The Case of one who Judges by Means of what is other than what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has Revealed

قَالا مَنْ حَكَمَ فِي دِرْهَمَيْنِ بِغَيْرِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِمَّنْ لَهُ سَوْطٌ أَوْ عَصًا فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ص

“The two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have made this pronouncement. ‘One who issues judgment and he is of the people who possess whip or stick (government). Even though it is about two dirham but it is by means of something other than what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has sent, he is in denial of what Allah, most M

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ حَكَمَ فِي دِرْهَمَيْنِ بِغَيْرِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘One who issues judgment on the basis of something other than what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has sent is in denial of the existence of Allah, the most Great.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ حَكَمَ فِي دِرْهَمَيْنِ بِحُكْمِ جَوْرٍ ثُمَّ جَبَرَ عَلَيْهِ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ- وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِما أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْكافِرُونَ‌[2] فَقُلْتُ وَ كَيْفَ يَجْبُرُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَكُونُ لَهُ سَوْطٌ وَ سِجْنٌ فَيَحْكُمُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَضِيَ بِحُكُومَتِهِ وَ إِلَّا ضَرَبَهُ بِسَوْطِهِ وَ حَبَسَهُ فِي سِجْنِهِ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from certain persons of our people from ‘Abd Allah ibn Kathir from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan in a marfu‘ manner who has narrated the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ أَيُّ قَاضٍ قَضَى بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَأَخْطَأَ سَقَطَ أَبْعَدَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Any judge who issues a judgment between the two and makes a mistake, he falls into a depth farther than the sky.’”

كُنْتُ مَعَ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى مُزَامِلَهُ حَتَّى جِئْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ فِي مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ص إِذْ دَخَلَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ع فَقُلْتُ لِابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى تَقُومُ بِنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ وَ مَا نَصْنَعُ عِنْدَهُ فَقُلْتُ نُسَائِلُهُ وَ نُحَدِّثُهُ فَقَالَ قُمْ فَقُمْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَسَاءَلَنِي عَنْ نَفْسِي وَ أَهْلِي ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ فَقُلْتُ ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى قَاضِي الْ

“A man narrated to me from Sa‘id ibn abu al-Khasib al-Bajaliy who has said that once I was with ibn abu Layla’ as a travelmate until we arrived in al-Madinah. When we were in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, Ja‘far ibn M