Alƙali zai iya yanke hukunci ne kawai a zaman kotu, kuma duk wata hujja da rantsuwa ana iya la'akari da su ne kawai a zaman kotu.

The judge can only give a verdict in a court session, and any evidence and oaths can only be considered in the court session.

Hujjarsa ita ce abin da Abdullahi bn Zubair ya ruwaito, wanda ya ce:

Its evidence is what is narrated by ‘Abd Allah Bin Al- Zubayr who said,

.» أَنَّ الْخَصْمَيْنِ يَ قْعُدَانِ بَ يْنَ يَدَيِ الْحَكَمِ قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ « .

.» أَنَّ الْخَصْمَيْنِ يَ قْعُدَانِ بَ يْنَ يَدَيِ الْحَكَمِ قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ « .

"Manzon Allah (ﷺ) ya umarta cewa masu jayayya biyu su zauna a gaban alkali (tsakanin hannayensa)." (Ahmad da Abu Dawud ne suka ruwaito shi, da lafazin Abu Dawud). Wannan ruwayar tana bayyana yanayin da ake gudanar da hukunci a ciki, kuma tana da halascin wannan yanayi a kanta. Dole ne a sami wani takamaiman yanayi da za a gudanar da tsarin shari'a a cikinsa, wato masu jayayya biyu su zauna a gaban mai mulki, kuma wannan shi ne zaman kotu. Saboda haka, wannan wani sharadi ne na ingancin tsarin shari'a, watau wajibi ne a sami wani takamaiman taro inda za a gudanar da hukuncin, domin hukuncin ya inganta, kuma wannan shi ne masu jayayya biyu su zauna a gaban wani mai mulki. Wannan kuma yana goyon bayan ruwayar Ali (ra) lokacin da Manzon Allah (ﷺ) ya ce masa:

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded that the two litigants sit in front of the judge (between his hands) .” (reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud with the wording from Abu Dawud). This narration explains the form in which judgement is carried out and it is a lawful form in itself. There must be a specific form in which the judicial process be conducted, which is for the two disputing parties to sit before the ruler, and this would be the court session. Therefore, this is a condition for the validity of the judicial process i.e. it is imperative that there be a specific assembly where the judgement is to be conducted for it to be a valid judgement and this would be for the two disputing parties to sit before a ruler. This is supported by the narration of Ali (ra) when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to him:

. يَا عَلِيُّ، إِذَا جَلَسَ إِلَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلاَ تَ قْضِ بَ يْ نَ هُمَا حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخَرِ « » كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الأَوَّلِ .

. يَا عَلِيُّ، إِذَا جَلَسَ إِلَيْكَ الْخَصْمَانِ فَلاَ تَ قْضِ بَ يْ نَ هُمَا حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنَ الآخَرِ « » كَمَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الأَوَّلِ .

"Ya ‘Ali, Idan masu ƙara biyu suka zauna a gabanka, kada ka yanke hukunci har sai ka ji abin da ɗayan zai faɗa, kamar yadda ka ji abin da na farko ya faɗa." (ƙarin Ahmad ne ya ruwaito), wanda kuma ya bayyana tsarin musamman da kalmominsa ﷺ suka zo da shi.

“O ‘Ali, When two litigants sit in front of you, do not decide till you hear what the other has to say as you heard what the first had to say.” (reported by Ahmad), which also explains the specific form with his words.

. إذَا جَلَسَ إيليكَ الخَصْمَا ي ن .

. إذَا جَلَسَ إيليكَ الخَصْمَا ي ن .

"lokacin da masu ƙara biyu suka zauna a gabanka". Don haka zaman kotu sharadi ne ga ingancin hukunci, haka nan kuma sharadi ne ga la'akari da rantsuwa, saboda maganar Manzon Allah ﷺ.

“when two litigants sit in front of you”. So the court session is a condition for the validity of the judgement, and in the same manner it is a condition for the consideration of the oaths, due to the words of the Messenger (pbuh).

. » وَلَكِنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ « .

. » وَلَكِنَّ الْيَمِينَ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ « .

"kuma rantsuwa tana kan wanda aka yi wa ƙara (wanda ake tuhuma)" (wanda aka yarda da shi daga Ibn Abbas), kuma ba zai sami wannan sifa ba, sifar kasancewa wanda ake tuhuma, sai a zaman kotu. Haka kuma, ba za a duba shaida ba sai an bayar da ita a zaman kotu, saboda maganar Manzon Allah ﷺ.

“and the oath is upon the one who was accused (defendant)” (agreed upon from Ibn Abbas), and he would not have this attribute, the attribute of being accused, except in a court session. In the same manner, there would be no consideration for evidence unless given in a court session, due to the words of the Messenger (pbuh).

. » الْبَ يِّ نَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي « .

. » الْبَ يِّ نَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي « .

"Nauyin hujja yana kan mai da'awa (mai shigar da kara)" (Al-Bayhaqi ne ya ruwaito shi da sanadi ingantacce, kamar yadda Ibn Hajar ya fada), kuma wannan siffa ba za a ba ta ba sai a zaman kotu.

“The onus of proof is upon the claimant (plaintiff)” (reported by Al-Bayhaqi with an authentic chain as Ibn Hajar said), and this attribute would not be given except in the court session.