The Ruling on Taking the Pledge of Allegiance to Other Than the Rulers

Question:
Some contemporary sects take the pledge of allegiance to their commanders, whom they choose from among themselves, and they consider it obligatory to obey them and not to break their pledge, even though they are under the legitimate rulers to whom the general Muslim community has pledged allegiance. Is this permissible? In other words, is it permissible for an individual to have more than one pledge of allegiance, and what is the validity of these pledges?

Answer:
This pledge is invalid and it is not permissible to do it; because it leads to the splitting of the community, the occurrence of many trials, and rising against the rulers without a legitimate religious basis. It is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
And it is authentically reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And the hadiths on this matter are very numerous, all indicating the obligation of obedience to the rulers in what is right, and the impermissibility of rising against them, except if they commit open disbelief, and there is clear proof from Allah for those who rise against them regarding it.
And there is no doubt that the existence of a pledge to some people leads to the splitting of the community and rising against the general ruler, so it is obligatory to abandon it, and it is forbidden to do it.
Then, it is obligatory for one who sees open disbelief from his commander to advise him until he abandons it, and it is not permissible to rise against him if the rising leads to greater evil; because the wrong is not removed by something more wrong, as the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have explicitly stated, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on both of them), and success is from Allah.