—“A judge must not decide between two people while he is angry.” This points to the fact that he should never issue a ruling at a time when his spirit is constrained, his mind distracted, or his heart unsettled. Nor should he judge while needing to relieve himself, while hungry, or while excessively full.

He ought to refrain from open laughter in his court, yet project an air that puts fear into the oppressor and gives security to the oppressed. He must treat both litigants equally—in the way he seats them before him, in the glances he casts toward them, and in the attention he affords to their statements. He should not raise his voice at either of them—save in a case of suspicion—any more than he does at the other, nor should he show one of them a warmer face than the other.

The judge must not host one litigant without the other, nor accept gifts except from those who used to give him such presents before he assumed office, and only if they are family or close kin. Should any of those people become a party to a case before him, he must refuse every gift from that person for the entire duration of the dispute.

He is not to buy or sell in the courtroom; if a transaction is required, it is preferable that someone else conduct it for him outside the session. He must not consult anyone in the presence of the parties, nor disclose his deliberations to his associates. He should investigate the character of the witnesses personally.

It is unbecoming for him to prolong the session, lest that prevent him from fully hearing the proofs of the litigants. The judge may sit for judgment on any day, but it is recommended that he abstain on Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the days of Mina, for they are days of eating and drinking—unless one of the parties is about to embark on a journey that would harm his creditor, in which case the judge should forestall that harm.

He must also prevent either litigant from overbearing the other, and he should safeguard