Hakim Mazalim ialah hakim yang dilantik untuk menghapuskan setiap kezaliman (Madhlima) yang dilakukan oleh Negara terhadap mana-mana individu, sama ada individu itu rakyat Negara atau individu yang hidup di bawah kekuasaannya, dan sama ada kezaliman itu dilakukan oleh Khalifah atau mereka yang bekerja di bawahnya, sama ada pemerintah ataupun penjawat awam. Inilah definisi hakim Mazalim. Asal usul badan kehakiman Mazalim berpunca daripada riwayat-riwayat yang dinisbahkan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ, di mana baginda menggambarkan perbuatan zalim yang dilakukan oleh pemerintah ketika memerintah rakyatnya sebagai Mazlima. Anas meriwayatkan: .

The judge of Mazalim is a judge appointed to remove every Madhlima (unjust act) perpetrated by the State against any person, whether this person were a citizen of the State or a person living under its authority, and whether this Madhlima were perpetrated by the Khalifah or those working under him, be they rulers or civil servants. This is the definition of the judge of Mazalim. The origin of the judiciary of Mazalim is derived from reports referred to the Messenger of Allah ( PBUH), where he described the unjust acts perpetrated by the ruler while ruling over the subjects as being a Mazlima. Anas reported: .

Harga melambung naik pada zaman Rasulullah ﷺ, lalu mereka berkata kepada baginda: "Wahai Rasulullah, mengapa tuan tidak menetapkan harga?" Baginda bersabda: "Sesungguhnya Allah ialah Pencipta, Pemegang (qabid), Pembentang rezeki (basit), Pemberi rezeki, dan Penentu harga (musa''ir). Dan aku berharap dapat menemui Allah (SWT) tanpa seorang pun menuntut aku kerana telah melakukan kezaliman (mazlima) terhadapnya, sama ada dalam darah atau harta." Hadis ini diriwayatkan oleh Ahmad [Lihat Musnad, 3/286]. Oleh itu, baginda ﷺ menilai penetapan harga sebagai satu kezaliman (mazlama), kerana jika baginda melakukannya, iaitu menetapkan harga, baginda akan bertindak tanpa kuasa yang sah.

“Prices soared during the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) so they said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah why don't you introduce pricing?’ he said: ‘Verily Allah is the Creator, the Recipient, the Extender of wealth, the Provider, and the Pricer, and I hope that I will meet Allah (S.W.T) without having anyone accusing me of having perpetrated a Mazlima against him be it in blood or in money.’” This is narrated by Ahmad [See Musnad, 3/286]. He (PBUH), therefore judged pricing as being a Mazlama, for if he had done it, i.e. introduced pricing, he would have acted without authority..

Baginda (ﷺ) juga menjadikan perkara-perkara yang menyentuh hak-hak awam, yang dianjurkan oleh Negara untuk rakyat, sebagai sebahagian daripada Mazalim. Jika satu sistem pentadbiran ditubuhkan untuk mengatur salah satu kepentingan rakyat, dan seorang warganegara menganggap sistem itu tidak adil baginya, maka kesnya akan diperiksa oleh Mathalim. Ini kerana ia merupakan aduan terhadap satu sistem pentadbiran bagi salah satu kepentingan rakyat yang ditubuhkan oleh Negara. Contohnya ialah pengairan tanah pertanian dengan air awam mengikut jadual yang diatur oleh Negara.

He (PBUH) also made the issues that affect the common rights which the State organises for the people as part of the Mazalim. If an administrative system was set up to regulate one of the interests of the citizens, and a citizen considered that the system is unjust for him, then his case is examined by the Mathalim. This is because it is a complaint against an administrative system of one of the interests of the citizens set up by the State. This is like the irrigation of farming lands by common water according to a schedule regulated by the State. .

Bukti bagi hal ini ialah aduan yang dikemukakan oleh seorang Ansar terhadap peraturan yang ditetapkan oleh pemerintah mengenai pengairan dengan air, iaitu yang pertama dahulu, kemudian yang berikutnya; yakni membenarkan orang yang tanahnya dilalui air dahulu untuk mengairi lebih dahulu. Orang Ansar itu mahu Al-Zubayr membenarkan air mengalir kepadanya sebelum Al-Zubayr mengairi tanahnya sendiri (kerana air itu melalui tanah Al-Zubayr terlebih dahulu). Namun Al-Zubayr menolak, lalu perkara itu dibawa kepada Rasulullah ﷺ. Baginda memutuskan antara mereka dengan membenarkan Al-Zubayr mengairi tanahnya sekadar sedikit, kemudian menghantar air itu kepada jiran Ansar baginda (iaitu tanpa membenarkan Al-Zubayr mengambil giliran penuhnya, sebagai tanda membantu orang Ansar itu). Orang Ansar itu tidak berpuas hati; sebaliknya dia mahu air sampai ke tanahnya dahulu sebelum Al-Zubayr mengairi tanahnya. Lalu dia berkata kepada Rasulullah ﷺ bahawa keputusan baginda sedemikian kerana Al-Zubayr adalah sepupu baginda, yang merupakan kata-kata yang amat serius terhadap Rasulullah ﷺ, dan dia diampunkan kerana dia telah menyaksikan Badar sebagaimana diriwayatkan oleh Al-Bukhari. Pada ketika itu, Rasulullah ﷺ memutuskan bahawa Al-Zubayr hendaklah mengambil hak penuhnya dalam pengairan, iaitu mengairi tanahnya sehingga air sampai ke pangkal dinding atau pangkal pokok, yang dijelaskan oleh para ulama bahawa air itu mesti naik di tanah sehingga menenggelamkan kaki seseorang. Keseluruhan hadith ini diriwayatkan oleh Muslim [Sahih, #2357] melalui ‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr bahawa: .

