Firāsah as a Basic Condition for Achieving Justice in the Judiciary
An Appraisal of the Views of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Abstract
The disagreement among scholars in the field of Islamic jurisprudence requires in-depth research to shed light on opposing viewpoints. Unfortunately, Ibn al-Qayyim’s (d. 751/1350) view about the use of firāsah (ability to interpret signs and contextual evidence) in the judiciary did not receive much attention, despite his efforts to revitalize traditional jurisprudence by adding new meanings and purposes. This study aims to present a comprehensive view of Ibn al-Qayyim’s theory of firāsah in the judiciary. It seeks to answer the following questions: What is Ibn al-Qayyim’s vision of firāsah and what is his legal evidence for it? What are the methods for applying it in the judiciary? What is the position of Muslim scholars regarding his views? The study concludes that justice is a very important goal of Islam, and to achieve it, the judge must use multiple means in addition to confession and witnesses, such as indication (qarīnah), sign (imārah), and circumstantial evidence. Successful firāsah depends on two factors: the sharpness of the judge’s mind and the clarity of evidence. Ibn al-Qayyim employed several categories of firāsah, including inferring internal states from external gestures, inferring the recondite from facial reactions and tongue slips, etc. He excluded the Greek physiognomy, which infers dispositions from physical features, as it contradicts Islamic teachings. However, most Muslim scholars opposed Ibn al-Qayyim’s view, citing authentic Prophetic traditions in support of their views. Ibn al-Qayyim, on the other hand, strengthened his view with Qur’ānic verses and the sharī‘ah’s objective, which is to achieve justice.
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