Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2309
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِي مُوسَى، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ سَأَلَ الْقَضَاءَ وُكِلَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ جُبِرَ عَلَيْهِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَسَدَّدَهُ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever seeks judicial office is left to himself; but whoever is compelled to it has an angel sent down to guide him rightly.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report contrasts seeking the judgeship with being compelled to take it, and says an angel guides the latter person.
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ سَأَلَ الْقَضَاءَ وُكِلَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ جُبِرَ عَلَيْهِ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَسَدَّدَهُ " .
The verb jubīra ʿalayhi means that the person was compelled or forced into judicial office; the source gives no details about how.
Does ‘is compelled to it’ best convey the appointment described here?