Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1324
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى الثَّعْلَبِيِّ، عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ مِرْدَاسٍ الْفَزَارِيِّ، عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ، وَهُوَ الْبَصْرِيُّ عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنِ ابْتَغَى الْقَضَاءَ وَسَأَلَ فِيهِ شُفَعَاءَ وُكِلَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أُكْرِهَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكًا يُسَدِّدُهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ وَهُوَ أَصَحُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas reported that the Prophet said: “Whoever seeks a judicial post and asks others to intercede for him is left to himself. But whoever is compelled to take the post will have an angel sent down to guide him.” Abū ʿĪsā said: This is a ḥasan gharīb hadith, and it is more accurate than the report of Isrāʾīl from ʿAbd al-Aʿlā.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
This variant specifically mentions seeking the post and soliciting intermediaries.