Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/287)

and submitting to the dictates of those other Jews who had never come to him.

Allah also forbade His Prophet to let it distress him that certain people rush into disbelief—namely, the two hypocritical factions: first, those who displayed faith in him while their hearts never truly believed, and second, some of the People of the Book who ask him to judge between them although they have no real intention of obeying him or following his ruling. If he decides in accordance with their whims, they accept it; but if he decides otherwise, they refuse it, because they are compliant with another people who have never come to him.

The Exalted said:
“They are avid listeners to falsehood, listeners to another people” (Qur’an 5:41).

In other words, those other people have not come to you. “They say”—meaning, the listeners say—

“If you are given this ruling, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware. Whomever Allah intends to test, you can do nothing for him against Allah. Such are the ones whose hearts Allah does not wish to purify; they will suffer disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a tremendous punishment” (Qur’an 5:41).

Judgment requires both truthfulness and justice: the witness must be truthful and the judge must be just. Yet these people credit lying witnesses and follow the rulings of those who oppose the messengers—people who judge by something other than what Allah has revealed. When their aim is not to uphold truth and justice, you are under no obligation to arbitrate between them; rather, if you wish, judge between them, and if you wish, decline.

الْآخَرِينَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوهُ وَاللَّهُ نَهَى نَبِيَّهُ أَنْ يُحْزِنَهُ الْمُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ مِنْ هَاتَيْنِ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ الْمُنَافِقَتَيْنِ الَّذِينَ أَظْهَرُوا الْإِيمَانَ بِهِ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِينَ يَطْلُبُونَ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَلَيْسَ مَقْصُودُهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ وَيَتَّبِعُوا حُكْمَهُ بَلْ إِنْ حَكَمَ بِمَا يَهْوُونَهُ قَبِلُوهُ وَإِنْ حَكَمَ بِخِلَافِ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَقْبَلُوهُ لِكَوْنِهِمْ مُطِيعِينَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوهُ. قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ} [المائدة: ٤١] أَيْ لَمْ يَأْتِكَ أُولَئِكَ الْقَوْمُ الْآخَرُونَ يَقُولُونَ أَيْ يَقُولُ السَّمَّاعُونَ {إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُوا وَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَنْ تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ} [المائدة: ٤١] وَالْحُكْمُ يَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى الصِّدْقِ وَالْعَدْلِ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ الشَّاهِدُ صَادِقًا وَالْحَاكِمُ عَادِلًا وَهَؤُلَاءِ يُصَدِّقُونَ الْكَاذِبِينَ مِنَ الشُّهُودِ وَيَتَّبِعُونَ حُكْمَ الْمُخَالِفِينَ لِلرُّسُلِ الَّذِينَ يَحْكُمُونَ بِغَيْرِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ قَصْدُهُمُ اتِّبَاعَ الصِّدْقِ وَالْعَدْلِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ بَلْ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَلَا تَحْكُمْ.