The Constitution of the Caliphate StateArticle 79: The Qadi, the Muhtasib and the Madhalim judge may be given a general appointment to pronounce judgement on all problems throughout the State, or alternatively they can be given an appointment to a particular location and to give judgement on particular types of cases.

 

The evidence is the actions of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, since he appointed ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ra) as a judge for Yemen as reported by Ahmad with an authentic chain from Ali (ra) who said

(بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إِلَى الْيَمَنِ، قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، تَبْعَثُنِي إِلَى قَوْمٍ أَسَنَّ مِنِّي وَأَنَا حَدِيثٌ لاَ أُبْصِرُ الْقَضَاءَ، قَالَ: فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى صَدْرِي وَقَالَ:«اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ لِسَانَهُ وَاهْدِ قَلْبَهُ، يَا عَلِيُّ، إِذَا جَلَسَ إِلَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلاَ تَقْضِ بَيْنَهُمَا حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنْ الآخَرِ كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الأَوَّلِ، فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ تَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الْقَضَاءُ»، قَالَ: فَمَا اخْتَلَفَ عَلَيَّ قَضَاءٌ بَعْدُ، أَوْ مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيَّ قَضَاءٌ بَعْدُ)

“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلمsent me to Yemen, and I said: You have sent me to people of experience, and I am young! And I don’t know how to judge. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم struck me on the chest and said:'O Allah, guide his heart and make his tongue steadfast. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: When the two litigants sit in front of you, do not decide till you hear what the other has to say. If you do that, judgement will become clear to you. Ali said: after that I never doubted in passing judgment between two people.”.

He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم appointed Mu’adh as a judge over a part of Yemen, Abu Umar b. ‘Abd Al-Barr mentioned in Al-Isti’ab

(وقال ابن إسحق: آخَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم بَيْنَ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ وَبَيْنَ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، شَهِدَ العَقَبَةَ وَبَدْراً وَالْمَشَاهِدَ كُلَّهَا، وَبَعَثَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قَاضِياً إِلَى الْجَنَدِ مِنَ اليَمَنِ، يُعَلِّمُ النَّاسَ القُرْآنَ وَشَرَائِعَ الإِسْلاَمِ، وَيَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ. وَجَعَلَ إِلَيْهِ قَـبْضَ الصَّدَقَاتِ مِنَ الْعُمَّالِ ...)

“Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم made a brotherhood between Mu’adh Bin Jabal and Ja’far b. Abi Talib; they witnessed Al-Aqaba and Badr and all of the events, and the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلمsent him to Al-Janad in Yemen to teach the people Quran and the Shari’ah of Islam, and to judge between them, and to collect the Sadaqah from the workers…”

He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم appointed Amr b. Al-‘As to give judgement in one particular case. Ibn Qudamah mentioned in Al-mughni saying

(وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: جَاءَ خَصْمَانِ يَخْـتَصِمَانِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فَقَالَ: «اقْضِ بَيْنَهُمَا» قُلْتُ: أَنْتَ أَوْلَى بِذَلِكَ. قَالَ: «وَإِنْ كَانَ». قُلْتُ: عَلاَمَ أَقْضِي؟ قَالَ: «اقْضِ فَإِنْ أَصَبْتَ فَلَكَ عَشَرَةُ أُجُورٍ، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأْتَ فَلَكَ أَجْرٌ وَاحِدٌ»)

“From ‘Uqbah b. Amir who said: Two litigants brought their dispute to the Messenger of Allah, and so he صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said – Judge between them. I said: You have supremacy over me to do that. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: Even if. I said: On what should I judge? He said: Judge, and if you are right, you will have ten rewards and if you make a mistake, you will get one reward”. Ibn Qudamah said, and Ahmad reported the same narration with a chain whose men were all authentic to ‘Uqbah b. Amir from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, except that he صلى الله عليه وآله وسلمsaid

«فَإِنِ اجْتَهَدْتَ فَأَصَبْتَ الْقَضَاءَ فَلَكَ عَشَرَةُ أُجُورٍ، وَإِنِ اجْتَهَدْتَ فَأَخْطَأْتَ فَلَكَ أَجْرٌ وَاحِدٌ»

“And if you do Ijtihad and you are right, you will have ten rewards, and if you do Ijtihad and you have erred, you will get one reward”.