What are the limits of obedience to the ruler?
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Q: More than one question has been raised regarding your statement: "Obedience to the ruler is obligatory, and whoever obeys the ruler has obeyed me." But do we obey the ruler in everything?
A: This is a hadith narrated by the two Shaykhs in the two authentic collections from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 23:85 And Allah says in His great Book: [An-Nisa 4:59] the verse [al-Nisa: 59].
But this is an absolute statement that is qualified by the Sunnah. The Sunnah and the Qur'an qualify each other. So the absolute statement in the Book of Allah is qualified by the Sunnah, and likewise the absolute statement in the Sunnah is qualified by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This is one of the places that was qualified by the Sunnah. Allah said:[An-Nisa 4:59] And it came in the authentic Sunnah: Sunan Abi Dawud 2625Sahih (Al-Albani) So the rulers are not to be obeyed except in what is right. Likewise, the father, the husband, and others are not to be obeyed except in what is right. Likewise, the tribal chief is not to be obeyed except in what is right, due to the aforementioned hadith, and due to his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying in another hadith: Mishkat al-Masabih 3696 And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) : , they said: What do you command us, O Messenger of Allah? Should we not throw them off with the sword? He said: , and in another wording he said: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 15:852 And in another wording he said: Sahih al-Bukhari 7055, 7056 And in another wording he said: Sahih Muslim 1855a So obedience to the rulers is qualified in the authentic hadiths by what is right.
A: This is a hadith narrated by the two Shaykhs in the two authentic collections from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Whoever obeys the ruler has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the ruler has disobeyed me
من أطاع الأمير فقد أطاعني، ومن عصى الأمير فقد عصانيO you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْBut this is an absolute statement that is qualified by the Sunnah. The Sunnah and the Qur'an qualify each other. So the absolute statement in the Book of Allah is qualified by the Sunnah, and likewise the absolute statement in the Sunnah is qualified by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This is one of the places that was qualified by the Sunnah. Allah said:
and those in authority among you
وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْObedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.
إنما الطاعة في المعروفA creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the "Creator.”
لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالقIndeed, there will succeed you rulers, some of whom you will approve of and some of whom you will disapprove of
إنه سيلي عليكم أمراء تعرفون منهم وتنكرونNo, pay them what is due to them, and ask Allah for what is due to you
لا، أدوا إليهم حقهم، واسألوا الله الذي لكمPay them what is due to them, and ask Allah for what is due to you
فُوا لهم بما عليكم، واسألوا الله الذي لكمunless we noticed him having open Kufr (disbelief) for which we would have a proof with us from Allah
لا، إلا أن تروا كفرًا بواحًا عندكم من الله فيه برهانas long as they establish prayer among you
ما أقاموا فيكم الصلاة
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.