي لها، ومأذون لمجرد العقد فهذا لا يتولى التزويج، وإقامة الحدود الآن ليس له، فهو يحكم ويقيم غيره، وإمامة الجمعة والعيد ليس له الآن، وبعض العلماء ما يجيزون غير القاضي، والنظر في مصالح العمل بكف الأذى عن الطرقات الآن ليس له، ولكن للبلدية. إذاً موجَب ولاية القضاء ليس أمراً شرعياً متلقى من الشرع بحيث نُلزم القاضي به، لكنه أمر عرفي حسب ما تقتضيه الولاية في العرف. وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُوَلَّى عُمُومَ النَّظَرِ فِي عُمُومِ العَمَلِ، .......... قوله: «ويجوز أن يُولى» الذي يتولى تولية القاضي السلطان والوالي العام. قوله: «عموم النظر» «النظر» أي: القضايا التي ينظر فيها، كأن يوليه جميع الأحكام في البيوع، والرهون، والإجارات، والأنكحة، والفرائض، وكل ما يتعلق بالخصومات. قوله: «في عموم العمل» أي: المكان الذي يعمل فيه، وعموم العمل لا يمكن أن يكون عموماً مطلقاً؛ لأن العموم المطلق لا يتصور، لكنه عموم نسبي، فعموم العمل أن يقول: