The Ruling on Obedience to the Ruler and Its Conditions
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
What is the condition for obeying the ruler?
The condition for obeying the ruler, in matters other than disobedience to Allah, is that if he orders disobedience, he is not to be obeyed.If he said, for example: “Do not pray in congregation,” “Do not pray until the time has passed,” “Shave your beards,” “Drink intoxicants,” and the like.It is said: There is no hearing and no obeying, and it is obligatory for anyone who is ordered to commit disobedience by the ruler to reject it; for the command, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The command of Allah is more worthy of being followed) His ruling is more worthy of being followed.
As for a matter that does not involve disobedience, it is obligatory for a person to obey the ruler, and obedience to the ruler in that is obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic);For Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Nisa: 59] And if we were to say that a person is not obligated to obey the ruler except in what Allah has commanded, the matter would become chaos. As for ministers, governors, managers, and heads, they are deputies for the ruler, so their command is like the command of the ruler; they are to be obeyed in matters other than disobedience to Allah.
The questioner: If the ruler orders the demolition of a house wall, is he to be obeyed?The Shaykh: If the wall is defective, demolish it, even if he does not order you to, for it is obligatory upon you to prevent harm and danger to the Muslims. Demolish the wall; if you do not demolish it and it falls on someone, you are liable.
As for the issue of planting in front of the house: If the planting is inside the house, you are not obligated to obey him; for the inside of your house is among your private matters. But if it is outside the house, such as on the sidewalk, for example, it appears that you are obligated to obey him; for this is among the public interests, if the ruler wants the appearance of the town to be uniform.
The condition for obeying the ruler, in matters other than disobedience to Allah, is that if he orders disobedience, he is not to be obeyed.If he said, for example: “Do not pray in congregation,” “Do not pray until the time has passed,” “Shave your beards,” “Drink intoxicants,” and the like.It is said: There is no hearing and no obeying, and it is obligatory for anyone who is ordered to commit disobedience by the ruler to reject it; for the command, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The command of Allah is more worthy of being followed) His ruling is more worthy of being followed.
As for a matter that does not involve disobedience, it is obligatory for a person to obey the ruler, and obedience to the ruler in that is obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic);For Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْThe questioner: If the ruler orders the demolition of a house wall, is he to be obeyed?The Shaykh: If the wall is defective, demolish it, even if he does not order you to, for it is obligatory upon you to prevent harm and danger to the Muslims. Demolish the wall; if you do not demolish it and it falls on someone, you are liable.
As for the issue of planting in front of the house: If the planting is inside the house, you are not obligated to obey him; for the inside of your house is among your private matters. But if it is outside the house, such as on the sidewalk, for example, it appears that you are obligated to obey him; for this is among the public interests, if the ruler wants the appearance of the town to be uniform.