Sahih Muslim also reports on the authority of Umm al-Ḥuṣayn — may Allah be pleased with her — that she heard the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage saying, “Even if a slave¹ is appointed over you and leads you according to the Book of Allah, then listen and obey.”² In another wording he said: “An Abyssinian slave with mutilated limbs.”³

Sahih Muslim likewise transmits from ʿAwf ibn Mālik — may Allah be pleased with him — that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you; you pray for them and they pray for you. The worst of your leaders are those whom you detest and who detest you; you curse them and they curse you.” We asked, “O Messenger of Allah, should we not fight them with the sword at that point?” He replied, “No, not as long as they establish the prayer among you — not as long as they establish the prayer among you. Whoever has a governor placed over him and sees him committing something that is disobedience to Allah, let him detest the act of disobedience he performs, but let him not withdraw his hand from obedience.”⁴