Is it permissible for an Abyssinian slave to be the Grand Imam?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence, the Shaykh—may Allah preserve you—what is the way to reconcile the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan al-Bayhaqi 17:1232 and his saying: ?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is it permissible for an Abyssinian slave to be the Grand Imam?
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah makes it easy for an Abyssinian slave to be the Grand Imam, let him be the Grand Imam. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) only said that regarding the choice. If we want to choose an Imam for the Muslims, we should choose from Quraysh, but from those of Quraysh who upheld the religion. As for merely claiming descent from Quraysh or from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it is not a merit unless it is accompanied by religion. If someone from Quraysh came to us and said, "I am more deserving of the Imamate than anyone else," while he is an open sinner, we would say: No. Because one of the conditions of the Imamate at the time of initial appointment is that he be righteous. But if someone overpowers the people and rules them, then it is obligatory to listen to him and obey him, even if he is an Abyssinian slave whose head is like a raisin. So there is a difference between choosing and someone seizing power and taking control of the people by force. In that case, we say: We listen and obey, and we do not oppose him unless we see clear disbelief, regarding which we have proof from Allah.
The questioner : And does the Grand Imam exist, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : No, that is from a long time ago. The general Imamate has been lost for a long time, since the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Did you not know that 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr was a Caliph in Makkah and al-Hijaz, and that the Umayyads were in al-Sham and its surrounding areas, and that another group was in Iraq for a long time? But whoever takes charge of a piece of land and becomes its Imam, he is an Imam. Yes.
Hold fast to obedience and loyalty, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed over you.
عليكم بالسّمع والطّاعة وإن تأمّر عليكم عبد حبشيّThe Imams are from Quraysh.
الأئمّة من قريشThe Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is it permissible for an Abyssinian slave to be the Grand Imam?
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah makes it easy for an Abyssinian slave to be the Grand Imam, let him be the Grand Imam. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) only said that regarding the choice. If we want to choose an Imam for the Muslims, we should choose from Quraysh, but from those of Quraysh who upheld the religion. As for merely claiming descent from Quraysh or from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it is not a merit unless it is accompanied by religion. If someone from Quraysh came to us and said, "I am more deserving of the Imamate than anyone else," while he is an open sinner, we would say: No. Because one of the conditions of the Imamate at the time of initial appointment is that he be righteous. But if someone overpowers the people and rules them, then it is obligatory to listen to him and obey him, even if he is an Abyssinian slave whose head is like a raisin. So there is a difference between choosing and someone seizing power and taking control of the people by force. In that case, we say: We listen and obey, and we do not oppose him unless we see clear disbelief, regarding which we have proof from Allah.
The questioner : And does the Grand Imam exist, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : No, that is from a long time ago. The general Imamate has been lost for a long time, since the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Did you not know that 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr was a Caliph in Makkah and al-Hijaz, and that the Umayyads were in al-Sham and its surrounding areas, and that another group was in Iraq for a long time? But whoever takes charge of a piece of land and becomes its Imam, he is an Imam. Yes.