Manhaj al-Salikin wa Tawdih al-Fiqh fi al-Din - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (247)

The Book of Adjudication, Claims, Evidence, and Types of Testimony

Introduction

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THE BOOK OF ADJUDICATION, CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, AND TYPES OF TESTIMONY

657—Judicial adjudication is indispensable to people and is therefore a communal obligation.

658—The ruler must appoint enough qualified judges to meet the need, selecting those who understand adjudication through knowledge of the rulings of Islamic law and their application to cases arising among people.

659—He must appoint the most suitable, followed by the next most suitable, with respect to the qualities1 required of a judge.

660—Serving as a judge becomes an individual obligation upon anyone qualified for it if no one else is available, provided it does not distract him from something more important.

661—The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “The burden of proof rests upon the claimant, and the oath rests upon the one who denies.” 2.

1. Manuscripts “B” and “T” read: “according to the qualities.” 2. Al-Tirmidhī (1341) narrated it from Abd Allah ibn Amr. Its chain of transmission is weak, as al-Hāfiz stated in *al-Talkhīs*. Al-Bayhaqī (10/252) narrated it from Ibn Abbas; al-Nawawī, in *al-Arbaīn*, and al-Hāfiz, in *al-Fath*, graded its chain as good. The version found in both *Sahīhs* reads: “But the oath rests upon the defendant.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī (8/213) and Muslim (1711).

كتاب القضاء والدعاوي، والبينات وأنواع الشهادات مدخل ... كِتَابُ اَلْقَضَاءِ وَالدَّعَاوَى، وَالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْوَاعِ اَلشَّهَادَاتِ ٦٥٧- واَلْقَضَاءُ لابد لِلنَّاسِ مِنْهُ، فَهُوَ فَرْضُ كِفَايَةٍ. ٦٥٨- يَجِبُ عَلَى اَلْإِمَامِ نَصْبُ مَنْ يَحْصُلُ فِيهِ اَلْكِفَايَةُ مِمَّنْ لَهُ مَعْرِفَةٌ بِالْقَضَاءِ بِمَعْرِفَةِ اَلْأَحْكَامِ اَلشَّرْعِيَّةِ، وَتَطْبِيقِهَا عَلَى اَلْوَقَائِعِ اَلْجَارِيَةِ بَيْنَ اَلنَّاسِ. ٦٥٩- وَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ اَلْأَمْثَلَ فَالْأَمْثَلَ فِي اَلصِّفَاتِ١ اَلْمُعْتَبَرَةِ فِي القاضي. ٦٦٠- وَيَتَعَيَّنُ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ أَهْلاً، وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ غَيْرُهُ، وَلَمْ يَشْغَلْهُ عَمَّا هُوَ أَهُمْ مِنْهُ. ٦٦١- وَقَدْ قَالَ اَلنَّبِيُّ ﷺ: "اَلْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى اَلْمُدَّعِي، وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَرَ" ٢.

١ في "ب، ط": بالصفات. ٢ أخرجه الترمذي "١٣٤١"، عن عبد الله بن عمرو، وسنده ضعيف كما قال الحافظ في التلخيص، والبيهقي "٢٥٢/١٠" من حديث ابن عباس، وحسن إسناده النووي في الأربعين، والحافظ في الفتح، والحديث المتفق عليه: "لكن اليمين على المدعى عليه" رواه البخاري "٢١٣/٨"، ومسلم "١٧١١".