over others is an injustice, for all people share the same humanity. A person’s desire to stand above his equal and place him beneath himself is therefore unjust. Besides being unjust, such a person is hated and opposed by others: the just among them do not wish to be subjugated by their equals, while the unjust prefer to be the ones who subjugate others. Nevertheless, both reason and religion require that some people be above others, as we have already explained, just as a body cannot function properly without a head.
Allah Most High says:
“It is He who has made you successors upon the earth and raised some of you above others in rank, to test you through what He has given you.”
And He says:
“We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may employ others in their service.”
Thus, the Sharia directs that authority and wealth be devoted to Allah’s cause. When the purpose of authority and wealth is to draw closer to Allah and devote them to His cause, both religious and worldly affairs are set right. But when authority is separated from religion, or religion from authority, people’s affairs become corrupt. Those who obey Allah are distinguished from those who disobey Him only by their intentions and righteous deeds, as reported in the two Sahīh collections from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:
“Allah does not look at your appearance or your wealth; rather, He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”
When the desire for wealth and prestige came to dominate many rulers [and] (1) they became estranged from the reality of faith in their exercise of authority, many people came to believe that rulership