The Book on Government

كتاب الإمارة

Chapter 5: The virtue of a just ruler and the punishment of a tyrant; Encouragement to treat those under one's authority with kindness and the prohibition against causing them hardship

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abd al-Rahman b. Shumasa with another chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Hasan who said

Ibn, Ziyad paid a visit to Ma'qil b. Yasir who was seriously ill. Here follows the same tradition as has gone before with the addition that Ibn Ziyad asked: Why didn't you narrate this tradition to me before this day? Ma'qil reprimanded him and said: I did not narrate it to you or I was not going to narrate it to you.

Chapter 6: Emphatic prohibition against stealing from the spoils of war (Ghulul)

The above tradition has been narrated on the same authority through different chains of transmitters.

Chapter 7: The prohibition of giving gifts to agents

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed a man from the Asad tribe who was called Ibn Lutbiyya in charge of Sadaqa (i. e. authorised hign to receive Sadaqa from the people on behalf of the State. When he returned (with the collictions), he said: This is for you and (this is mine as) it was presented to me as a gift. The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upod him) stood on the pulpit and praised God and extolled Him. Then he said: What about a State official whom I give an assignment and who (comes and) says: This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift? Why didn't he remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother so that he could observe whether gifts were presented to him or not. By the Being in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, any one of you will not take anything from it but will bring it on the Day of Judgment, carrying on his neck a camel that will be growling, or a cow that will be bellowing or an ewe that will be bleating. Then he raised his hands so that we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said twice: O God, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments).

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed a man from the Azd tribe called Ibn al-Utbiyya, in charge of Sadaqat to be received from Banu Sulaim. When he came (back), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him to render his account. He said: This wealth is for you (i.e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift (presented to me). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: You should have remained in the house of your father and your mother, until your gift came to you if you spoke the truth; then he addressed us. He praised God and extolled Him, and afterwards said: I appoint a man from you to a responsible post sharing with him authority that God has entrusted to me, and he comes to me saying: This wealth is for you (i.e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift presented to me. Why did he not remain in the house of his father and his mother and his gift came to him, if he was truthful? By God, any one of you will not take anything from (the public funds) without any justification, but will meet his Lord carrying it on himself on the Day of judgment. I will recognise any one of you meeting Allah and carrying a growling camel, or a cow bellowing or a goat bleating. Then he raised his hands so high that whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Then he said: O my Lord, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments). The narrator says: My eyes saw (the Prophet standing in that pose) and my ears heard (what he said).

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.

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 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).

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).

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. Umm Husain. He said'

I heard her say: I performed Hajjat-ul-Wada' in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said a lot of things (on this occasion). Then I heard him say: If a maimed slave is appointed a commander over you the narrator says: I think she said:" a black stave" who leads you according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey him.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) said

It is obligatory upon a Muslim that he should listen (to the ruler appointed over him) and obey him whether he likes it or not, except that he is ordered to do a sinful thing. If he is ordered to do a sinful act, a Muslim should neither listen to him nor should he obey his orders.

Chapter 10: The obligation of fulfilling oaths of allegiance is owed to the first of two Caliphs

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Abd Rabb al-Ka'ba as-Sa'idl who said

I saw a group of people near the Ka'ba.... Then he narrated the tradition as narrated by A'mash.

Chapter 11: The command to be patient in the face of oppressive rulers and their selfishness

This tradition has been narrated on the same authority through a different chain of transmitters. Another version of the tradition narrated on the authority of Shu'ba does not include the words

" He took the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) aside."

Chapter 12: Obeying Rulers even if they withhold the people's rights

It has been narrated on the authority of Alqama b. Wai'l al-Hadrami who learnt the tradition from his father. The latter said

Salama b. Yazid al-ju'afi asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Prophet of Allah, what do you think if we have rulers who rule over us and demand that we discharge our obligations towards them, but they (themselves) do not discharge their own responsibilities towards us? What do you order us to do? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) avoided giving any answer. Salama asked him again. He (again) avoided giving any answer. Then he asked again-it was the second time or the third time-when Ash'ath b. Qais (finding that the Prophet was unnecessarily being pressed for answer) pulled him aside and said: Listen to them and obey them, for on them shall he their burden and on you shall be your burden.

It has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters, on the authority of Simak who said

Ash'ath b. Qais pulled him (Salama b. Yazid) when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Listen to them and obey them, for on them shall be the burden of what they do and on you shall be the burden of what you do.

Chapter 13: The obligation of staying with the Jama'ah (main body) of the muslims when Fitn (tribulations) appear, and in all circumstances. The prohibition of refusing to obey and on splitting away from the Jama'ah

It has been narrated on the authority of Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman who said

People used to ask the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the good times, but I used to ask him about bad times fearing lest they overtake me. I said: Messenger of Allah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then God brought us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time? He said: Yes, but therein will be a hidden evil. I asked: What will be the evil hidden therein? He said: (That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and seek guidance other than mine. You will know good points as well as bad points. I asked: Will there be a bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. (A time will come) when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whoso responds to their call they will throw them into the fire. I said: Messenger of Allah, describe them for us. He said: All right. They will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language. I said: Messenger of Allah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time? He said: You should stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader. I said: If they have no (such thing as the) main body and have no leader? He said: Separate yourself from all these factions, though you may have to eat the roots of trees (in a jungle) until death comes to you and you are in this state.

This hadlth has been narrated on the authority of Jarir with the same chain of transmitters with a slight variation in wording.

It has been reported on the authority of Nafi, that 'Abdullah b. Umar paid a visit to Abdullah b. Muti' in the days (when atrocities were perpetrated on the People Of Medina) at Harra in the time of Yazid b. Mu'awiya. Ibn Muti' said

Place a pillow for Abu 'Abd al-Rahman (family name of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar). But the latter said: I have not come to sit with you. I have come to you to tell you a tradition I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I heard him say: One who withdraws his band from obedience (to the Amir) will find no argument (in his defence) when he stands before Allah on the Day of Judgment, and one who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to an Amir) will die the death of one belonging to the days of Jahillyya.

The same tradition has been transmitted by a different chain of narrators.