114. Obedience to Rulers

عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ قال قال رسول اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَيْكَ السَّمْعَ وَالطَّاعَةَ في عُسْرِكَ وَيُسْرِكَ وَمَنْشَطِكَ وَمَكْرَهِكَ وَأَثَرَةٍ عَلَيْكَ

Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “It is obligatory upon you to listen to and to obey [your rulers] whether you are in difficulty or in comfort, whether willingly or unwillingly and even when you do not receive what is your right.”[1]

عن بن عُمَرَ عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قال على الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ فِيمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ إلا أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَإِنْ أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فلا سَمْعَ ولا طَاعَةَ

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “It is obligatory upon a Muslim to listen and to obey [his rulers] whether he likes it or not, except when he is ordered to commit a sin. If he is ordered so, he should neither listen nor obey.”[2]

عن أَنَسِ عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنْ اسْتُعْمِلَ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ

Anas ibn Malik (rta) reported from the Prophet (sws): “Listen and obey even if an Abyssinian slave whose head is like a raisin is made your ruler.”[3]

بن عَبَّاسٍ رضي الله عنهما عن النبي لى الله عليه وسلم قال من رَأَى من أَمِيرِهِ شيئا يَكْرَهُهُ فَلْيَصْبِرْ عليه فإنه من فَارَقَ الْجَمَاعَةَ شِبْرًا فَمَاتَ إلا مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “He who sees something despicable in his ruler should tolerate it because he who even slightly disassociates himself from the state authority and dies in this condition shall die the death of jahiliyyah.”[4]

[1]. Ibid., vol. 3, 1467, (no. 1836).

[2].Ibid., vol. 3, 1469, (no. 1839).

[3].Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 1, 246, (no. 661).

[4].Ibid., vol. 6, 2588, (no. 6646).