Ignorance of the Pre-Islamic Era
أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ {50}
So, is it the judgment of ‘الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ’ the Pre-Islamic period they are seeking? And who is better than Allah in Judging for a people who are certain? [5:50]
محمد بن يعقوب: عن عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن أبيه، رفعه، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: «القضاة أربعة: ثلاثة في النار، و واحد في الجنة، رجل قضى بجور، و هو يعلم، فهو في النار، و رجل قضى بجور، و هو لا يعلم، فهو في النار، و رجل قضى بالحق، و هو لا يعلم، فهو في النار، و رجل قضى بالحق، و هو يعلم، فهو في الجنة
Muhammad Bin Yaqoub, from a number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from his father, raising it,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘The judges are four – three of them would be in the Fire, and one would be in the Paradise. A man who judges with injustice and he knows, so he would be in the Fire; and a man who judges with injustice and he does not know, so he would be in the Fire; and a man who judges with the Truth and he does not know, so he would be in the Fire; and a man who judges with the Truth and he knows, so he would be in the Paradise’.[1]
أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ الْحُكْمُ حُكْمَانِ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ وَ حُكْمُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَ قَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ وَ اشْهَدُوا عَلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ لَقَدْ حَكَمَ فِي الْفَرَائِضِ بِحُكْمِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
Abu Ali Al Ashary, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, from Ibn Fazzal, from Sa’alba Bin Maymoun, from Abu Baseer,
Abu Ja’far-asws has said: ‘The judgements are two judgements – a Judgement of Allah-azwj and a judgement of the ignorance, and Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic has Said: And who is better than Allah in Judging for a people who are certain? [5:50]., and (I-asws) bear witness that Zayd Bin Sabit had judged with regards to the Obligations by the judgement of the ignorance’.
و قال (عليه السلام): «الحكم حكمان: حكم الله، و حكم الجاهلية، فمن أخطأ حكم الله حكم بحكم الجاهلية
And he-asws said: ‘The judgments are two (types of) judgments – Judgment of Allah-azwj and judgment of the Pre-Islamic period. The one who errs in the Judgment of Allah-azwj would have judged by the judgment of the Pre-Islamic period’.[2]
[1] الكافي 7: 407/ 1.
[2] Al Kafi – V 7 – The Book of Judgements and the Rulings Ch 2 H 2