Ibn al-Athir (1) relates that one day King Nur al-Din was playing polo when he noticed a man speaking with another and pointing toward him. He sent the chamberlain to discover the matter. The man, accompanied by a messenger from the judge, claimed he had a right over the king and wished to sue him before the qadi. When the chamberlain reported this, Nur al-Din flung the polo mallet (2) from his hand and proceeded with his adversary to the court of the qadi (3) Kamal al-Din al-Shahrazuri, sending word ahead: “Deal with me only as you would with any other litigant.” On their arrival Nur al-Din stood beside the plaintiff before the judge until the case was resolved; no claim against the king was established—on the contrary, the right of the sultan over the man was confirmed.
When this became clear the sultan said, “I came with him solely so that no one would hesitate to appear before the Sacred Law when summoned to it. We are but shahnikiya—mere stewards—under its authority. I knew he had no claim upon me; nevertheless, I testify before you that I have ceded that right to him and granted it to him as a gift.”
On another occasion the qadi Taj al-Din sent (4) a messenger named Suwayd to summon King Nur al-Din to the court to hear a suit lodged against him. Suwayd delivered the summons to the chamberlain, who entered laughing and said, “Let the master rise to the judge to hear a claim,” as though mocking the matter. “And why do you mock (5) at that?” the king replied. Then he said, “Bring me my horse.” He rose, reciting: “The only statement of the believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that He may judge between them, is to say, ‘We hear and we obey.’” (Qur’an 24:51). He rode off to the judge—on a day of heavy rain and deep mud. May Allah have mercy on him.
Ibn al-Athir (6) adds that he was the first to build a House of Justice (7). There he would sit two days each week (8)—some said four, others five—while the qadi and jurists of every legal school attended. On those days no chamberlain or guard barred access to him (9); both the strong and the weak could reach him. (10) He would speak to the people himself, question them, and address them directly, uncovering injustices and restoring the rights of the oppressed against the oppressor.