Hadith Four
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakrah related: “My father wrote—and I wrote on his behalf—to his son ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakrah, who at the time was a judge in Sijistān: ‘Do not pass judgment between two people while you are angry, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “No one should judge between two people when he is angry.”’
In another wording: “Let no arbiter decide between two people while he is angry.”
Points derived from the ḥadith
- It is unlawful for a judge to deliver a verdict while angry. Al-ʿUdda fī Sharḥ al-ʿUmda states: “We know of no disagreement among the scholars on this ruling.”
- The reason for the prohibition is that anger unsettles the judge, preventing him from examining the case with sound judgment and composure.
- For the same reason the scholars have attached to anger anything that impairs clear deliberation and clouds the mind: distressing hunger, excessive fullness, troubling worry, intense cold or heat, and the like—anything that distracts one’s thoughts.
- If, despite being in one of these states, the judge rules and happens to reach the truth, his judgment is valid and enforceable.
- The ḥadith models sincere counsel to Muslims, especially to those in authority, for the community’s well-being depends on their rectitude. Advising them courteously ranks among the noblest acts of devotion and one of the most effective means of reform.
Hadith Five
Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Shall I inform you of the gravest of the major sins?”—he repeated this three times. We replied, “Indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Associating partners with Allah, and disobedience to parents.” He was reclining, then he sat up and added, “And beware of false speech and false testimony.” He continued to repeat this until we thought, “If only he would stop.”
Overall meaning
The Prophet ﷺ admonishes his Companions, highlighting the destructive nature of certain sins and the ruinous outcome of major transgressions. By asking, “Shall I tell you about the gravest of the major sins?”—and repeating the question three times—he arouses their eagerness so that the teaching may lodge firmly in their minds.