Therefore...

Therefore, let their hopes be expanded, and persist in praising them warmly and taking into account the (good) accomplishments of everyone among them who has accomplished, for frequent mention of their good deeds will encourage the bold and rouse the indolent, God willing. Then recognize in every man that which he has accomplished, attribute not one man’s accomplishment to another and fall not short (of attributing) to him the full extent of his accomplishment.

Let not a man’s eminence invite you to consider as great an accomplishment that was small, nor a man’s lowliness to consider as small an accomplishment that was great. Refer to God and His Messenger any concerns which distress you and any matters which are obscure for you, for God-high be He exalted-has said to a people whom He desired to guide: “O believers, obey God, and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you should quarrel on anything, refer it to God and the Messenger”.

(13) To refer to God is to adhere to the clear text of His Book, (14) while to refer to the Prophet is to adhere to his uniting (al-jami’ah) Sunnah, not the dividing (al-mufarriq).

(15) (2a.) Then choose to judge (al-hukm) among men he who in your sight is the most excellent of subjects, i.e., one who is not beleaguered by (complex) affairs, who is not rendered ill-tempered by the litigants, (16) who does not persist in error, who is not distressed by returning to the truth when he recognizes it, whose soul does not descend to any kind of greed, who is not satisfied with an inferior understanding (of a thing) short of the more thorough, who hesitates most in (acting in the face of) obscurities, who adheres most to arguments, who is the least to become annoyed at the petition of the litigants, who is the most patient (in waiting) for the facts to become clear and who is the firmest when the verdict has become manifest; a man who does not become conceited when praise is lavished upon him and who is not attracted by temptation.

But such (men) are rare. Thereupon investigate frequently his execution of the law (Qada’) and grant generously to him that which will eliminate his lacks and through which his need for men will decrease. Bestow upon him that station near to you to which none of your other favourites may aspire, that by it he may be secure from (character) assassination before you by men of importance.