[Explanation]
The compiler—may Allah have mercy on him—writes in Riyad al-Salihin: “Chapter on the obligation to obey those in authority in everything that is not sin, and the prohibition of obeying them when they command sin.”
He then supports this with Allah’s words: “O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you” (al-Nisaʾ 4:59).
The scholars clarify that “those in authority” fall into two groups: the scholars and the rulers.
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The scholars are the leaders of the Muslims in explaining the Sacred Law, teaching it, and guiding creation to the truth; in this domain they are the ones in authority.
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The rulers are the leaders charged with maintaining security, protecting the Sharia, and compelling people to uphold it; in that realm they hold authority.
Fundamentally, primacy belongs to the scholars, for they are the ones who elucidate the law and say to the rulers, “This is the Law of Allah—implement it,” and the rulers are bound to comply. Once the rulers know the law—knowledge to which they have no access except through the scholars—they then enforce it among the people.
The scholars exert influence over anyone whose heart carries faith and religiosity, for such a person yields to their guidance and directives. The rulers, by contrast, are obeyed by those who fear their power and whose faith is weak—people who fear the ruler more than they fear the scholar, and some, Allah’s refuge is sought, who fear the ruler more than they fear Allah.
For this reason the Muslim community must have both scholars and rulers, and it is obligatory upon—