Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may the prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions:
He said -may Allah have mercy on him-: " The chapter on commanding rulers to be gentle with their subjects, to advise them, to have compassion for them, and forbidding them from deceiving them, being harsh with them, neglecting their interests, and being heedless of them and their needs:
Allah the Exalted said:[Ash-Shu'ara 26:215].
And He the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:90].
And as for the hadiths: From Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim " .
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
This chapter that the author -may Allah have mercy on him- al-Nawawi established in *Riyad al-Salihin* is a great and important chapter. It addresses rulers and it addresses the subjects, and each has a right over the other that he must observe:
As for the rulers, it is obligatory for them to be gentle with the subjects, to do good to them, to look after their interests, to appoint those who are qualified for authority, to ward off harm from them, and other such matters concerning their interests, because they are accountable to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for them.
And as for the subjects, it is obligatory for them to listen and obey in matters other than disobedience, to advise the rulers, not to cause disturbance to them, not to incite people against them, to conceal their faults, and to mention their good qualities, because the faults can be addressed by advising the rulers in private without spreading them among the people, because spreading the faults of rulers in front of people yields no benefit but only increases the severity of the matter, causing the hearts of people to harbor hatred and aversion for the rulers. And when people hate and abhor the rulers, they rebel against them, and they see their command to do good as a command to do evil, and they do not remain silent about their faults, and as a result, hearts become filled with hostility, and evil and corruption occur. And when the community becomes divided and torn apart, fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) arises among them, and what happened during the time of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) occurs, when people began to speak ill of him, so they filled hearts with hostility and gathered people against him, and what happened of fitnah and evils continued to this day. So rulers have a right and they have a duty. Then the author, may Allah have mercy on him, cited verses from the Book of Allah as evidence, and he said: " And the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ash-Shu'ara 26:215] " : This means do not be arrogant over them and do not rise high in the air, but lower your wing, even if you are able to fly in the air, lower your wing, [Ash-Shu'ara 26:215], and as for the one who opposes you and disobeys you, establish the punishment befitting him, because Allah the Exalted did not say: lower your wing to everyone, but He said: [Ash-Shu'ara 26:215], and as for the rebels and the disobedient, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:33-34].
And the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nahl 16:90] : Indeed, Allah commands these three matters:
Justice: And it is obligatory. It is obligatory for a person to establish justice in himself, in his family, and in those over whom Allah has placed him as a guardian. In himself: that he does not burden himself with what Allah has not commanded, and that he takes care of himself, even in matters of good, he does not burden himself. For this reason, when 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called him and forbade him from that, and said: Sahih al-Bukhari 1968, he commands justice also in a person's family. Be just in your family. If a man has two wives, it is obligatory for him to be just between them. And if a man has two wives and he leans toward one of them, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with his side leaning.
You must be just between your children. If you give one of them a riyal, give the other the same. If you give the boy two riyals, give the girl one riyal. And if you give the boy one riyal, give the girl half a riyal. Even the Salaf (the earliest generations) were just between their children in kisses, meaning if the small boy and his brother are with him, he loves the second boy so that he does not treat them unfairly in kissing. And likewise in speech, you must be just between them, so you do not speak to one of them with harsh words and to the other with gentle words. And likewise, justice is obligatory in those over whom Allah has placed you. Do not favor your relative because he is your relative, nor the rich man because he is rich, nor the poor man because he is poor, nor the friend because he is a friend. Do not favor anyone; people are equal. Even the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, said that justice is obligatory between the two litigants when the judge enters his speech, his glance, his words, his sitting, and their entry to him. Do not look at this one with a look of anger and at the other with a look of satisfaction. Do not soften your speech to this one and not to the other. Do not say to one of them, "How are you? How is your family? How are your children?" and not say the same to the other. Be just between them even in this. In the sitting, do not have one of them sit on the right close to you and the other far away. Have them all sit in front of you on equal terms. Even if a believer and a disbeliever dispute before the judge, he must be just between them in speech, looking, and sitting. He does not say to the Muslim, "Come sit by me," and keep the disbeliever far away. No, he has them both sit in front of him. So justice is obligatory in all matters.
As for ihsan (excellence in worship), it is a favor. Ihsan is a favor that exceeds justice, and yet Allah commanded it. But His command regarding justice is obligatory, and His command regarding ihsan is a recommended practice and voluntary.
: This means giving the relative his right, meaning the relative has a right, the right of maintaining family ties. So whoever maintains his family ties, Allah will maintain his, and whoever cuts off his family ties, Allah will cut him off. And the discussion of the verse and the hadith will come, if Allah wills.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may the prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions:
He said -may Allah have mercy on him-: " The chapter on commanding rulers to be gentle with their subjects, to advise them, to have compassion for them, and forbidding them from deceiving them, being harsh with them, neglecting their interests, and being heedless of them and their needs:
Allah the Exalted said:
And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.
