The Book on Government

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

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.

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.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took an oath of allegiance from us on our listening to and obeying the orders of our commander in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure (and even) when somebody is given preference over us, on our avoiding to dispute the delegation of powers to a person deemed to be a fit recipient thereof (in the eye of one who delegates it) and on our telling the truth in whatever position we be without fearing in the matter ef Allah the reproach of the reproacher.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ubada b. Walid with the same chain of transmitters.

The same tradition has been handed down through more than one chain of transmitters.

We called upon 'Ubada b. Samit who was ill and said to him: May God give you health I Narrate to us a tradition which God may prove beneficial (to us) and which you have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called us and we took the oath of allegiance to him. Among the injunctions he made binding upon us was: Listening and obedience (to the Amir) in our pleasure and displeasure, in our adversity and prosperity, even when somebody is given preference over us, and without disputing the delegation of powers to a man duly invested with them (Obedience shall be accorded to him in all circumstances) except when you have clear signs of his disbelief in (or disobedience to) God-signs that could be used as a conscientious justification (for non-compliance with his orders).

" 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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).

" An Abyssinian slave maimed and disabled."

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