The Book on Government

كتاب الإمارة

Chapter 7: The prohibition of giving gifts to agents

This tradition has been hanoed down through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Hisham with aslight variation in the wording.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed a man in charge of Sadaqa (authorising him to receive charity from the people on behalf of the State). He came (back to the Holy prophet) with a large number of things and started saying

This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift. Here follows the tradition that has gone before except that 'Urwa (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) asked Abu Humaid: Did you hear it from the Messenger of Allah (himself) (ﷺ)? He replied: My ears heard it from his mouth.

It has been reported on the authority of 'Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi who said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment. The narrator says: A dark-complexioned man from the Ansar stood up - I can visualise him still - and said: Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment. He said: What has happened to you? The man said: I have heard you say so and so. He said: I say that (even) now: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position of authority, he should bring everything, big or small, and whatever he is given therefrom he should take, and he should restrain himself from taking that which is forbidden.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters.

Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying (as) was narrated in the (above-mentioned) hadith.

Chapter 8: The obligation of obeying leaders in matters that do not involve sin, but it is forbidden to obey them in sinful matters

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Juraij that the Qur'anic injunction

" 0 you who believe, obey Allah, His Apostle and those in authority from amongst You" (iv. 59) -was revealed in respect of 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa b. Qais b. Adi al-Sahmi who was despatched by the Prophet (ﷺ) as leader of a military campaign. The narrator said: He was informed of this fact by Ya'la b. Muslim who was informed by Sa'id b. Jubair who in turn was informed by Ibn Abbas.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Holy prophet (ﷺ) said

Whoso obeys me obeys God, and whoso disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys the commander (appointed by me) obeys me, and whoso disobeys the commander disobeys me. The same tradition transmitted by different persons omits the portion: And whose disobeys the commander disobeys me.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

Whoso obeys me obeys God; and whose disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys my commander obeys me, and whoso disobeys my commander disobeys me.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira by more than one chain of transmitters.

Hammam b. Munabbih has transmitted this hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira.

According to one version of the tradition, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

Whoso obeys the commander. He did not say:" My commander."

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr who said

My friend (i. e. the Holy Prophet) advised me to listen (to the man in position of authority) and obey (him) even if he were a slave maimed (and disabled).

In another version of the tradition, we have the wording

" An Abyssinian slave maimed and disabled."

Abu 'Imran narrated this hadith with a slight change of wording.

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. She said that she heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering his sermon on the occasion of the Last Pilgrimage. He was saying

If a slave is appointed over you and he conducts your affairs according to the Book of Allah, you should listen to him and obeey (his orders).

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters, and he said

"An Abyssinian slave."

In other versions of the above tradition, the wordings are" an Abyssinian slave." and" a maimed Abyssinian slave".

Another version of the tradition does not qualify the slave with the epithets" maimed,"" an Abyssinian" but makes the addition

" I have heard the Prophet (ﷺ) (say this) at Mina or 'Arafat."