عن أُمِّ سَلَمةَ رضي اللّه عنها، أَن رسول اللّه صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قال: «إِنَّمَا أَنَا بشَرٌ، وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَيَّ، وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْض، فأَقْضِيَ لَهُ بِنحو ما أَسْمَعُ فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بحَقِّ أَخِيهِ فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ» متفق عليه.
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I am only a human being, and you bring your disputes to me. Perhaps some of you may be more eloquent in presenting his argument than others, so I may judge in his favor based on what I hear. Whoever I judge in his favor at the expense of his brother's right, I am merely cutting for him a piece of the Fire." Agreed upon (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
تختصمون: تتحاكمون وتترافعون إليّ لأقضي بينكم. ألحن: أفصح وأفطن وأعلم بأسلوب الإقناع وطرائقه، فيُزيِّن كلامه بما يجعل السامع يظن صدقه. بحجته: بدعواه. بنحو ما أسمع: أي بما يَظهر لي من الدلائل. أقطع له قطعة من النار: أي أُعطيه ما يكون سببًا لدخوله النار.
You bring your disputes to me (takhtasimuna ilayya): you come before me with your cases for me to judge between you. More eloquent (alhanu): more articulate, more perceptive, and more skilled in the art of persuasion, embellishing his speech in a way that makes the listener believe he is truthful. In presenting his argument (bi-hujjatihi): in his claim. Based on what I hear (bi-nahw ma asma'u): meaning according to what appears to me from evidence and proofs. I am cutting for him a piece of the Fire (aqta'u lahu qit'atan min al-nar): meaning I am giving him something that will be a cause of his entry into the Fire.
الدروس · lessons
بشرية الرسول صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم، وأنّه لا يعلم الغيب وبواطن الأمور إلّا ما يُطْلِعُه اللّه تعالى عليه بالوحي. القاضي يقضي بين المتخاصمين حسب ما يثبت لديه من البينات والحجج، كالشهود واليمين وغيرها، ولا يقضي بينهما بعلمه أو بظنه. قضاء القاضي وإن نَفَذَ ظاهرًا بحكم القاضي به فإنّه لا يُحلّ حرامًا ولا يُحرّم حلالًا. من قُضي له بشيء وهو يعلم أنّه على غير حقّ لم يَجز له أخذه ولا الاستفادة منه وعُوقب عليه يوم القيامة.
The humanity of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and that he does not know the unseen or the inner reality of matters except what Allah reveals to him through revelation. A judge renders his verdict between disputing parties based on the evidence and proofs presented to him, such as witnesses and oaths; he does not judge based on his own knowledge or assumptions. A judge's ruling, even though it is executed outwardly by virtue of his judgment, does not make the unlawful lawful or the lawful unlawful. Whoever receives a judgment in his favor while knowing he is not in the right, it is not permissible for him to take what he was awarded or benefit from it, and he will be punished for it on the Day of Resurrection.