đź“–Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1327
Some men who were companions of Mu’adh narrated from Mu’adh that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent Mu’adh to Yemen, so he (ﷺ) said: “How will you judge?” He said: “I will judge according to what is in Allah’s Book.” He said: “If it is not in Allah’s Book ?” He said: “Then with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” He said: “If it is not in the Sunnah of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?” He said: “I will give in my view.” He said: “All praise is due to Allah, the One Who made the messenger of the Messenger of Allah suitable.”
- This hadith narrates a conversation between the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his companion Mu’adh, who was being sent to Yemen to judge and settle disputes among the people there. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Mu’adh about the basis of his judgments, to which Mu’adh replied that he would judge according to what was in Allah’s Book (the Quran). The Prophet (ﷺ) then asked Mu’adh what he would do if the answer was not found in the Quran, to which Mu’adh replied that he would judge according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) (the actions and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad). The Prophet (ﷺ) further asked Mu’adh what he would do if he did not find the answer in the Sunnah, to which Mu’adh replied that he would use his own reasoning and understanding to make a decision. The Prophet (ﷺ) praised Mu’adh for his response, indicating that he had been rightly chosen for this task as he possessed the qualities required to make just and fair judgments.
Overall, this hadith highlights the importance of using the Quran and Sunnah as the primary sources of guidance for making decisions and settling disputes in matters of Islamic law. If a solution is not found in these sources, then one may use their own reasoning and judgment, but it should be based on the principles and values outlined in the Quran and Sunnah.
