"There was a time when we did not pass so many judgments, but now that time is over. Now Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has decreed that we reach a time when, as you see, (we are asked to pass many judgments). Whoever among you is asked to pass a judgment after this day, let him pass judgment according to what is in the Book of Allah. If he is faced with a matter that is not mentioned in the Book of Allah, let him pass judgment according to the way His Prophet [SAW] passed judgment. If he is faced with a matter that is not mentioned in the Book of Allah, and concerning which His Prophet did not pass judgment, then let him pass judgment according to the way the righteous passed judgment. And let him not say 'I am afraid, I am afraid.' For that which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between them are matters which are not as clear. Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt."

He wrote to 'Umar, to ask him (a question), and 'Umar wrote back to him telling him: "Judge according to what is in the Book of Allah. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah, then (judge) according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW], then pass judgment according to the way the righteous passed judgment. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah, or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW], and the righteous did not pass judgment concerning it, then if you wish, go ahead (and try to work it out by yourself) or if you wish, leave it. And I think that leaving it is better for you. And peace be upon you."

"There were kings after 'Isa bin Mariam who altered the Tawrah and the Injil, but there were among them believers who read the Tawrah. It was said to their kings: 'We have never heard of any slander worse than that of those (believers) who slander us and recite: "And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers." In these Verses, they are criticizing us for our deeds when they recite them.' So he called them together and gave them the choice between being put to death, or giving up reading the Tawrah and Injil, except for what had been altered. They said: 'Why do you want us to change? Leave us alone.' Some of them said: 'Build us a tower and let us go up there, and give us something to lift up our food and drink so we do not have to mix with you.' Others said: 'Let us go and wander throughout the land, and we will drink as the wild animals drink, and if you capture us in your land, you may kill us.' Others said: 'Build houses for us in the wilderness, and we will dig wells and grow vegetables, and we will not mix with you or pass by you, for there is no one of the tribes among whom we do not have close relatives.' So they did that, and Allah revealed the words: 'But the monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (they sought it) only to please Allah therewith, but that they did not observe it with the right observance.' Then others said: 'We will worship as so-and-so worshipped, and we will wander as so-and-so wandered, and we will adopt houses (in the wilderness) as so-and-so did.' But they were still following their Shirk with no knowledge of the faith of those whom they claimed to be following. When Allah sent the Prophet [SAW], and they were only a few of them left, a man came down from his cell, and a wanderer came from his travels, and a monk came from his monastery, and they believed in him. And Allah said: 'O you who believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger (Muhammad), He will give you a double portion of His mercy - meaning, two rewards, because of their having believed in 'Isa and in the Tawrah and Injil, and for having believing in Muhammad [SAW]; and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), - meaning, the Qur'an, and their following the Prophet [SAW]; and He said: 'So that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may know that they have no power whatsoever over the Grace of Allah.'"

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "You refer your disputes to me, but I am only human, and some of you may be more eloquent in arguing their case than others. If I pass judgment in favor of one of you, against his brother's rights, let him not take it, for it is a piece of fire that I am giving him."

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "There were two woman who had two children, and the wolf came and took away the son of one of them. She said to her companion: 'It took away your son.' The other one said: 'No, it took away your son.' They referred the matter to Dawud, peace be upon him, for judgment (about the remaining child) and he ruled in favor of the older one. Then they went out to Sulaiman bin Dawud and told him (about that). He said: 'Give me a knife and I will cut him in half (to be shared) between you.' The younger one said: 'Do not do that, may Allah have mercy on you; he is her son.' So he ruled that (the child) belonged to the younger woman." Abu Hurairah said: "By Allah! I never heard 'Sikkin' used until that day. We would only say: 'Mudyah.'"

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Two women went out with two children of theirs, and the wolf attacked one of them and took her child. The next day they referred their dispute over the remaining child to Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the child) belonged to the older woman. Then they passed by Sulaiman and he said: 'What is your story?' So they told him. He said: 'Bring me a knife and I will cut him in half (to be shared) between you.' The younger one said: 'Will you cut him in half?' He said: 'Yes.' She said: 'Do not do that; I will give my share of him to her.' He said: 'He is your child' and he ruled that he belonged to her."

