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one of them.” (1)
If those among them who wield effective power appoint him, he becomes their leader. A man’s status as a leader, judge, governor, or the like is founded upon effective power and authority. Whenever the requisite power and authority are secured, these offices are established; otherwise, they are not. Their purpose is to carry out functions that cannot be performed without power. Whenever the power needed to perform those functions exists (2), the offices are established; otherwise, they are not.
This is like a man’s being the shepherd of livestock: once the livestock is entrusted to him in such a way that he can tend it, he is its shepherd; otherwise, he is not. There can be no (3) action without the power to perform it, and whoever lacks the power to perform an action is not one who performs it.
The power to govern people comes either through their obedience to him or through his subduing them. Thus, whenever
(1) This wording is similar to part of a lengthy hadith narrated from Abd Allāh ibn Amr ibn al-Ās—may Allah be pleased with them both—recorded in *al-Musnad* (al-Maārif edition), 10:174–176. It begins: “It is not lawful to marry a woman on condition that another woman be divorced…” The hadith also states: “It is not lawful for three people to be in a wilderness without appointing one of their number as leader.” Shaykh Ahmad Shākir graded the hadith authentic.
The hadith also appears in *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 3, “The Book of Jihad,” chapter “On a Group Traveling and Appointing One of Their Number as Leader,” narrated from Abū Saīd al-Khudrī—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “When three people set out on a journey, let them appoint one of their number as leader.” In the same book and chapter, Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—narrated that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “When three people are on a journey, let them appoint one of their number as leader.” Shaykh Ahmad Shākir cited both hadiths and stated that their chains of transmission are authentic (*al-Musnad*, at the passage cited above). He also noted that al-Hākim narrated a hadith with the same meaning from Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—in *al-Mustadrak*, 1:443–445. Al-Hākim stated: “This is an authentic hadith meeting the criteria of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, although they did not record it.” Al-Dhahabī concurred. See also al-Shawkānī, *Nayl al-Awtār*, 9:157–158, Cairo, 1344.
(2) N alone reads: “Whenever the power by which it is attained exists, those functions can be performed through it …,” etc.
(3) The particle *fa-lā* (“thus, there is no”) is omitted from M, A, and B.
وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمْ»
(١)
" فَإِذَا أَمَّرَهُ أَهْلُ الْقُدْرَةِ مِنْهُمْ صَارَ أَمِيرًا. فَكَوْنُ الرَّجُلِ أَمِيرًا وَقَاضِيًا وَوَالِيًا وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الَّتِي مَبْنَاهَا عَلَى الْقُدْرَةِ وَالسُّلْطَانِ، مَتَى حَصَلَ مَا يَحْصُلُ بِهِ مِنَ الْقُدْرَةِ وَالسُّلْطَانِ حَصَلَتْ وَإِلَّا فَلَا؛ إِذِ الْمَقْصُودُ بِهَا عَمَلُ أَعْمَالٍ لَا تَحْصُلُ إِلَّا بِقُدْرَةٍ، فَمَتَى حَصَلَتِ الْقُدْرَةُ الَّتِي بِهَا يُمْكِنُ تِلْكَ الْأَعْمَالُ
(٢)
كَانَتْ حَاصِلَةً وَإِلَّا فَلَا.
وَهَذَا مِثْلُ كَوْنِ الرَّجُلِ رَاعِيًا لِلْمَاشِيَةِ، مَتَى سُلِّمَتْ إِلَيْهِ بِحَيْثُ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَرْعَاهَا، كَانَ رَاعِيًا لَهَا وَإِلَّا فَلَا، فَلَا
(٣)
عَمَلَ إِلَّا بِقُدْرَةٍ عَلَيْهِ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْصُلْ لَهُ الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَامِلًا.
وَالْقُدْرَةُ عَلَى سِيَاسَةِ النَّاسِ إِمَّا بِطَاعَتِهِمْ لَهُ، وَإِمَّا بِقَهْرِهِ لَهُمْ، فَمَتَى
(١) الْحَدِيثُ بِلَفْظٍ مُقَارِبٍ جُزْءٌ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ طَوِيلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - فِي الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ١٠/١٧٤ - ١٧٦ وَأَوَّلُهُ: " لَا يَحِلُّ أَنْ يَنْكِحَ الْمَرْأَةَ بِطَلَاقِ أُخْرَى. . الْحَدِيثَ، وَفِيهِ:. . وَلَا يَحِلُّ لِثَلَاثَةِ نَفَرٍ يَكُونُونَ بِأَرْضِ فَلَاةٍ إِلَّا أَمَّرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ أَحَدَهُمْ ". وَصَحَّحَ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَد شَاكِر الْحَدِيثَ. وَجَاءَ الْحَدِيثُ فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٣
(كِتَابُ الْجِهَادِ، بَابٌ فِي الْقَوْمِ يُسَافِرُونَ يُؤَمِّرُونَ أَحَدَهُمْ) عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: إِذَا خَرَجَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ ". وَفِي نَفْسِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: " إِذَا كَانَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ ". وَذَكَرَ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَد شَاكِر الْحَدِيثَيْنِ وَقَالَ: إِنَّ إِسْنَادَهُمَا صَحِيحٌ (الْمُسْنَدَ فِي الْمَوْضِعِ السَّابِقِ) ، كَمَا أَشَارَ إِلَى أَنَّ الْحَاكِمَ رَوَى فِي مُسْتَدْرَكِهِ ١/٤٤٣ - ٤٤٥ الْحَدِيثَ بِمَعْنَاهُ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، وَقَالَ الْحَاكِمُ: " حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ " وَوَافَقَهُ الذَّهَبِيُّ. وَانْظُرْ أَيْضًا: نَيْلَ الْأَوْطَارِ لِلشَّوْكَانِيِّ ٩/١٥٧ - ١٥٨، الْقَاهِرَةُ، ١٣٤٤.
(٢) ن، (فَقَطْ) : فَمَتَى حَصَلَتِ الْقُدْرَةُ الَّتِي يَحْصُلُ بِهَا يُمْكِنُ بِهَا تِلْكَ الْأَعْمَالُ. . . إِلَخْ.
(٣) فَلَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) ، (أ) ، (ب) .