What is the ruling on leadership during travel?

The questioner : Just a clarification regarding leadership during travel.

The Shaykh : A temporary leadership as well does not carry the known rulings applicable to the Caliph. For example, is it permissible for this leader to take the property of the one under his command, or to strike or flog him? Of course, it is not permissible. These rulings that came regarding the Caliph are not permissible to transfer to leaders of a specific type, such as a travel leader. But this is also a matter of organization; for example, an academic session has an organizer, and he should be obeyed. However, if an individual does not obey and in doing so has not contradicted a textual ruling from the Shari'ah, it is not said that he has disobeyed his Lord.

The questioner : In another narration in the hadith of leadership, it says: So they analogized from this that in a group of da'wah, it is permissible for there to be a leader, and obedience is due to him regarding this leadership.

The Shaykh : How did you understand it? What does the other narration say?

The questioner : If you are three in a wilderness.

The Shaykh : In a wilderness?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : We do not know this hadith. Did you find this hadith? Did you come across it?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Like this?

The questioner : I do not know exactly.

The Shaykh : The hadith is found in Sunan Abu Dawud.
Al-Halabi : In travel.

The Shaykh : Yes. As for the issue of the wilderness, perhaps one hadith got mixed up with another in my mind. But suppose that is the case, what is the difference between the hadith that relates to travel, or if it was reported regarding a wilderness as you quoted? Do they mean in a wilderness, i.e., in a state of residence?

The questioner : In a foreign land, meaning.

The Shaykh : In a state of residence?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : In that case, we say, as we learned from some of our living and deceased shaykhs, who are the most established in the Throne and then inscribed, we learned from some of our living shaykhs, but they are dead, having met the Face of their Lord. We were strengthened and gained fiqh in their books and athar. So when some of them discuss, he says to him: "Establish the Throne, then inscribe." Establish the hadith, then build upon it. So this hadith, to this day, we do not know it, and we do not claim to have comprehensive knowledge, and above every one who has knowledge is the All-Knowing. But we advise that whoever wants to derive a ruling from a hadith must first narrate it from a book of the Sunan, and secondly, and finally, ensure its authenticity.

The questioner : Let us return to the hadith.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: "This indicates that in this small article, in this short period, the presence of a leader became obligatory. So what do you say about another place, which is more important?"

The Shaykh : The research is not on this point. I told you earlier, if we wanted to organize study circles, does it not have a leader? This is not a point of disagreement. The point of disagreement, which is raised today, is whether this leader or that one is given the rulings of the major leadership?

The questioner : No

The Shaykh : Yes, that is the research.

The questioner : Even in the arena of combat jihad.

The Shaykh : Even what?

The questioner : In the arena of jihad, which is carrying weapons.

The Shaykh : No, obedience to him is obligatory there, of course.

The questioner : In ease and hardship.

The Shaykh : Yes, because this is a jihad necessitated by dire necessity, not the jihad of an individual.

The questioner : But there is not one banner, because many groups are in the Afghan arena.
Al-Halabi : Multiple leaderships.

The Shaykh : Yes.
Al-Halabi : I said multiple leaderships, and sometimes conflicting. So how can obedience be to all of these?

The Shaykh : Of course, it is not to these. It is only, as I said, to the single banner. But if this is absent, the ruling is absent.
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, the statement of Shaykh al-Islam mentioned by the brother, he only mentioned it in the context of proving the obligation of general leadership, which is the major leadership, the leadership of the Commander of the Faithful. So he mentioned in this context that such a leadership exists, indicating what is greater than it. He wants the major leadership, not the multiple leaderships to which this might apply.

The Shaykh : By Allah, you remember well in any case, but I do not think this is the intention of Ibn Taymiyyah, because the texts reported regarding the major leadership suffice us from such derivation and analogy. But I still have in my mind the meaning mentioned by the brother, meaning he indicates that a ruling can be quoted from leadership in travel to leadership in residence to organize the affairs of Muslims. This is not blameworthy at all. But as you know, we do not deny this; rather, we make it obligatory. But the danger is that we give these leaderships the rulings of the major leadership.