The evidence to this is the complaint presented by the Ansari against the regulation set up by the State for irrigating by water the first, then the next, i.e. allowing the first to be through whose land water passed first. The Ansari wanted Al-Zubayr to let the water flow to him before Al-Zubayr watered his land (since the water passed first in the land of Al-Zubayr). However, Al-Zubayr refused and the case was raised to Allah’s Messenger (PBUH). He judged between them letting Al-Zubayr water lightly and then sends the water to his Ansari neighbour (i.e. without letting Al-Zubayr taking his full turn, as a sign of help to the Ansari). The Ansari did not accept that; he rather wanted the water to reach his land first before Al-Zubayr watered his land. Then he said to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that his judgement was as such because Al-Zubayr was his cousin (which was a serious word against the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for which he was forgiven for he witnessed Badr as reported by Al-Bukhari). At that point the Messenger (PBUH) judged that Al-Zubayr should take his full right in irrigation, which is to irrigate his land till water reaches to the root of the wall or the root of the tree, which was explained by the scholars that the water has to rise in the land till it covers the leg of the person. The whole hadith is narrated by Muslim [Sahih, #2357] through ‘Urwah ibn Al- Zubayr that: .

Abdullah bin Az-Zubair memberitahunya bahawa seorang lelaki dari kalangan Ansar bertengkar dengan Az-Zubair di hadapan Rasulullah ﷺ mengenai Shiraj Al-Harrah yang mereka gunakan untuk mengairi pokok-pokok kurma. Orang Ansar itu berkata (kepada Az-Zubair): "Biarkan air mengalir," tetapi dia enggan. Mereka lalu bertengkar di hadapan Rasulullah ﷺ. Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda kepada Az-Zubair: "Engkau mengairi dahulu wahai Zubair, kemudian biarkan air itu sampai kepada jirankmu." Orang Ansar itu menjadi marah dan berkata, "Wahai Rasulullah, itu kerana dia sepupumu."

"Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr told him that a man from the Ansar quarrelled with Al- Zubayr to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) regarding Shiraj Al-Harrah with which they irrigate the palm trees. The Ansari said (to Al-Zubayr) let the water flow, but he refused. They quarrelled to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Al-Zubayr: “You irrigate first O Zubayr and then let the water go to your neighbour.” The Ansari became angry and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is because he is your cousin.’ .

Wajah Nabi Allah ﷺ berubah warnanya lalu baginda bersabda: "Wahai Zubayr! Siramlah dan kemudian tahanlah air itu sehingga ia sampai ke akar dinding." Al-Zubayr berkata: "Demi Allah, saya rasa ayat ini telah diturunkan berkenaan perkara itu." {Demi Tuhanmu, mereka tidak akan beriman sehingga mereka menjadikanmu hakim dalam perselisihan mereka, kemudian mereka tidak mendapati dalam diri mereka rasa keberatan terhadap keputusanmu.} (Shiraj Al-Harrah ialah sungai air di Al-Harrah. Abu Ubayd berkata bahawa terdapat dua sungai di Al-Madinah yang mengalir dengan air hujan, dan orang ramai akan berebut-rebut mengenainya. Rasulullah ﷺ memutuskan mengenainya bahawa yang pertama hendaklah menyirami dahulu, yang bermaksud pemilik tanah di hulu sungai akan menyirami dahulu, kemudian membiarkan air mengalir ke yang berikutnya dan seterusnya.)

The face of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH ) changed colour and he said: "O Zubayr! Irrigate and then hold the water till it reaches the root of the wall". Al-Zubayr said: ‘By Allah, I think this verse has been revealed regarding that matter.’ "By your Lord, they will not be true believers until they make you judge in their disputes, and they do not find discontent towards your judgement'". (Shiraj Al-Harrah is the water river at Al-Harrah. Abu Ubayd said there were two rivers in Al-Madinah that flowed with the rain water and people would compete with each other regarding it. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) decided regarding it that the first would irrigate first, which means the landlord at the beginning of the river would irrigate first and then let the water flow to the next and so on). .

Oleh itu, sebarang madhlimah yang berlaku terhadap mana-mana individu, sama ada dilakukan oleh pemerintah, atau akibat daripada badan-badan atau arahan Negara, akan dianggap sebagai madhlimah, sebagaimana difahami daripada dua hadith tersebut. Perkara itu hendaklah dirujuk kepada Khalifah untuk diuruskan, atau kepada sesiapa yang Khalifah lantik sebagai hakim Mazalim untuk menangani perkara-perkara sedemikian bagi pihak beliau.

Therefore, any Madhlima that occurs against any person, whether perpetrated by the ruler, or as a result of the State's organisations or orders, would be considered as a Madhlima, as gathered from the two hadith. The matter would be referred to the Khalifah to deal with or to whoever the Khalifah appoints as judge of Mazalim to deal with such matters on his behalf.