Is it permissible to seek authority?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The student: They say that whoever seeks authority, based on the statement of Musa, meaning...
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The student: The Messenger prohibited seeking authority. Is this correct? Is it permissible?
The Shaykh : Yes, let us look now. Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to the Aziz:[Yusuf 12:55] Did our Shari'ah come with a contrary ruling, or not? Some scholars said: Our Shari'ah came with a contrary ruling, and on this basis, a person should not ask for authority.
Others said: Rather, our Shari'ah came in agreement with it, and that Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not ask for authority, but he asked for the ministry which is in charge of the treasury. What is it called in our terminology? The Minister of Finance. [Yusuf 12:55] But in the following, the king made him a king. This is one point.
Second: They said that Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not ask for that for himself, but he asked for it because of the corruption he saw. And if a person seeks such authority for the sake of reform, yes, because the one in charge is corrupt, then there is no harm in that.
But if someone says, Yusuf said:[Yusuf 12:55] Is it permissible for a person to describe himself with that, if he is at that level? If he says, "Look, I know, I am a good calligrapher," is that permissible? Is it permissible? Yes, for the sake of public benefit.
The student: A Prophet supported by revelation.
The Shaykh : Even other than the Prophet, Ibn Mas'ud said: What does this mean? That he is the most knowledgeable of those who see this in himself. There is no harm in that if the intention is good. And Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), and you have hidden his poem. What does it say? No, before that, before that, my brothers, before that, heh.
"And I seek Allah's help in my poem, *** The objectives of grammar are erased by it.
It brings the farthest close with concise wording, *** And it expands the giving with a fulfilled promise.
And it demands satisfaction without anger, *** Surpassing Ibn Mu'ti's poem."
All of this is praise for what he did, and praising the craft is praising the craftsman. His intention was nothing but, if Allah wills, advice to the servants of Allah. Yes, and by Allah, the stronger opinion in my view is the second meaning: that he did not ask for authority, but he asked for the treasury for the sake of public benefit, because he saw the matter was corrupt.
The questioner : Now, if one sees...?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is permissible. It is not an absolute authority; this is authority over something. Yes.
The Shaykh :
Make me in charge of the storehouses of the land
اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِThe student: The Messenger prohibited seeking authority. Is this correct? Is it permissible?
The Shaykh : Yes, let us look now. Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to the Aziz:
Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian."
اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌOthers said: Rather, our Shari'ah came in agreement with it, and that Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not ask for authority, but he asked for the ministry
Make me in charge of the storehouses of the land
اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِAppoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian."
اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌSecond: They said that Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not ask for that for himself, but he asked for it because of the corruption he saw. And if a person seeks such authority for the sake of reform, yes, because the one in charge is corrupt, then there is no harm in that.
But if someone says, Yusuf said:
Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian."
إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌThe student: A Prophet supported by revelation.
The Shaykh : Even other than the Prophet, Ibn Mas'ud said:
If I knew that there was someone to whom camels could reach who was more knowledgeable about the Book of Allah than I, I would travel to him.
لو أعلم أن أحدا تبلغه الإبل أعلم مني بكتاب الله لرحلت إليه"And I seek Allah's help in my poem, *** The objectives of grammar are erased by it.
It brings the farthest close with concise wording, *** And it expands the giving with a fulfilled promise.
And it demands satisfaction without anger, *** Surpassing Ibn Mu'ti's poem."
All of this is praise for what he did, and praising the craft is praising the craftsman. His intention was nothing but, if Allah wills, advice to the servants of Allah. Yes, and by Allah, the stronger opinion in my view is the second meaning: that he did not ask for authority, but he asked for the treasury for the sake of public benefit, because he saw the matter was corrupt.
The questioner : Now, if one sees...?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is permissible. It is not an absolute authority; this is authority over something. Yes.