Al-Amr bi-l-Maʿrūf wa-n-Nahy ʿan al-Munkar - Ibn Taimiya - (53)

Al-Amr bi-l-Maʿrūf wa-n-Nahy ʿan al-MunkarIbn Taimiya

And He also says:

“We shall turn to whatever deeds they performed and reduce them to scattered dust.” (Al-Furqan 25:23)

Allah has commanded, in His Book, obedience to Him, to His Messenger, and to those in authority among the believers, as He, the Exalted, says:

“O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. Then if you disagree about anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger—if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and the most excellent in outcome.” (An-Nisa 4:59)

Who are those in authority?

The expression ulu al-amr (the people of authority) denotes those who issue commands. This description includes both the holders of power and force and the possessors of knowledge and discourse. Hence those in authority fall into two categories: the scholars and the rulers. When they are upright, the people are upright; when they are corrupt, the people are corrupt.

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq—may Allah be pleased with him—was asked by a woman from the Ahmas tribe, “How long will we remain firm upon this religion?” He replied, “For as long as your leaders remain upright.”

Kings, chieftains, government officials, and everyone who is followed are therefore counted among the people of authority. Each of them must command what Allah has commanded and forbid what He has forbidden, and everyone under their charge must obey them in obedience to Allah, but must not obey them in disobedience to Allah. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq—may Allah be pleased with him—said in the sermon he delivered upon assuming the leadership of the Muslims:

“O people! The strong among you is weak before me until I take the right from him, and the weak among you is strong before me until I secure his right for him. Obey me so long as I obey Allah; but if I disobey Allah, you owe me no obedience.”

وقال: {وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا} [الفرقان: ٢٣] (سورة الفرقان: آية ٢٣) . وقد أمر الله في كتابه بطاعته وطاعة رسوله وطاعة أولي الأمر من المؤمنين، كما قال تعالى {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا} [النساء: ٥٩] (سورة النساء: آية ٥٩) . [من هم أولو الأمر] و (أولو الأمر) أصحاب الأمر وذووه، وهم الذين يأمرون الناس، وذلك يشترك فيه أهل اليد والقدرة وأهل العلم والكلام، فلهذا كان أولو الأمر صنفين: العلماء، والأمراء، فإذا صلحوا صلح الناس، وإذا فسدوا فسد الناس، كما قال أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه للأحمسية لما سألته: ما بقاؤنا على هذا الأمر؟ قال: ما استقامت لكم أئمتكم، ويدخل فيهم الملوك والمشايخ وأهل الديوان، وكل من كان متبوعا فإنه من أولي الأمر، وعلى كل واحد من هؤلاء أن يأمر بما أمر الله به، وينهى عما نهى عنه، وعلى كل واحد ممن عليه طاعته أن يطيعه في طاعة الله، ولا يطيعه في معصية الله، كما قال أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه حين تولى أمر المسلمين وخطبهم، فقال في خطبته: أيها الناس: القوي فيكم الضعيف عندي حتى آخذ منه الحق، والضعيف فيكم القوي عندي حتى آخذ له الحق، أطيعوني ما أطعت الله! فإذا عصيت الله فلا طاعة لي عليكم.