A judge named Shuraykh
A judge named Shuraykh
Shuraykh was once asked, “How did you acquire this knowledge?” He replied, “By repeating it after the scholars: I took from them and passed on to them.” (Sufyan al-Awsi).
The Commander of the Believers, Umar ibn al-Khattab, bought a horse from a Bedouin (desert dweller). Having paid for it, he mounted his horse and set off. But before he could ride off, some kind of damage was discovered that prevented the horse from continuing to run. Umar led the horse back and said to the Bedouin, “Take your horse, for it is flawed.”
However, the Bedouin refused to take the horse, “I will not take it back, O Commander of the Faithful, because I sold it to you healthy and without blemishes.”
After listening to him, Umar suggested, “Choose someone who will judge us.”
The Bedouin said, “Let Shuraykh ibn al-Harith judge us.”
Umar agreed.
The Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and the owner of the horse were brought before the court of Shuraykh. After listening to the Bedouin, Shuraykh turned to Umar ibn al-Khattab and asked: “Did you take the horse back healthy, O Commander of the Believers?”
Umar replied, “Yes.”
Shuraykh, without thinking twice, made a decision, “Keep what you bought, O Commander of the Believers, or return it to the seller the same way you took it from him.”
Umar looked at Shuraykh in surprise and exclaimed, “Could the decision have been different?! The word of truth and a fair decision. Go to Kufa (Iraq), I appoint you as a judge.”
By the time Umar appointed Shuraykh ibn al-Harith as a judge, he was not an unknown person to Medina society or a person whose name was not mentioned among its knowledgeable and authoritative representatives. People valued Shuraykh for his sharp mind, unique insight and intelligence, good behavior and deep knowledge of life. Shuraykh was from Yemen, from the Kinda tribe. A considerable part of his life occurred in times of ignorance (i.e. before the revelation of the prophethood to Muhammad ﷺ).
When the Arabian Peninsula was illuminated by the light of the true path and the rays of Islam reached Yemen, Shuraykh was one of the first to believe in God ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ and heeded the call to the truth. People who were well aware of his virtues, good behavior and the wonderful characteristics of his nature sincerely wished that Shuraykh would move to Medina early and have time to meet the Messenger of God ﷺ before he left this world, so that he could directly learn pure knowledge from him. If this had happened, he would have received the honor of being called a companion of the Prophet ﷺ, after he had acquired the great benefit of faith. And then goodness would surround him on all sides. However, something happened that was predetermined by the Creator.
Appointment of judge
Umar was not hasty in appointing this follower of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ to such an important post and entrusting him with legal proceedings, despite the fact that in those years the sky of Islam was still decorated with many stars - the companions of the Messenger of God ﷺ.
Subsequent years confirmed the insight of Umar and the correctness of his decision. Shuraykh worked as a judge for Muslims for about sixty years in a row. He served as a judge not only under Umar, but also under Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abu Talib and Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan. He continued to hold this post during the reign of the Umayyad dynasty. And only with the appearance of al-Hajjaj did he ask to be dismissed. Shuraykh lived to be 107 years old. At the same time, his life was full of worthy deeds, which he could rightfully be proud of. Shuraykh enriched the history of legal proceedings with his judicial decisions and unique examples of the subordination of influential and ordinary Muslims to the law of the Almighty, of which Shuraykh was a representative.
In books you can find many stories about this man, and on the pages of these books are his words and deeds.
One day Ali ibn Abu Talib lost his chain mail, which was very dear to him. Very soon he saw that one of the Gentiles was selling it in the Kufa market. Recognizing it, Ali said to him, “This is my chain mail. It fell from my camel on such and such a night in such and such a place.”
He began to object, “No, this is my chain mail and it is in my hands, O Commander of the Believers!”
Ali insisted, “This is my chain mail. And I did not sell it or give it to anyone. So it could not become yours.”
He suggested, “Let the Muslim judge bring judgement on us.”
Ali agreed, “Well, that’s fair. Let’s go to him.”
And they went to judge Shuraykh. When they appeared before him, Shuraykh asked Ali ibn Abu Talib, “What are you saying, O Commander of the Believers?”
Ali said, “I found my chain mail with this man. It fell from my camel on such and such a night in such and such a place and I did not sell it to him or give it to him.”
Shuraykh asked the Gentile, “What do you say?”
He replied, “This is my chain mail, and it is in my hands, and I do not accuse the ruler of the faithful of lying.”
Shuraykh turned to Ali and said, “I have no doubt that you are telling the truth, O Commander of the Believers, and that this chain mail is really yours, but two witnesses are required who can confirm what you claim.”
Ali said, “Yes, my servant Kanbar and my son al-Hasan can testify.”
Shuraykh rejected this proposal, “The testimony of a son in favor of his father is not accepted, O Commander of the Believers.”
Ali was indignant, “SubhanAllah (“Allah is Most Pure”)! A man from among the inhabitants of Paradise, and his testimony is not accepted?! Have you not heard that the Messenger of God ﷺ said, “Al-Hasan and al-Hussein are the leaders of the young inhabitants of Paradise”?
Shuraykh replied, “Yes, I know that. However, I cannot allow a son to testify for his father.”
Then Ali turned to the Gentile and said, “Take the chain mail, for I have no other witnesses.”
He exclaimed, “But I testify that this is the chain mail of the Commander of the Believers!” - and added, “- O Allah ﷻ! The Commander of the Believers sits with me before the judge, and the judge rules in my favour! I testify that the religion which commands such things is true. And I testify that there is no god but Allah ﷻ, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger! Let it be known to you, judge, that this is the chain mail of the Commander of the Believers and that I followed the army when it was moving towards Siffin (the place where the meeting of Ali and Muawiyah took place during negotiations), and this chain mail fell from his dark gray camel and I picked it up.
Ali said, “Since you have accepted Islam, then I give it to you. And I give you this horse along with it.”
And very soon people saw this man fighting with the Kharijites (the lost ones who opposed the fourth righteous caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib ) under the banners of Ali on the day of the Battle of Nahrawan. He fought bravely until he fell in battle and was martyred.
To be continued…
