Standing in the Same Row: Mahmud and Ayaz (The Uncompromising Justice of Islam)
Imam Abu Yusuf (R.A.) served as the Chief Justice (Qadi al-Qudat) of the entire Islamic world during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Once, a legal dispute between Caliph Harun al-Rashid and a Christian citizen was brought before his court. After evaluating the arguments and evidence presented by both sides, the Imam delivered the verdict in favor of the Christian citizen. Radiant and inspiring incidents of this nature are scattered across every single page of Islamic history. While people often label that era as the "age of monarchy," what a remarkably blessed "monarchy" it truly was! A powerful monarch and caliph stood as an equal party in the dock of a court alongside a non-Muslim subject from among his citizens. When the time of Imam Abu Yusuf's (R.A.) demise drew near, he began to supplicate, saying: "O Allah! You are well aware that during my tenure as a judge, I never showed favoritism or partiality to either side while deciding cases. In fact, my heart never even leaned toward one party over another, except in the case involving the Christian and Harun al-Rashid. In that specific lawsuit, my heart's deep inclination and wish were that the truth might be on Harun al-Rashid's side, so that the decision could rightfully be ruled in his favor. However, after listening to all the facts and arguments, I delivered the verdict against Harun al-Rashid." After saying this, Imam Abu Yusuf (R.A.) began to weep so intensely that his heart overflowed with emotion. (Source: Al-Durr al-Mukhtar: Vol. 3, P. 313 / Al-Qada fil-Islam by Arif al-Nikdi, P. 20 | Book: Kitabon Ki Darsgah Mein, Page: 57, Author: Ibn al-Hasan Abbasi — Selection: Islamic Tube Pro App)
