Meeting out justice equally

Meeting out justice equally

1986 7 July 10 Meeting out justice equally (194) Ali lost a coat of armour in the Battle of Jamal. One day he was walking in the market. He saw that a Christian was selling a coat of armour, and recognized it as his own. “That coat of armour is mine,” Ali said. “A Muslim Qazi will judge between us.” Ali was Commander of the Faithful at that time and Qazi Shuraih was Chief Justice. The case was brought before the Qazi. Ali asked him to judge between himself and the Christian. “What is your claim?” the Qazi asked him. “That this coat of armour is mine,” Ali replied. “What do you have to say,” the Qazi addressed the Christian, “The Commander of the Faithful is mistaken; it belongs to me,” the Christian replied. The Qazi then asked Ali who his witnesses were, and Ali brought forward his son Hasan and slave Qanbar. The Qazi told him to bring another witness instead of Hasan. “Do you reject the evidence of Hasan?” Ali said to him. “That’s not the point,” the Qazi said, “but I have heard you yourself say that the evidence of a son in support of his father is not acceptable.”