What are the limits of obedience in the leadership of a journey?

The questioner : We ask you, for we often have disagreements among us due to the lack of definition of the leadership of a journey, or something similar. Please clarify for us what the limits of obedience are in the leadership of a journey... What is the leadership of a journey?

The Shaykh : The leadership of a journey is an administrative authority on one hand, and on the other hand, without a doubt, if the greater authority is bound by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): then it is all the more so for the specific authority. But the greater authority has rulings that do not extend to other authorities. And that is obedience in what is disliked and what is pleasing. Such obedience, naturally, did not come in this lesser authority, if that is the correct expression, or the temporary authority, and that is a more accurate expression, which is the leadership of the journey. So the leadership is, therefore, an organizational authority for this group who travel a road that may be long, or short, or easy, or rough and difficult, and the like. But we cannot say that his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) applies to it, as in Sahih Muslim: . And whoever obeys my command has obeyed me. This does not establish this leader in the journey, of course. This, as we said, means everything in it is for organizing the affairs of this group in this journey. They should cooperate, as is the case in their normal life in a state of residence, and even more so in terms of organization. And there is nothing more than this.

The questioner : Do you mean it is permissible to disobey the command of this leader?

The Shaykh : It is permissible to disobey him, but not following desire, but following his ijtihad (independent legal reasoning), whereas in the greater authority, he has no ijtihad.