The Need for Shari'ah Judiciary

Q: We see the great imams avoiding the judiciary, and that is only because they realize its gravity. How can we take it on when our state is not comparable to theirs?

A: This is true, but whoever reflects on the state of people and their intense need for the Shari'ah judiciary knows that it is obligatory to respond to that and to be patient with it, if one is qualified for it. It is obligatory for him to exert his utmost effort in it, and to do what he can to rid himself of its danger and be safe from its consequences; to clear his conscience, to advise the Muslim community, to show mercy to his Muslim brothers, and to do them good by resolving their problems and judging between them with truth. Allah will help him and guide him according to his sincerity and truthfulness.
Our time is not like the time of the righteous predecessors; for the scholars in that time were numerous, so if some of them excused themselves, they would find someone from among their brother scholars to take their place. But in our time, scholars have become few and ignorance has spread. So if one who is qualified for the judiciary excuses himself, it becomes difficult to find another, and much of the land is left without a Shari'ah judiciary. In that lies a great harm that is not hidden from anyone. Allah is the One to be sought for help.