Manzon Allah ﷺ yana naɗa alƙalai; ya naɗa ‘Ali a matsayin alƙali a kan Yemen, kuma ya ba shi umarni game da yadda zai yi shari’a ta hanyar cewa, “Idan mutum biyu masu jayayya suka zo maka, kada ka yanke hukunci ga ɗaya daga cikinsu har sai ka ji abin da ɗayan zai faɗa.” Shi ma ya naɗa ‘Abdullah ibn Nawfal a matsayin alƙali a kan Madina ﷺ.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to appoint the judges; he appointed ‘Ali as judge over Yemen and he gave him instructions about how to judge by saying, “If two disputing persons came to you do not judge for either of them until you have heard what the other had to say.” He (saw) also appointed ‘Abdullah ibn Nawfal as judge over Madinah.

Amma dai ba duk alkalai ne irin guda ɗaya ba, kuma yankunan da suke da hurumin shari'a a kansu sun bambanta bisa ga matsayin da aka ba su. Wasu alkalai suna kula da rikice-rikicen da ke tsakanin mutane, wasu kuma suna warware duk wani abu da yake cutar da maslahar al'umma baki ɗaya, wasu kuma suna shari'anta yankin rikice-rikicen da ke tsakanin jama'a da waɗanda suke da iko a kansu.

However, all the judges were not of one type, and the areas over which they had jurisdiction varied according to the roles they were allocated. Some judges were concerned with the disputes between the people, others with settling whatever harms the common interest of the people and others dealt with the area of disputes between the people and those who were in authority over them.