The ruling on obeying one's work supervisor in contradiction to the state's orders
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Question:
I am responsible for direct disbursements in one of the government agencies. If my supervisor instructs me to disburse something that contradicts the state's instructions, have I betrayed the trust? Please answer us, may Allah reward you.
Answer:
Yes, if your supervisor instructs you to do what contradicts the state's order, and even greater is if it contradicts the order of Allah, then by doing so you are a sinner; for obedience is only in what is right. Allah says to His Prophet: [Al-Mumtahanah: 12], even though he does not command except what is right, peace and blessings be upon him. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 2625Sahih (Al-Albani). So if you assist your supervisor in theft, bribery, and engaging in what is forbidden, you are his partner in the sin. And if you assist your supervisor in betraying the state and violating its orders for your own benefit and desires, you are his partner in the sin.
It is obligatory to cooperate in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and in obedience to the state in what is right, as you heard Allah saying: [An-Nisa: 59]. So obedience to those in authority is obligatory in obedience to Allah and His Messenger in what is right. No one has the right to obey his emir, his supervisor, his wife, or the wife her husband, or the father, or the mother in disobedience to Allah and His Messenger. They have no obedience in that after you know that what they ordered is disobedience to Allah and His Messenger, and you are certain of it; for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 3696.
So if the wife says to her husband: I want such and such, in what Allah has forbidden, or if the father says to his son: Bring such and such, from what Allah has forbidden of intoxicants, or smoking, or the like, or instruments of amusement, or the like; he does not obey them in disobedience to Allah and so on with the rest of the sins. The husband has no right to obey the wife, and the wife has no right to obey the husband, such as if he asks her to have intercourse with him in the anus, or during menstruation, or during post-natal bleeding. This is wrong, and she has no obedience to him in that. Rather, she must refuse that with all strength. Likewise, if he wants her to drink intoxicants with him, this is also wrong, and she has no obedience to him in that. Or if he orders her to sit with his brothers and uncles in a state of uncovering and without hijab, she does not obey him in that; for this is a cause of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and it is disobedience to Allah. He has no right to order her to do that, and she has no right to obey him in what Allah has forbidden for her, and what causes harm to her. And so, he has no obedience to her either; he has no right to obey her in what Allah has forbidden, in anything of what Allah has forbidden.
And so, the employee has no right to obey his supervisor in the prohibitions of Allah, nor cooperate with him in bribery, or betrayal. All of that is prohibited and wrong.
I am responsible for direct disbursements in one of the government agencies. If my supervisor instructs me to disburse something that contradicts the state's instructions, have I betrayed the trust? Please answer us, may Allah reward you.
Answer:
Yes, if your supervisor instructs you to do what contradicts the state's order, and even greater is if it contradicts the order of Allah, then by doing so you are a sinner; for obedience is only in what is right. Allah says to His Prophet:
nor will they disobey you in what is right
وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍObedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.
إنما الطاعة في المعروفIt is obligatory to cooperate in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and in obedience to the state in what is right, as you heard Allah saying:
O 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 مِنْكُمْA creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the "Creator.”
لا طاعة لمخلوقٍ في معصية الخالقSo if the wife says to her husband: I want such and such, in what Allah has forbidden, or if the father says to his son: Bring such and such, from what Allah has forbidden of intoxicants, or smoking, or the like, or instruments of amusement, or the like; he does not obey them in disobedience to Allah and so on with the rest of the sins. The husband has no right to obey the wife, and the wife has no right to obey the husband, such as if he asks her to have intercourse with him in the anus, or during menstruation, or during post-natal bleeding. This is wrong, and she has no obedience to him in that. Rather, she must refuse that with all strength. Likewise, if he wants her to drink intoxicants with him, this is also wrong, and she has no obedience to him in that. Or if he orders her to sit with his brothers and uncles in a state of uncovering and without hijab, she does not obey him in that; for this is a cause of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and it is disobedience to Allah. He has no right to order her to do that, and she has no right to obey him in what Allah has forbidden for her, and what causes harm to her. And so, he has no obedience to her either; he has no right to obey her in what Allah has forbidden, in anything of what Allah has forbidden.
And so, the employee has no right to obey his supervisor in the prohibitions of Allah, nor cooperate with him in bribery, or betrayal. All of that is prohibited and wrong.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.