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for Allah has reserved to Himself judgment of His servants’ inner secrets and has shielded them from legal consequences except on the basis of evidence and oaths(1).
Then strive to understand—truly understand—what is submitted to you and what is brought(2) before you concerning matters for which there is no guidance in the Quran or Sunnah(3). Then reason by analogy among such cases and identify their parallels(4). Thereafter, in your judgment, adopt the course that is most pleasing to Allah and most closely accords with the truth(5).
Beware of anger, agitation, impatience, and taking offense at litigants; for adjudicating cases in which rights are at stake is among the deeds for which [Allah] grants reward and through which a worthy treasure is laid up(6). Whoever’s intention is sincerely devoted to the truth, even when it is against himself, Allah will suffice him in his relations with others(7). But whoever presents himself as possessing what is not truly within him, Allah—Mighty and Majestic—will disgrace him(8);(9) for Allah—Mighty and Majestic—does not
(1) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “For Allah has reserved to Himself judgment of your inward secrets and has protected you by means of clear evidence.” *Akhbār Umar* specifies the latter clause as: “has protected you from suspicions by means of clear evidence.”
(2) MS B reads: “and came [before you].”
(3) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “Strive to understand—truly understand—what stirs (*Akhbār Umar*: ‘wavers’) in your breast concerning matters that have not reached you (*Akhbār Umar*: ‘that are not found’) in the Book or Sunnah.” *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “in the Book and the Sunnah.”
(4) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “Identify parallel cases and analogues” (*Akhbār Umar* reverses their order), “and then reason by analogy among the matters accordingly.”
(5) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “Then adopt whichever is most pleasing to Allah and, in your view, most closely accords with the truth.” After these statements, both works contain additional material occupying two lines that is absent here.
(6) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar* read: “Beware of agitation (*al-Riyād al-Nadira* adds: ‘and narrowness of spirit’), impatience, taking offense at people, and showing hostility toward litigants in cases where rights are at stake—cases through which Allah grants reward and in which a worthy treasure is laid up.” MSS N and M read: “among the deeds for which reward is due.”
(7) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “Whoever sets right his intention in what lies between him and Allah Most High, even when it is against himself, Allah will suffice him in what lies between him and other people.” *Akhbār Umar* reads: “Whoever makes his intention sincere in what lies between him and Allah, Blessed and Most High, even when it is against himself, Allah will suffice him in what lies between him and other people.”
(8) *Al-Riyād al-Nadira* reads: “Whoever makes a show before people of what Allah knows to be otherwise within him, Allah will disgrace him.” *Akhbār Umar* reads: “Whoever makes a show before people of something that Allah knows to be contrary to his true state, Allah will disgrace him.”
(9) The statements between the two asterisks are omitted from *al-Riyād al-Nadira* and *Akhbār Umar*.
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَلَّى مِنَ الْعِبَادِ السَّرَائِرَ، وَسَتَرَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحُدُودَ إِلَّا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْأَيْمَانِ
(١)
. ثُمَّ الْفَهْمَ الْفَهْمَ فِيمَا أُدْلِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَفِيمَا وَرَدَ
(٢)
عَلَيْكَ، مِمَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُرْآنٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ
(٣)
، ثُمَّ قَايِسِ الْأُمُورَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ اعْرِفِ الْأَمْثَالَ
(٤)
، ثُمَّ اعْمِدْ فِيمَا تَرَى إِلَى أَحَبِّهَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَشْبَهِهَا بِالْحَقِّ
(٥)
، وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْغَضَبَ وَالْقَلَقَ وَالضَّجَرَ وَالتَّأَذِّيَ بِالْخُصُومِ؛ فَإِنَّ الْقَضَاءَ فِي مَوَاطِنِ الْحَقِّ مِمَّا يُوجِبُ
[اللَّهُ]
بِهِ الْأَجْرَ، وَيَحْسُنُ بِهِ الذُّخْرُ
(٦)
، فَمَنْ خَلَصَتْ نِيَّتُهُ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، كَفَاهُ اللَّهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ
(٧)
، وَمَنْ تَزَيَّنَ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ شَانَهُ اللَّهُ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ -
(٨)
؛
(٩)
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - لَا
(١) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ تَوَلَّى مِنْكُمُ السَّرَائِرَ، وَدَرَأَ عَنْكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ، أَخْبَارَ الشُّبَهَاتِ.
(٢) ب: وَوَرَدَ.
(٣) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: الْفَهْمَ الْفَهْمَ فِيمَا يَخْتَلِجُ (أَخْبَارَ: تَلَجْلَجُ) فِي صَدْرِكَ، مِمَّا لَمْ يَبْلُغْكَ، (أَخْبَارَ: مِمَّا لَيْسَ) فِي كِتَابٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ. (الرِّيَاضَ فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ) .
(٤) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: وَاعْرِفِ الْأَمْثَالَ وَالْأَشْبَاهَ (أَخْبَارَ: الْأَشْبَاهَ وَالْأَمْثَالَ) ، ثُمَّ قِسِ الْأُمُورَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ.
(٥) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: فَاعْمِدْ إِلَى أَحَبِّهَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَشْبَهِهَا بِالْحَقِّ فِيمَا تَرَى، وَبَعْدَ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ جَاءَتْ عِبَارَاتٌ أُخْرَى فِي الرِّيَاضِ، أَخْبَارٌ، اسْتَغْرَقَتْ سَطْرَيْنِ وَلَمْ تَرِدْ هُنَا.
(٦) الرِّيَاضَ، أَخْبَارَ: وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْقَلَقَ (الرِّيَاضَ: وَالْغَلَقَ) ، وَالضَّجَرَ وَالتَّأَذِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ وَالتَّنَكُّرَ لِلْخُصُومِ فِي مَوَاطِنِ الْحَقِّ الَّتِي يُوجِبُ اللَّهُ بِهَا الْأَجْرَ وَيَحْسُنُ الذُّخْرُ وَفِي: ن، م: مِمَّا يَجِبُ بِهِ الْأَجْرُ.
(٧) الرِّيَاضَ: فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يُصْلِحُ نِيَّتَهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ يَكْفِيهِ اللَّهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ، أَخْبَارَ: فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يُخْلِصُ نِيَّتَهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، يَكْفِهِ اللَّهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ،
(٨) الرِّيَاضَ: وَمَنْ تَزَيَّنَ لِلنَّاسِ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ يَشِنْهُ اللَّهُ، أَخْبَارَ: وَمَنْ تَزَيَّنَ لِلنَّاسِ فِيمَا يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ خِلَافَهُ مِنْهُ شَانَهُ اللَّهُ.
(٩) هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتُ بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَقَطَتْ مِنَ الرِّيَاضِ، أَخْبَارٌ.