Hadith.3255 - Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام said: Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام entered the mosque, and a young man approached him, crying, while a group of people around him tried to silence him. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked: "What makes you cry?" The young man said: "O Commander of the Faithful, Shurayh judged against me in a case, and I do not understand it. These men went on a journey with my father, but they returned without him. When I asked them about him, they said he had died. Then I asked them about his wealth, and they said he left no wealth. I brought them before Shurayh, and he made them swear an oath. But I know, O Commander of the Faithful, that my father left with a great amount of wealth." So Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said to them: "Return." Imam عليه السلام gathered all of them, including the young man, and took them back to Shurayh. Then Imam عليه السلام said to him: "O Shurayh, how did you judge between these people?" Shurayh said: "O Commander of the Faithful, this young man claimed that these men went on a journey with his father, but they returned while his father did not. He asked them about his father, and they said he had died. Then he asked them about his father's wealth, and they said he left nothing. I asked the young man if he had any evidence for his claim, but he said no. So, I made them swear an oath, and then I ruled in their favor." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "O Shurayh, how could you judge in such a case like this?" Shurayh asked: "How should it be judged, O Commander of the Faithful?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "O Shurayh, by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I will issue a ruling in this matter that no one before me has ruled except Prophet Dawud عليه السلام." Imam عليه السلام then said: "O Qanbar, call for the guards of the Thursday patrol." Then Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام summoned the guards, assigning one guard to each of the accused men. Imam عليه السلام looked at their faces and said: "What do you say? Do you think that I do not know what you have done to the father of this young man? If so, then I would indeed be ignorant." Imam عليه السلام then said: "Separate them and cover their heads." They were separated and each was placed by one of the pillars of the mosque with their heads covered by their garments. Then Imam عليه السلام called for Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi, his scribe, and said: "Bring me a scroll and an inkwell." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام sat in the seat of judgment, and the people gathered around him. Imam عليه السلام said: "When I say 'Allahu Akbar,' then you all say 'Allahu Akbar.'" Then Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام said to the people: "Make space." Imam عليه السلام called one of the accused, seated him in front of him, uncovered his face, and said to Ubaydullah: "Write down his confession and what he says." Imam عليه السلام then began questioning him, saying: "On what day did you leave your homes, with the father of this young man accompanying you?" The man replied: "On such-and-such a day." He عليه السلام asked: "In which month?" The man replied: "In such-and-such a month." He عليه السلام asked: "To what point in your journey had you reached when the father of this young man died?" The man replied: "To such-and-such a place." He عليه السلام asked: "In which dwelling?" The man replied: "In the dwelling of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so." He عليه السلام asked: "What illness did he suffer from?" The man replied: "Such-and-such illness." He عليه السلام asked: "For how many days was he ill?" The man replied: "For such-and-such days." He عليه السلام asked: "Who was taking care of him? On what day did he die? Who washed his body? Where was he washed? Who shrouded him? In what was he shrouded? Who prayed over him? And who lowered him into his grave?" When Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام finished questioning the first man about all the details he wanted, Imam عليه السلام said "Allahu Akbar," and the people echoed "Allahu Akbar" with him. This caused the remaining men to become anxious, as they were certain that their companion had confessed and implicated them. Then Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام ordered that the first man's head be covered and that he be taken to prison. He then called for the second man, seated him before him, uncovered his face, and said: "You thought that I would not know what you have done?" The man replied: "O Commander of the Faithful, I am just one of the group, and I was unwilling to kill him." Thus, he confessed. One by one, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام called the others, and each of them confessed to the killing and taking of the wealth. Then Imam عليه السلام summoned the first man, who had been sent to prison, and he too confessed. Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام obligated them to pay the blood money and return the stolen wealth. Shurayh then asked: "O Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, what was the judgment of Prophet Dawud عليه السلام?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "Prophet Dawud عليه السلام once passed by a group of children who were playing and calling each other by names. One of them called out, 'Mat ad-Din' (Religion has died). Prophet Dawud عليه السلام summoned the child and asked: 'What is your name?' The child replied: 'My name is Mat ad-Din.' Dawud عليه السلام asked: 'Who gave you this name?' The child replied: 'My mother.' So Prophet Dawud عليه السلام went to the child's mother and asked: "O woman, what is the name of this son of yours?" She replied: "His name is Mat ad-Din (Religion has died)." He asked: "Who named him with this name?" She said: "His father." He asked: "How did that happen?" She said: "His father went on a journey with a group of people while I was pregnant with this child. The group returned, but my husband did not. I asked them about him, and they said he had died. I asked: 'What wealth did he leave behind?' They said: 'He left no wealth.' I asked: 'Did he leave any will?' They said: 'Yes. He said that you are pregnant, and whatever child you bear, whether male or female, name it Mat ad-Din.'" So I named him as instructed." Dawud عليه السلام then asked her, "Do you know the people who went on the journey with your husband?" She said: "Yes." He asked: "Are they alive or dead?" She replied: "They are alive." He said: "Take me to them." He went with her, brought the group from their homes, and judged between them with the same ruling as Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام. He held them accountable for the wealth and the blood. Then he said to the woman, "Name this son of yours Ash ad-Din (Religion has lived).'" Later, the young man and the group disputed over the exact amount of wealth the father had left. So Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام took his ring, gathered several other rings, and said: "Draw lots with these rings. Whichever of you draws my ring is truthful in his claim, for it is the lot of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, and it never fails."