The Muslim community: Its leader and the obedience due to him.
To stay with the community is obligatory and no community exists without a leader, or imam. The leader of the Muslim community is obeyed in line with the obedience of God, who says: ‘Believers, obey God and obey the messenger and those from among you who have been entrusted with authority’. (4: 59)
The Muslim community: Its leader and the obedience due to him.
To stay with the community is obligatory and no community exists without a leader, or imam. The leader of the Muslim community is obeyed in line with the obedience of God, who says:
‘Believers, obey God and obey the messenger and those from among you who have been entrusted with authority’. (4: 59)
The phrase, ‘from among you,’ means from among the Muslims. An unbeliever may not be an imam nor a leader of the Muslim community, nor is it permissible to appoint an unbeliever to such a post. It is not required to obey him except insofar as what serves the interests of the community.
If the leader of the Muslim community does not have good knowledge of Islam he should appoint a scholar to advise him, so as to ensure that the religious and worldly affairs of the Muslim community are set on the right basis:
‘If any matter pertaining to peace or war comes to their knowledge, they make it known to all and sundry; whereas, if they would only refer it to the Messenger and to those from among them entrusted with authority, those of them who are engaged in obtaining intelligence would know it’. (4: 83)
It is not permissible to rebel against the leader or try to usurp his authority. If he deals unfairly his unfairness should be tolerated with resignation, unless he perpetrates some clear unbelief. Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife, reports that the Prophet said: ‘Some leaders will be appointed over you and you shall be happy with some of their actions but not with others. Whoever is displeased with the latter clears himself of responsibility, and whoever speaks out against it is safe. It is the one who accepts and follows [that is condemned]’. People asked: ‘Messenger of God, should we not fight them?’ He said: ‘Not as long as they attend to their prayers’.1
Advice should be offered to the ruler with knowledge and wisdom, so as to remove or lessen evil. Such advice should not be aimed to seek self-satisfaction or to show the ruler in a bad light. In an authentic hadith the Prophet said: ‘Religion is sincere counsel’. We said: ‘To whom’? [The Prophet] said: ‘To God, His Book, His messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk’.2
A scholar must not stay away from people’s affairs without concerning himself with what sets their affairs on the right course. If he does not seek life’s comforts, so as to personally stay away from temptation, then this is good andpraiseworthy. However, if he does not concern himself with people’s affairs his attitude is not the right one. Indeed, he should support whoever suffers injustice, even if his support is merely offering what is very little when he cannot afford more. He should seek help in order to feed the hungry, even if it yields no more than a date. A scholar has recognized authority and setting people’s life on the right basis serves as a way to improve their religious attitude. The Prophet never aspired to any riches even when the treasures of the earth were available to him, but he supported Barirah and others over the case of a few dinars, even delivering a speech about the case.
references
- Related by Muslim, 1854.
- Related by Muslim, 55.