the Muslim leaders stand for, for the Muslims must have a single community and a single imam. Allah the Exalted said, “Hold fast, all of you, to the rope of Allah and do not split apart” (Q 3:103). The Prophet ﷺ said, “I counsel you to fear Allah, to listen and obey, even if a slave is appointed over you.” This is a basic necessity, for people need it to protect the community, defend the realm, enforce the prescribed penalties, secure people’s rights, command what is right, and forbid what is wrong.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “One must realize that governing the affairs of the Muslims is among the greatest obligations of the religion; in fact, neither religion nor worldly life can stand without it. The children of Adam cannot attain their interests except by gathering together, and once they gather they must have a leader. The Lawgiver even made a leader obligatory in small, incidental gatherings, thereby drawing attention to the requirement in every kind of gathering.”

He further said: “It is well known that people cannot prosper without rulers. Even if the ruler is unjust, his rule is better for them than having no ruler at all, as it is said: ‘A single year under a tyrannical imam is better than a single night without any government.’” End quote.

Therefore, if a group possessing strength and force rises up against the imam on the basis of a doubtful interpretation—seeking to depose him, oppose him, tear apart the bond of obedience, and fracture unity—they are rebels (bughāt).