حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَوْنٍ عَنْ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَمْرِو ابْنِ أَخِي الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ أُنَاسٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ حِمْصَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ مُعَاذًا إِلَی الْيَمَنِ قَالَ کَيْفَ تَقْضِي إِذَا عَرَضَ لَکَ قَضَائٌ قَالَ أَقْضِي بِکِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فِي کِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَبِسُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا فِي کِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَجْتَهِدُ رَأْيِي وَلَا آلُو فَضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَدْرَهُ وَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَفَّقَ رَسُولَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ لِمَا يُرْضِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 3592
Some companions of Muadh ibn Jabal said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to send Muadh ibn Jabal to the Yemen, he asked: How will you judge when the occasion of deciding a case arises? He replied: I shall judge in accordance with Allah's Book. He asked: (What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in Allah's Book? He replied: (I shall act) in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He asked: (What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and in Allah's Book? He replied: I shall do my best to form an opinion and I shall spare no effort. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then patted him on the breast and said: Praise be to Allah Who has helped the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to find something which pleases the Messenger of Allah.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020