Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/72)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

of it(1). Treat(2) people equally in your court, your countenance, and your judgments(3), so that no person of rank hopes for partiality from you and no weak person despairs of your justice(4). The burden of proof rests upon the claimant(5), and the oath upon the one who denies the claim. Reconciliation is permissible among Muslims, except a settlement that makes the forbidden lawful or the lawful forbidden. Whoever asserts a claim but does not have his evidence at hand should be granted a fixed period in which to produce it. If he produces evidence, award him his right; but if he cannot do so, you will be justified in ruling against him. This is the surest way to remove any excuse and dispel all uncertainty(6).

Do not let a judgment you rendered today(7), but then reconsidered your opinion concerning(8) and were guided to the right course, prevent you from returning to the truth(9). Truth is timeless, and nothing can invalidate it(10); returning to the truth is better than persisting in falsehood(11).

Muslims are presumed legally reliable as witnesses against one another(12), except one who has previously been found to have given false testimony, one who has been flogged for a prescribed offense, or one suspected of bias on account of clientage or lineage(13),

(1) *Akhbār Umar* reads: “For a right that cannot be enforced is of no benefit.” (2) That is, “Treat equally.” (3) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “in your countenance, your court, and your justice.” The words “and your judgments” are omitted from *Akhbār Umar*. (4) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “so that the weak do not despair of your justice and those of rank do not hope for your justice.” (5) MSS H, R, and Y read: “upon the claimant.” (6) These statements occur several lines later in both *al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar*, with some differences in wording. (7) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “yesterday.” (8) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “yourself.” (9) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “from returning to the truth.” (10) The words “and nothing can invalidate it” are omitted from *al-Riyād al-Nadira*. *Akhbār Umar* reads: “Nothing can invalidate it.” (11) The phrases between the two asterisks occur here in a different position from where they occur in *al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar*. (12) *Akhbār Umar* reads: “some of them are trustworthy witnesses.” (13) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “or inheritance,” while *Akhbār Umar* reads: “or kinship.”

لَهُ (١) ، آسِ (٢) بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِي مَجْلِسِكَ وَوَجْهِكَ وَقَضَائِكَ (٣) ، حَتَّى لَا يَطْمَعَ شَرِيفٌ فِي حَيْفِكَ، وَلَا يَيْأَسَ ضَعِيفٌ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ (٤) الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى مَنِ ادَّعَى (٥) ، وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَرَ، وَالصُّلْحُ جَائِزٌ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، إِلَّا صُلْحًا أَحَلَّ حَرَامًا، أَوْ حَرَّمَ حَلَالًا، وَمَنِ ادَّعَى حَقًّا غَائِبًا فَامْدُدْ لَهُ أَمَدًا يَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ جَاءَ بِبَيِّنَةٍ فَأَعْطِهِ حَقَّهُ، وَإِنْ أَعْجَزَهُ ذَلِكَ اسْتَحْلَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَضِيَّةَ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ هُوَ أَبْلَغُ فِي الْعُذْرِ، وَأَجْلَى لِلْعَمَى (٦) . وَلَا يَمْنَعُكَ قَضَاءٌ قَضَيْتَهُ الْيَوْمَ (٧) فَرَاجَعْتَ فِيهِ رَأْيَكَ (٨) فَهُدِيتَ فِيهِ لِرُشْدِكَ أَنْ تُرَاجِعَ الْحَقَّ (٩) ، فَإِنَّ الْحَقَّ قَدِيمٌ، وَلَيْسَ يُبْطِلُهُ شَيْءٌ (١٠) ، وَمُرَاجَعَةُ الْحَقِّ خَيْرٌ مِنَ التَّمَادِي فِي الْبَاطِلِ (١١) . وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ عُدُولٌ بَعْضُهُمْ (١٢) ؛ عَلَى بَعْضٍ، إِلَّا مُجَرَّبًا عَلَيْهِ شَهَادَةُ زُورٍ، أَوْ مَجْلُودًا فِي حَدٍّ، أَوْ ظَنِينًا فِي وَلَاءٍ أَوْ نَسَبٍ (١٣)

(١) فِي أَخْبَارِ عُمَرَ: فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ حَقٌّ لَا نَفَاذَ لَهُ. (٢) أَيْ: سَوِّ. (٣) الرِّيَاضَ النَّضِرَةِ: فِي وَجْهِكَ وَمَجْلِسِكَ وَعَدْلِكَ، وَسَقَطَتْ كَلِمَةُ " وَقَضَائِكَ " مِنْ أَخْبَارِ عُمَرَ. (٤) الرِّيَاضَ النَّضِرَةِ: حَتَّى لَا يَيْأَسَ الضَّعِيفُ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ، وَلَا يَطْمَعَ الشَّرِيفُ فِي عَدْلِكَ. (٥) ح، ر، ي: عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي. (٦) هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتُ جَاءَتْ فِي كُلٍّ مِنَ الرِّيَاضِ النَّضِرَةِ، أَخْبَارِ عُمَرَ، بَعْدَ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ بِعِدَّةِ أَسْطُرٍ مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَلْفَاظِ. (٧) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: بِالْأَمْسِ. (٨) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: نَفْسَكَ. (٩) الرِّيَاضَ: أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى الْحَقِّ. (١٠) وَلَيْسَ يُبْطِلُهُ شَيْءٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنَ الرِّيَاضِ، وَفِي أَخْبَارِ عُمَرَ: لَا يُبْطِلُهُ شَيْءٌ. (١١) الْعِبَارَاتُ بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ يُخَالِفُ مَكَانَهَا هُنَا، مَكَانُهَا فِي الرِّيَاضِ، أَخْبَارِ. (١٢) أَخْبَارَ عُمَرَ: عُدُولٌ فِي الشَّهَادَةِ بَعْضُهُمْ. (١٣) الرِّيَاضَ: أَوْ وِرَاثَةٍ، أَخْبَارَ عُمَرَ: أَوْ قَرَابَةٍ.