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but when he asked again—a second time or perhaps a third—al-Ashʿath ibn Qays1 pulled him back. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, “Listen and obey; they are answerable for what they have been charged with, and you are answerable for what you have been charged with.”2
Accordingly, what Allah and His Messenger have commanded—namely obedience to the rulers and offering them sincere advice—is obligatory for the Muslim, even if those rulers act selfishly toward him. Conversely, what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have forbidden—disobeying them—is prohibited for him, even if he is coerced into it.3
(1) The base manuscript reads: “Al-Ashath ibn Qays narrated to him, saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah said…’,” but the wording has been corrected in accordance with Sahih Muslim.
(2) Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1474.
(3) Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi, commenting on al-Tahawi’s statement, “We do not deem it permissible to rise up against our leaders and those in authority over us, even if they are unjust…,” writes: “Persisting in obeying them, even when they act unjustly, is obligatory because the evils that flow from rebellion are many times greater than the harm caused by their injustice. Moreover, patiently enduring their oppression erases sins and multiplies rewards, for Allah has not placed them in power over us except because of the corruption of our own deeds; recompense matches the deed. We must therefore strive for seeking forgiveness, repenting, and reforming our conduct. Allah says: ‘Whatever affliction befalls you is due to what your own hands have earned, while He pardons much’ (ash-Shura 42:30); and He says: ‘Thus do We set some wrong-doers over others because of what they used to earn’ (al-Anam 6:129). If the subjects wish to be delivered from the ruler’s oppression, let them first abandon oppression themselves….” Sharh al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, p. 370.
فأعرض ثم سأله في الثانية أو في الثالثة فجذبه الأشعث ابن قيس١ فقال رسول الله ﷺ "اسمعوا وأطيعوا، فإنما عليهم ما حُمِّلوا، وعليكم ما حُمِّلتم" ٢.
فذلك ما أمر الله به ورسوله من طاعة ولاة الأمور ومناصحتهم هو واجب على المسلم، وإن استأثروا عليه، وما نهى الله عنه ورسوله ﷺ معصيتهم فهو محرم عليه وإن أكره عليه ٣.
١ في الأصل: فحدثه الأشعث بن قيس قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ، والتصويب من صحيح مسلم.
٢ صحيح مسلم (٣/١٤٧٤) .
٣ قال ابن أبي العز الحنفي عند شرحه لقول الطحاوي: "ولا نرى الخروج على أئمتنا وولاة أمورنا، وإن جاروا ... "، قال: " ... وأما لزوم طاعتهم وإن جاروا؛ فلأنه يترتب على الخروج من طاعتهم من المفاسد أضعاف ما يحصل من جورهم، بل في الصبر على جورهم تكفير السيئات ومضاعفة الأجور، فإن الله ما سلطهم علينا إلا لفساد أعمالنا، والجزاء من جنس العمل، فعلينا الاجتهاد في الاستغفار والتوبة وإصلاح العمل. قال تعالى: ﴿وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ﴾ ... وقال تعالى: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضاً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾ فإذا أراد الرعية أن يتخلصوا من ظلم الأمير فليتركوا الظلم ... "شرح العقيدة الطحاوية (ص٣٧٠) .