The Prophet [SAW] said: "Two women went out with their two children, and the wolf took one of the children from them. They referred their dispute to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the remaining child) belonged to the older woman. Then they passed by Sulaiman, peace be upon him, and he said: 'How did he judge between you?' She said: 'He ruled that (the child) belongs to the older woman.' Sulaiman said: 'Cut him in half, and give half to one and half to the other.' The older woman said: 'Yes, cut him in half.' The younger woman said: 'Do not cut him, he is her child.' So he ruled that the child belonged to the woman who refused to let him be cut."

"The Prophet [SAW] sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to Banu Jadhimah. He called them to Islam, but they could not say Aslamna (we submitted, i.e., became Muslim) so they started to say Saba'na (we changed our religion). Khalid started killing and taking prisoners, and he gave a prisoner to each man. The next day Khalid bin Al-Walid issued orders that each man among us kill his prisoner." Ibn 'Umar said: "I said: 'By Allah, I will not kill my prisoner, and no one (among my companions) will kill his prisoner.' We came to the Prophet [SAW], and he was told of what Khalid had done. The Prophet [SAW] said: 'I disavow what Khalid has done,' twice."

"My father wrote to 'Ubaidullah bin Abi Bakrah - who was the judge of Sijistan - saying: 'Do not pass judgment between two people when you are angry, for I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: No one should pass judgment between two people when he is angry.'"

He disputed with a man among Ansar who had been present at Badr with the Messenger of Allah [SAW], concerning a stream in Al-Harrah from which they both used to water their date palm trees. The Ansari said: "Let the water flow." But he (Az-Zubair) refused. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Irrigate (your land), O Zubair! Then let the water flow to your neighbor." The Ansari became angry and said, "O Messenger of Allah, is it because he is your cousin?" The face of the Messenger of Allah [SAW] changed color (because of anger) and he said: "O Zubair! Irrigate (your land) then block the water, until it flows back to the walls." So the Messenger of Allah [SAW] allowed Az-Zubair to take his rights in full, although before that he had suggested to Az-Zubair a middle way that benefited both him and the Ansari. But when the Ansari made the Messenger of Allah [SAW] angry, he gave Az-Zubair his rights in full, as stated clearly in his ruling. Az-Zubair said: "I think that this Verse was revealed concerning this matter: 'But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them.'"

He asked Ibn Abi Hadrad to pay off a debt that he owed him. Their voices grew so loud that the Messenger of Allah [SAW] heard them when he was inside his house. He came out to them, drew back the curtain of his room and called out: "O Ka'b!" He said: "Here I am, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Drop his debt to half." He said: "I will do that." He said (to the debtor): "Go and pay it off."

"I came to Al-Madinah with my paternal uncles and entered one of its gardens, where I rubbed an ear of grain (to take some grains). The owner of the garden came, took my cloak and hit me. I came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and sought his help against him. He sent for the man and they brought him. He said: 'What made you do that?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he entered my garden and took one of the ears of grain and rubbed it.' The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'You did not teach him if he was ignorant, nor feed him if he was hungry. Give him back his cloak.' And the Messenger of Allah [SAW] ordered me with a Wasq or half a Wasq."

Two men referred a dispute to the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. One of them said: "O Messenger of Allah, pass judgment between us according to the Book of Allah." The other, who was wiser, said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, and allow me to speak." He said: "My son was a laborer serving this man, and he committed Zina with his wife. They told me that my son was to be stoned to death, but I ransomed him with one hundred sheep and a slave girl of mine. Then I asked the people of knowledge, who told me that my son was to be given one hundred lashes and exiled for a year, and that his (the man's) wife was to be stoned to death." The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I will pass judgment between you according to the Book of Allah. As for your sheep and your slave girl, take them back." Then he gave his son one hundred lashes, and exiled him for one year, and he ordered Unais to go to the wife of the other man and if she confessed, to stone her to death. She did confess, so he stoned her to death.

