Even if those in authority were to reside in luxurious palaces, ride in comfortable cars, wear the finest garments, take wives and possess maid-servants, and enjoy the greatest worldly pleasures while everyone else lives in misery, hardship, and hunger, the people are still required to listen and obey; our responsibility is one thing and the rulers’ responsibility is another.

Our duty is to listen and obey, while the rulers’ duty is to offer us sincere counsel and to lead us according to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Therefore we must not say, when they monopolize benefits for themselves and have grand palaces, comfortable cars, beautiful clothes, and the like, “By Allah, we will not listen while they dwell in their palaces and cars and we languish in need, some of us unable even to find shelter.” Such speech is forbidden; it remains obligatory to listen and obey even in the presence of atharah (favoritism).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his Companions from among the Ansar, “You will face atharah after I am gone, so be patient until you meet me at the Basin.” He addressed the Ansar with these words over fourteen hundred years ago: you will encounter favoritism after me—and from that time on, rulers have indeed favored themselves over their subjects—yet he still said, “Be patient until you meet me at the Basin.” Thus, the rulers’ self-favoring is no excuse for abandoning listening and obedience. The obligation is to listen and obey in everything they command, so long as they do not command disobedience, and we have already noted that the rulers’ directives fall into three categories: