Kinds of Judges

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Judges are of four kinds of whom three are in the fire and one is in the garden (paradises). There is a man who issues judgments unjustly and he knows it, so he is in the fire. There is a man who issues judgments unjustly but he does not know, he also is in the fire; and there is a man who issues judgments that are right but he does not have the knowledge, he also is in the fire. There is a man who issues the right kind of judgments, based on his right knowledge, thus he is in the garden (paradises).’ “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘Judgments are of two kinds: the judgments under rules of Allah and the judgments of ignorance. If one misses the law and judgment of Allah, he then has judged by the judgment of ignorance.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Judgments and laws are of two kinds: the judgment of Allah and the judgment of ignorance. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, “. . . who is a better judge than Allah for a believing people.” (5:59) You all must bear testimony that Zayd ibn Thabit issued a judgment in matters of obligations according to the judgment of ignorance.’” (In the case of a contracting slave-girl and her fornication Zayd judged opposite to the judgment of Ali (a.s.), in the time of ‘Uthman)