"We were with the Prophet [SAW] when a man stood up and said: 'I adjure you, by Allah, pass judgment between us according to the Book of Allah.' His opponent, who was wiser than him, stood up and said: 'He is right, pass judgment between us according to the Book of Allah.' He said: 'Speak.' He said: 'My son was a laborer serving this man, and he committed Zina with his wife. I ransomed him with one hundred sheep and a servant.' It is as if he was told that his son was to be stoned to death but he ransomed him from that. 'Then I asked some knowledgeable men and they told me that my son was to be given one hundred lashes and exiled for a year.' The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to him: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I will pass judgment between you according to the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. As for the one hundred sheep and the servant, take them back, and your son is to be given one hundred lashes and exiled for a year. O Unais, go tomorrow to the wife of this man and if she confesses, then stone her to death.' She did confess, so he stoned her to death."

A woman who had committed Zina was brought to the Prophet [SAW]. He said: "With whom?" She said: "With the paralyzed man who lives in the garden of Sa'd." He was brought and placed before (the Prophet [SAW]) and he confessed. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] called for a bunch of palm leaves and hit him. He took pity on him because of his disability and was lenient with him.

"Words were exchanged between two clans of the Ansar, to the point that they began to throw rocks at one another. The Prophet [SAW] went to reconcile between them. The time for prayer came, so Bilal called Adhan and waited for the Messenger of Allah [SAW], but he was delayed. He said the Iqamah and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, went forward (to lead the prayer). Then the Prophet [SAW] came while Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer, and when the people saw him they clapped. Abu Bakr would not turn around when he was praying, but when he heard them clapping, he turned around and saw the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. He wanted to step back but (the Prophet [SAW]) gestured to him to stay where he was. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, raised his hands, then he moved backward and the Messenger of Allah [SAW] came forward and led (the rest of) the prayer. When the Messenger of Allah [SAW] finished praying, he said: 'What prevented you from staying where you were?' He said: 'I would not like Allah to see the son of Abu Quhafah standing in front of His Prophet.' Then he (the Prophet [SAW]) turned to the people and said: 'If you noticed something while you were praying, why did you clap? That is for women. Whoever notices something while he is praying, let him say: "Subhan Allah."

He owed a debt by 'Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami. He met him, and asked him to pay it off. They exchanged words until their voices became loud. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] passed by them and said: "O Ka'b!" and he gestured with his hand to say half. So he took half of what was owed and let him off the other half.

"I saw the Messenger of Allah [SAW] when a killer was brought by the heir of the victim by a string. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to the heir of the victim: 'Will you forgive him?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you accept the Diyah?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you kill him?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Take him away.' When he went and turned away from him, he called him back and said: 'Will you forgive him?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you accept the Diyah?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you kill him?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Take him away.' When he went and turned away from him, he called him back and said: 'Will you forgive him?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you accept the Diyah?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you kill him?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Take him away.' At that point the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'But if you forgive him, he will carry his own sin and the sin of your companion.' So he forgave him, and I saw him dragging his string."

A man among the Ansar disputed with Az-Zubair concerning a stream in Al-Harrah from which they both used to water their date palm trees. The Ansari said: "Let the water flow," but he (Az-Zubair) refused. They brought their dispute to the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Irrigate (your land), O Zubair, then let the water flow to your neighbor." The Ansari became angry and said: "O Messenger of Allah, is it because he is your cousin?" The face of the Messenger of Allah [SAW] changed color (because of anger) and he said: "O Zubair, irrigate (your land) then block the water until it flows back to the walls." Az-Zubair said: "I think that this Verse was revealed concerning this matter: 'But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith.'"

The husband of Barirah was a slave called Mughith. It is as if I can see him walking behind her weeping, with the tears running down onto his beard. The Prophet [SAW] said to Al-'Abbas: "O 'Abbas, are you not amazed by the love of Mughith for Barirah and the hatred of Barirah for Mughith?" The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to her: "Why don't you take him back, for he is the father of your child?" She said: "O Messenger of Allah, are you commanding me (to do so)?" He said: "I am just interceding." She said: "I have no need of him."