واخفض جناحك لمن اتبعك من المؤمنينAnd He the Exalted said:
Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
إن الله يأمر بالعدل والإحسان وإيتاء ذي القربى وينهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر والبغي يعظكم لعلكم تَذَكَّرونAnd as for the hadiths: From Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
Every one of you is a guardian, and every one of you is responsible for his charge. The ruler is a guardian and is responsible for his charge. The man is a guardian in his family and is responsible for his charge. The woman is a guardian in her husband's house and is responsible for her charge. The servant is a guardian in his master's wealth and is responsible for his charge. And every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charge.
كلكم راعٍ، وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته، الإمام راعٍ ومسؤول عن رعيته، والرجل راعٍ في أهله ومسؤول عن رعيته، والمرأة راعية في بيت زوجها ومسؤولةٌ عن رعيتها، والخادم راعٍ في مال سيده ومسؤول عن رعيته، وكلكم راعٍ ومسؤول عن رعيتهThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
This chapter that the author -may Allah have mercy on him- al-Nawawi established in *Riyad al-Salihin* is a great and important chapter. It addresses rulers and it addresses the subjects, and each has a right over the other that he must observe:
As for the rulers, it is obligatory for them to be gentle with the subjects, to do good to them, to look after their interests, to appoint those who are qualified for authority, to ward off harm from them, and other such matters concerning their interests, because they are accountable to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for them.
And as for the subjects, it is obligatory for them to listen and obey in matters other than disobedience, to advise the rulers, not to cause disturbance to them, not to incite people against them, to conceal their faults, and to mention their good qualities, because the faults can be addressed by advising the rulers in private without spreading them among the people, because spreading the faults of rulers in front of people yields no benefit but only increases the severity of the matter, causing the hearts of people to harbor hatred and aversion for the rulers. And when people hate and abhor the rulers, they rebel against them, and they see their command to do good as a command to do evil, and they do not remain silent about their faults, and as a result, hearts become filled with hostility, and evil and corruption occur. And when the community becomes divided and torn apart, fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) arises among them, and what happened during the time of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) occurs, when people began to speak ill of him, so they filled hearts with hostility and gathered people against him, and what happened of fitnah and evils continued to this day. So rulers have a right and they have a duty. Then the author, may Allah have mercy on him, cited verses from the Book of Allah as evidence, and he said: " And the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.
واخفض جناحك لمن اتبعك من المؤمنينto those who follow you of the believers.
لمن اتّبعك من المؤمنينto those who follow you of the believers.
لمن اتّبعك من المؤمنين(33) Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment, (34) Except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
إنما جزاء الذين يحاربون الله ورسوله ويَسعَون في الأرض فسادا أن يقتّلوا أو يصلّبوا أو تقطّع أيديهم وأرجلهم مِن خلاف أو يُنفَوا من الأرض ذلك لهم خِزي في الدّنيا ولهم في الآخرة عذاب عظيم إلاّ الذين تابوا من قبل أن تقدروا عليهم فاعلموا أن الله غفور رحيمAnd the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
إن الله يأمر بالعدل والإحسان وإيتاء ذي القربى وينهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر والبغي يعظكم لعلكم تذكرونJustice: And it is obligatory. It is obligatory for a person to establish justice in himself, in his family, and in those over whom Allah has placed him as a guardian. In himself: that he does not burden himself with what Allah has not commanded, and that he takes care of himself, even in matters of good, he does not burden himself. For this reason, when 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:
I fast and do not break my fast, and I pray and do not sleep.
أصوم ولا أفطر وأصلي ولا أنامyour soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who has a right on you.
إن لنفسك عليك حقّا، ولربّك عليك حقّا، ولأهلك عليك حقّا، فأعط كلّ ذي حقّ حقّهYou must be just between your children. If you give one of them a riyal, give the other the same. If you give the boy two riyals, give the girl one riyal. And if you give the boy one riyal, give the girl half a riyal. Even the Salaf (the earliest generations) were just between their children in kisses, meaning if the small boy and his brother are with him, he loves the second boy so that he does not treat them unfairly in kissing. And likewise in speech, you must be just between them, so you do not speak to one of them with harsh words and to the other with gentle words. And likewise, justice is obligatory in those over whom Allah has placed you. Do not favor your relative because he is your relative, nor the rich man because he is rich, nor the poor man because he is poor, nor the friend because he is a friend. Do not favor anyone; people are equal. Even the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, said that justice is obligatory between the two litigants when the judge enters his speech, his glance, his words, his sitting, and their entry to him. Do not look at this one with a look of anger and at the other with a look of satisfaction. Do not soften your speech to this one and not to the other. Do not say to one of them, "How are you? How is your family? How are your children?" and not say the same to the other. Be just between them even in this. In the sitting, do not have one of them sit on the right close to you and the other far away. Have them all sit in front of you on equal terms. Even if a believer and a disbeliever dispute before the judge, he must be just between them in speech, looking, and sitting. He does not say to the Muslim, "Come sit by me," and keep the disbeliever far away. No, he has them both sit in front of him. So justice is obligatory in all matters.
As for ihsan (excellence in worship), it is a favor. Ihsan is a favor that exceeds justice, and yet Allah commanded it. But His command regarding justice is obligatory, and His command regarding ihsan is a recommended practice and voluntary.