Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (8/18)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

whatever title is customary. Thus, the army must obey him in what he commands. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah, Most High:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” [al-Nisa’ 4:59]

However, a condition for the obligation to obey him in this is that he must not contravene the command of Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. If he contravenes the command of Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, then there is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator. The evidence for this is:

First: the noble verse: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” “Obey Allah” is a verb, and “obey the Messenger” is likewise a verb. The verb is repeated with regard to obeying the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, because obedience to him is independent and he must be obeyed in every case. As for the third, the verb is not repeated; rather, He says, “and those in authority among you,” and does not say, “Obey,” because obedience to those in authority is subordinate to obedience to Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Thus, if a ruler commands something contrary to the command of Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, we say: There is neither hearing nor obedience.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that obedience to him is obligatory even if he is sinful, and this is indeed so. Obedience to the ruler is obligatory even if he is among the most sinful of Allah’s servants. This is due to the general proofs establishing the obligation to obey those in authority and to remain patient with them, even if we see in them matters we dislike in their religious conduct, justice, and preferential treatment of themselves. We hear and obey, fulfilling the right that Allah has made incumbent upon us, while asking Allah for the right that is due to us. This is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded (1), and this is the way the righteous predecessors of this Ummah conducted themselves.

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari, al-Manaqib (Virtues), chapter: “Signs of Prophethood in Islam” (3603); and Muslim, al-Maghazi (Military Expeditions), chapter: “The Obligation of Fulfilling the Pledge of Allegiance to the First Caliph, Then the Next” (1843), on the authority of Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him.

ما يعرف، فيلزم الجيش طاعته فيما أمر، ودليل ذلك قوله تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ [النساء: ٥٩]، ولكن يشترط لوجوب طاعته فيها ألاَّ يخالف أمر الله ورسوله ﷺ، فإن خالف أمر الله ورسوله ﷺ فلا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق، ويدل لهذا: أولاً: الآية الكريمة: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾، أطيعوا الله هذا فعل، وأطيعوا الرسول فعل أيضاً، فأعاد الفعل بالنسبة لطاعة الرسول ﷺ؛ لأن طاعته مستقلة يجب أن يطاع بكل حال. أما الثالث فلم يُعد الفعل، فقال: ﴿وَأُولِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ ولم يقل: أطيعوا؛ لأن طاعة أولي الأمر تابعة لطاعة الله ورسوله ﷺ، ولهذا لو أمر ولي الأمر بمخالفة أمر الله ورسوله ﷺ، قلنا: لا سمع ولا طاعة. وظاهر كلام المؤلف أنه تجب طاعته ولو كان فاسقاً، وهو كذلك، فتجب طاعة ولي الأمر ولو كان من أفسق عباد الله؛ وذلك لعموم الأدلة الدالة على وجوب طاعة ولاة الأمور، والصبر عليهم وإن رأينا منهم ما نكره في أديانهم وعدلهم واستئثارهم، فإننا نسمع ونطيع فنؤدي الحق الذي أوجب الله علينا، ونسأل الله الحق الذي لنا، هكذا أمر النبي ﷺ (١)، وهكذا جرى عليه سلف هذه الأمة.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في المناقب/ باب علامات النبوة في الإسلام (٣٦٠٣)؛ ومسلم في المغازي/ باب وجوب الوفاء ببيعة الخليفة الأول فالأول (١٨٤٣)، عن ابن مسعود ﵁.