right their entourage, grant them success in establishing justice, and so on—whatever prayers are normally offered on behalf of a ruler. In return, they pray for you, saying, “O Allah, set our subjects aright; O Allah, make them stand firm upon Your command,” and the like.

As for the worst of leaders, they are, as he said, “those whom you hate and who hate you.” You detest them because they have failed to fulfil what is incumbent upon them: giving sincere counsel to their flock and restoring rights to their owners. When they neglect these duties, the people come to loathe them. Thus hatred springs up from both sides: the subjects hate the governors because the governors have shirked their responsibilities, and the governors hate the subjects because, once the populace hates the ruler, they rebel against him, dislike him, refuse to obey his commands, and do not refrain from what he forbids. At that point, “you curse them and they curse you”—and we seek Allah’s protection—meaning they revile you and you revile them, or they invoke Allah’s curse upon you and you invoke it upon them.

Leaders therefore fall into two groups. One group has been granted success and fulfils its obligations, so the people love them and they love the people, and each side prays for the other. The other group is the opposite—the worst of leaders—who hate the people and are hated in return, who abuse the people and are abused by them.

Concerning the hadith of ʿIyāḍ ibn Ḥimār (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, “The people of Paradise are three: a ruler who is just and whom Allah enables to act rightly.” This is the point at issue here: a person invested with authority—the term “ruler” covering the highest office and all levels beneath it.

“Just” means he treats with equity those over whom Allah has placed him.

“Enabled to act rightly” means he is guided to whatever brings success and soundness; he has been guided to that which