Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

480 Financial andjudiciary institutions at the time of 'Ali
opinion. A personal view and interpretation cannot be cancelled
out by means of another personal view and interpretation, but it
may be cancelled out if it is conbary to the Qnr'an and Sunnah."
10. Regular salaries for judges were introduced to make their lives
comfortable, and courthouses and prisons were set up. For the
first time, we see the reluctance of the senior Companions to be
appointed as judges. Ibn 'Umar was asked by 'Uthmh to serve
as a judge, but he refused. Ka'b ibn Yas& ibn Dannah was asked
by 'Umar to serve as a judge in Egypt, but he also refused, it was
also said that he accepted for a few days, then he withdrew?'
11. Judicial procedures at this time were simple and straightforward.
They involved only a few steps, starting with listening to the
case, then establishing proof and evidence, issuing the verdict,
and finally, carrying out the verdict. Attention was paid to the
etiquette of judging so as to protect the weak, support those who
had been wronged, ensure equal treatment of disputants,
establish the truth and implement Sbaria laws for all people,
even if the ruling went against the caliph, amir or govemor. In
most cases, the judge would carry out the rulings himself, if
other parties involved would not do so willingly. The ruling
would be carried out immediately after issuing the verdict.
However, it seems that at the time of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs, many new procedures and organisational details were
introduced. Scribes for judges were introduced at the time of
'Umar (&); the police and helpers for the judge and govemor
appeared at the time of 'Uthiin (&); and this system of
criminal investigation developed at the time of 'Ali (&), when
he separated the witnesses in order to find out the truth. This
method became an example to be f~llowed?~