Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (35/360)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

Thus, in these general matters, no judge, whoever he may be—even if he is one of the Companions—may impose his own opinion by judicial ruling upon someone who disagrees with him, saying: “I have obliged him neither to act nor to issue fatwas except according to the view that accords with my school.” Rather, judgment in these questions belongs to Allah and His Messenger. The judge is but one of the Muslims: if he possesses knowledge, he should present it; and if his opponent possesses knowledge, he too should present it. If the truth becomes clear and the ruling of Allah and His Messenger is known, everyone must follow that ruling. If it remains unclear, each is allowed to retain his position—the proponent of one view retaining his position, and the proponent of the other retaining his. Neither may seek to stop the other except through knowledge, proof, and explanation, presenting whatever knowledge he possesses.

As for “physical force and coercion,” he may issue a binding ruling only in a particular case brought before him. For example, someone dies and his heirs dispute the division of his estate: if they bring their dispute before him, he divides it among them. If he rules according to one of the two scholarly opinions, he binds the litigant to his judgment. The litigant is not entitled to say: “I will not accept this unless he rules according to the other opinion.”

Likewise, if two people bring before him a dispute concerning a claim made by one against the other, he adjudicates between them as Allah and His Messenger have commanded, and obliges the party against whom judgment is given to comply with his ruling. That party is not entitled to say: “You have ruled against me according to an opinion I do not accept.” For the judge must exercise independent judgment, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When a judge exercises independent judgment and reaches the correct conclusion, he has two rewards; and when he exercises independent judgment and errs, he has one reward.”

Allah may single out certain prophets and scholars

فَهَذِهِ الْأُمُورُ الْكُلِّيَّةُ لَيْسَ لِحَاكِمِ مِنْ الْحُكَّامِ كَائِنًا مَنْ كَانَ - وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ - أَنْ يَحْكُمَ فِيهَا بِقَوْلِهِ عَلَى مَنْ نَازَعَهُ فِي قَوْلِهِ فَيَقُولُ: أَلْزَمْته أَنْ لَا يَفْعَلَ وَلَا يُفْتِيَ إلَّا بِالْقَوْلِ الَّذِي يُوَافِقُ لِمَذْهَبِي؛ بَلْ الْحُكْمُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسَائِلِ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْحَاكِمُ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَإِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ تَكَلَّمَ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ وَإِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ مُنَازِعِهِ عِلْمٌ تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ فَإِنْ ظَهَرَ الْحَقُّ فِي ذَلِكَ وَعُرِفَ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجَبَ عَلَى الْجَمِيعِ اتِّبَاعُ حُكْمِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِنْ خَفِيَ ذَلِكَ أُقِرَّ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَلَى قَوْلِهِ - أُقِرَّ قَائِلُ هَذَا الْقَوْلِ عَلَى مَذْهَبِهِ وَقَائِلُ هَذَا الْقَوْلِ عَلَى مَذْهَبِهِ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِأَحَدِهِمَا أَنْ يَمْنَعَ الْآخَرَ إلَّا بِلِسَانِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْحُجَّةِ وَالْبَيَانِ فَيَقُولُ مَا عِنْدَهُ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ. وَأَمَّا " بِالْيَدِ وَالْقَهْرِ " فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ إلَّا فِي الْمُعَيَّنَةِ الَّتِي يُتَحَاكَمُ فِيهَا إلَيْهِ مِثْلُ مَيِّتٍ مَاتَ وَقَدْ تَنَازَعَ وَرَثَتُهُ فِي قَسْمِ تَرِكَتِهِ فَيُقَسِّمُهَا بَيْنَهُمْ إذَا تَحَاكَمُوا إلَيْهِ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ هُنَا بِأَحَدِ قَوْلَيْ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَلْزَمَ الْخَصْمَ بِحُكْمِهِ. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ أَنَا لَا أَرْضَى حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ بِالْقَوْلِ الْآخَرِ. وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا تَحَاكَمَ إلَيْهِ اثْنَانِ فِي دَعْوَى يَدَّعِيهَا أَحَدُهُمَا فَصَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا كَمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَلْزَمَ الْمَحْكُومَ عَلَيْهِ بِمَا حَكَمَ بِهِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: أَنْت حَكَمْت عَلَيَّ بِالْقَوْلِ الَّذِي لَا أَخْتَارُهُ؛ فَإِنَّ الْحَاكِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَجْتَهِدَ كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ {إذَا اجْتَهَدَ الْحَاكِمُ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِذَا اجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ} وَقَدْ يَخُصُّ اللَّهُ بَعْضَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْعُلَمَاءِ