Adjudicating and the act of judgement are called qada in the works of Islamic law (fiqh)

Adjudicating and the act of judgement are called qada in the works of Islamic law (fiqh). The word qada has several conno­tations.

According to Arabic English Lexicon by William Lane the word qada primarily means, he finished a thing entirely, by word or by deed. Hence it is used for decreeing and deciding judicially. It means to fulfil a desire to pay a debt, to command.

This is why the qadi is also called hakim because he prohibits a transgressor from an unjust action The word qadi used in the Holy Qur’an connotes several meanings viz. (1) to intend, (2) to fix a limit, (3) to fulfil a desire, (4) to perform a religious duty, (5) to give an order and judgement, (6) to kill.

According to Ibn Manzur, the author of Arabic Lexicon, qada means to strengthen a thing, to ratify it or to dispose it of or be relieved of it. Its primary meanings are to cut and devide in parts (partition).

It also means to manufacture and measure. It also means exhaustion when used for tears. According to Zuhri, as reported by Ibn Manzur, the word qada has several connotations all of them refer to dispose of a thing and to complete it.