The Ruling on Supplicating for the Rulers on the Minbars

Question:
Honorable Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him), there has been a lot of talk about supplicating for the rulers of the Muslims on the minbars in the Friday sermon, to the point that people have started recording those who do this. The basis for this is a report from some scholars. They have asked you to speak about this issue, and may Allah reward them with good.

Answer:
Supplicating for Muslims in general is required. So, supplicating for the believers in general is required, and the rulers are the most deserving of the believers of this; because their rectitude is rectitude for Islam and the Muslims. And openly supplicating for them on the minbars is a manifestation of opposing the Mu'tazilah and the Khawarij. Just as expressing satisfaction with the Rightly Guided Caliphs is a manifestation of opposing the Khawarij, the Rafidah, and the Shi'ah. So the Muslims do this to manifest their opposition to the innovators. They also do this because the rulers of the Muslims are among the believers, and Allah has commanded us to supplicate for the believers and seek forgiveness for them. And the rulers are the most deserving of this, because if they are rectified, others are rectified by their rectitude. What harm is there to you if Allah rectifies the rulers and guides them? Does this anger you? But the people who have deviation and misguidance want to weaken the word, and they do not want the rulers to be rectified. They want to remove them by any means, and it angers them if they are rectified, because their desire is not the desire of the Muslims. We ask Allah for safety. And if some of the Salaf denied this, if that is true, it was an error on their part. They are not infallible; they make mistakes. The majority of the Muslims, including the Imams, supplicate for the rulers. Imam Ahmad even said, "If I knew that I had a supplication that would be answered, I would direct it to the Sultan," even though the Sultan at that time was harming him and torturing him. And yet he said, "If I knew that I had a supplication that would be answered, I would direct it to the Sultan," because of the good that Allah brings about through his rectitude, the unification of the word, and the warding off of evils from the Muslims. Do not stir up these issues. You are students of knowledge; you must teach the people the Sunnah and teach them what is in the public benefit and what is good. Do not spread the methodology of the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah, and do not publicize these matters. This is not permissible.