Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah - Al-Qadi Abu Ya’la Ibn al-Farra - (76)

Al-Ahkam al-SultaniyyahAl-Qadi Abu Ya’la Ibn al-Farra

When the person appointed to adjudicate grievances examines them, a specific day should be designated for his hearings, on which those who have suffered wrong may come before him. The remaining days can then be devoted to the matters of governance and administration entrusted to him—unless he is one of the officials exclusively assigned to grievances, in which case he should be available to hear them every day.

He should be readily accessible and keep upright associates. His tribunal should be constituted with the attendance of five categories of people, without whom he cannot dispense and through whom his proceedings can be properly conducted.

The first are the guards and assistants, to seize the powerful and bring the audacious to heel. The second are the judges and adjudicators, so that he may ascertain what rights have been established before them. The third are the jurists, to whom he may refer matters that are unclear and ask about whatever is ambiguous. The fourth are the scribes, to record what takes place between the litigants and whatever rights are due to them or owed by them. The fifth are the witnesses, so that he may call them to testify to whatever right he has established and whatever judgment he has issued.

Once the tribunal for grievances has been constituted with the five categories we have mentioned, he may then begin hearing cases. The examination of grievances comprises ten categories.

The first is investigating the governors’ transgressions against the people: he examines their conduct, strengthening them if they act justly, restraining them if they act tyrannically, and replacing them if they do not act justly.

The second is the injustice of officials in the funds they collect. In such cases, he refers to the just regulations recorded in the diwans of the imams and compels the people to abide by them. He also examines whatever they have levied in excess: if they have deposited it in the treasury, he orders that it be returned; and if they have taken it for themselves, he recovers it for its rightful owners.

وإذا نَظَرَ فِي الْمَظَالِمِ مَنْ اُنْتُدِبَ لَهَا جُعِلَ لنظره يوما معروفا، يقصده فيه المتظلمون. ليكون سِوَاهُ مِنْ الْأَيَّامِ لِمَا هُوَ مَوْكُولٌ إلَيْهِ مِنْ السِّيَاسَةِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ، إلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ عمال المظالم المتفردين بها، فَيَكُونُ مَنْدُوبًا لِلنَّظَرِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَيَّامِ. وَلْيَكُنْ سَهْلَ الْحِجَابِ، نَزِهَ الْأَصْحَابِ. وَيُسْتَكْمَلُ مَجْلِسُ نَظَرِهِ بِحُضُورِ خَمْسَةِ أَصْنَافٍ لَا يَسْتَغْنِي عَنْهُمْ، وَلَا يَنْتَظِمُ نَظَرُهُ إلَّا بِهِمْ. أَحَدُهُمْ. الْحُمَاةُ، وَالْأَعْوَانُ، لجذب القوي، وتقويم الجريء. الثَّانِي: الْقُضَاةُ وَالْحُكَّامُ، لِاسْتِعْلَامِ مَا يَثْبُتُ عِنْدَهُمْ من الحقوق. الثَّالِثُ: الْفُقَهَاءُ، لِيَرْجِعَ إلَيْهِمْ فِيمَا أَشْكَلَ، وَيَسْأَلَهُمْ عما اشتبه. الرَّابِعُ: الْكُتَّابُ: لِيُثْبِتُوا مَا جَرَى بَيْنَ الْخُصُومِ، وما توجه لهم أو عليهم من الحقوق. الْخَامِسُ: الشُّهُودُ، لِيُشْهِدَهُمْ عَلَى مَا أَوْجَبَهُ مِنْ حَقٍّ، وَأَمْضَاهُ مِنْ حُكْمٍ. فَإِذَا اسْتَكْمَلَ مَجْلِسَ الْمَظَالِمِ بِمَنْ ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ الْأَصْنَافِ الْخَمْسَةِ شَرَعَ حينئذ في نظره ويشتمل النظر في المظالم عن عشرة أقسام. الْأَوَّلُ: النَّظَرُ فِي تَعَدِّي الْوُلَاةِ عَلَى الرَّعِيَّةِ، فيتصفح عن أحوالهم، لِيُقَوِّيَهُمْ إنْ أَنْصَفُوا، وَيَكُفَّهُمْ إنْ عَسَفُوا، وَيَسْتَبْدِلَ بهم إن لم ينصفوا. الثاني: جور العمال فيما يحتبونه من الأموال. فيرجع فيه إلى القوانين العادلة في دواوين الأئمة، فيحمل الناس عليها. وَيَنْظُرُ فِيمَا اسْتَزَادُوهُ، فَإِنْ رَفَعُوهُ إلَى بَيْتِ الأموال أَمَرَ بِرَدِّهِ. وَإِنْ أَخَذُوهُ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ اسْتَرْجَعَهُ لِأَرْبَابِهِ.