have believed, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. If you differ about anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and yields the best outcome” (al-Nisāʾ 4:59). In this verse the Almighty commands obedience to Himself, to His Messenger, and to those who hold authority among us.

“Those in authority” includes both the scholars and the rulers: the scholars are our authorities in explaining Allah’s religion, while the rulers are our authorities in enforcing Allah’s sharia. Scholars cannot function properly without the rulers, nor rulers without the scholars. The rulers must consult the scholars so that they may understand Allah’s law, and the scholars must advise the rulers, remind them of Allah, and exhort them until they implement His sharia among His servants.

He then says, “If you differ about anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger,” meaning that when you disagree over any matter, the opinion of one party is not binding upon the others. Rather, the decisive judgment belongs to Allah and His Messenger, so you must return the dispute to their judgment. Returning to Allah means returning to His Book, the magnificent Qur’an; returning to the Messenger means returning to his sunnah—consulting him personally while he was alive, and after his death consulting what has been authentically transmitted of his sunnah. “If you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day”: this clause urges the believers to defer to Allah and His Messenger, and shows that doing so is an essential requirement of faith.

“That is better and yields the best outcome,” that is, it brings about the finest end. Referring matters to Allah and His Messenger is better for the ummah and leads to the best consequences, no matter how some may imagine that turning back to the Qur’an and the sunnah would impose burdens people cannot bear. Such a notion is completely mistaken.