and, praise be to Allah, I have no particular need that I seek to have fulfilled by any created being, nor any affliction that I seek to have removed by any created being. Rather, I enjoy abundant blessing from Allah and immense mercy for which I cannot adequately give thanks. However, I must obey Allah and His Messenger, and obey those in authority when they command me to obey Allah. If they command me to disobey Allah, no created being may be obeyed in disobedience to the Creator. This is what the “Book” and the “Sunnah” establish, and what the “leading scholars of the Ummah” have agreed upon. Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and leads to the best outcome.”

It is authentically reported that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“No created being may be obeyed in disobedience to Allah.”

“Obedience is only in what is right.”

I must also patiently endure the injustice of rulers and not rise against them in civil strife, because of the authentic report from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Whoever sees something in his ruler that he dislikes should bear it patiently, for whoever departs from the community by even a handspan and then dies, dies a death of pre-Islamic ignorance.”

Alongside this, I am also commanded to speak the truth—or uphold it—wherever I may be, fearing no one’s reproach for Allah’s sake. This accords with what al-Bukhārī and Muslim both related in their Sahīh collections from ‘Ubādah ibn al-Sāmit, who said:

“We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, undertaking to listen and obey in ease and hardship, willingly and unwillingly, even when others are given preference over us; not to dispute authority with those who hold it; and that