Is praising the ruler, extolling him, and preparing decorations part of obeying the one in authority?
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The questioner : Is praising the one in authority, extolling him, and preparing decorations for him part of obedience?
The Shaykh : No, it is not part of obedience. Obedience is when he commands and you comply; that is compliance. As for the matter of ostentation, people have become accustomed to it nowadays, and it has no basis. There is no doubt that this involves wasting time and wasting money, and it leads to arrogance and a sense of pride in people. However, the problem has spread now, and rulers and kings do not find awe except through this means. The story of the Jew is famous, which they mentioned regarding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). The treasury in Sham needed an addition, and it happened that this addition passed by the Jew's house. So 'Umar asked him to sell it to him, but he said, "I will not sell it." So 'Umar ordered someone to appraise it, and they appraised it and doubled its value for him, then they demolished it and added it to the treasury. Do you understand? So the Jew traveled to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah and kept asking about him. They said, "Perhaps he is in the mosque." He entered the mosque and found a man sleeping on gravel, wearing patched clothes, with no guard around him or anything else. This puzzled him, so he asked, "Where is the Commander of the Faithful?" They said, "This is the Commander of the Faithful." When he woke up, the Jew told him the story. It was said to me that he took a bone from the bones and wrote on it: "Kisra is not more just than us," and gave it to the Jew. The Jew went to Sham and gave this bone to 'Umar. 'Umar placed it on his head and said, "If you wish, we will build your house as it was or better, and if you wish, the matter remains as it was." He said, "No, rather my house is yours, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Allah is the Greatest. I have known justice."
The point is that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Sham in a country where they sanctify the governors, and he had guards and soldiers around him, so he adopted this matter to maintain his awe among those who were accustomed to this pattern. And 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the mosque, having used gravel as a pillow. The important thing is that the problem of custom now necessitates this, and souls are inclined toward ostentation.
The Shaykh : No, it is not part of obedience. Obedience is when he commands and you comply; that is compliance. As for the matter of ostentation, people have become accustomed to it nowadays, and it has no basis. There is no doubt that this involves wasting time and wasting money, and it leads to arrogance and a sense of pride in people. However, the problem has spread now, and rulers and kings do not find awe except through this means. The story of the Jew is famous, which they mentioned regarding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). The treasury in Sham needed an addition, and it happened that this addition passed by the Jew's house. So 'Umar asked him to sell it to him, but he said, "I will not sell it." So 'Umar ordered someone to appraise it, and they appraised it and doubled its value for him, then they demolished it and added it to the treasury. Do you understand? So the Jew traveled to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah and kept asking about him. They said, "Perhaps he is in the mosque." He entered the mosque and found a man sleeping on gravel, wearing patched clothes, with no guard around him or anything else. This puzzled him, so he asked, "Where is the Commander of the Faithful?" They said, "This is the Commander of the Faithful." When he woke up, the Jew told him the story. It was said to me that he took a bone from the bones and wrote on it: "Kisra is not more just than us," and gave it to the Jew. The Jew went to Sham and gave this bone to 'Umar. 'Umar placed it on his head and said, "If you wish, we will build your house as it was or better, and if you wish, the matter remains as it was." He said, "No, rather my house is yours, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Allah is the Greatest. I have known justice."
The point is that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Sham in a country where they sanctify the governors, and he had guards and soldiers around him, so he adopted this matter to maintain his awe among those who were accustomed to this pattern. And 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the mosque, having used gravel as a pillow. The important thing is that the problem of custom now necessitates this, and souls are inclined toward ostentation.