صحيح البخاري
Bukhari
كتاب الجهاد والسيرThe Book of Jihad (Fighting For Allah’S Cause)
بَابُ عَزْمِ الإِمَامِ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِيمَا يُطِيقُونَ:Chapter. The Imam should order the people to do only those things that are within their ability.
Hadith 2964
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، لَقَدْ أَتَانِي الْيَوْمَ رَجُلٌ فَسَأَلَنِي عَنْ أَمْرٍ مَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ : أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا مُؤْدِيًا نَشِيطًا يَخْرُجُ مَعَ أُمَرَائِنَا فِي الْمَغَازِي ، فَيَعْزِمُ عَلَيْنَا فِي أَشْيَاءَ لَا نُحْصِيهَا ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ : وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي مَا أَقُولُ لَكَ إِلَّا أَنَّا كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَعَسَى أَنْ لَا يَعْزِمَ عَلَيْنَا فِي أَمْرٍ إِلَّا مَرَّةً حَتَّى نَفْعَلَهُ ، وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَنْ يَزَالَ بِخَيْرٍ مَا اتَّقَى اللَّهَ ، وَإِذَا شَكَّ فِي نَفْسِهِ شَيْءٌ سَأَلَ رَجُلًا فَشَفَاهُ مِنْهُ ، وَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ لَا تَجِدُوهُ وَالَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَا أَذْكُرُ مَا غَبَرَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ، إِلَّا كَالثَّغْبِ شُرِبَ صَفْوُهُ وَبَقِيَ كَدَرُهُ .
Narrated `Abdullah: Today a man came to me and asked me a question which I did not know how to answer. He said, "Tell me, if a wealthy active man, well-equipped with arms, goes out on military expeditions with our chiefs, and orders us to do such things as we cannot do (should we obey him?)" I replied, "By Allah, I do not know what to reply you, except that we, were in the company of the Prophet and he used to order us to do a thing once only till we finished it. And no doubt, everyone among you will remain in a good state as long as he obeys Allah. If one is in doubt as to the legality of something, he should ask somebody who would satisfy him, but soon will come a time when you will not find such a man. By Him, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped. I see that the example of what has passed of this life (to what remains thereof) is like a pond whose fresh water has been used up and nothing remains but muddy water."
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) gave an ambiguous answer. His intent is precisely that obedience to an authority is obligatory and necessary as long as the command is not contrary to the Shari'ah.
He issued a ruling in accordance with the Qur'anic verse: “So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” (: an-Nahl: 43), and there is no restriction that one must ask a particular scholar.
Rather, the duty of a layperson is that, whoever among the scholars he considers to be religious, pious, and God-fearing, he should ask him about religious matters.
From this, the notion of personal (individual) taqlid is also refuted—that it is incorrect for a common person to cling to only one scholar.
Rather, whichever scholar appears good to him, he may ask him about the issue.
This ruling also applies to those scholars who are alive and present.
As for those who have passed away centuries ago, to continue following only them, and even to fabricate an independent Shari'ah in their name—this is the disease in which most of the general muqallids (followers) are entangled.
They have divided the true religion into four parts, thereby tearing apart the unity of the Ummah.
Alas! The first deadly corruption in the Ummah began with this personal taqlid.
“They made the true religion into four madhhabs, and thus created a breach in the religion of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).”
If in the hadith, the word “ghubr” is taken to mean muddy water, then it is a comparison to clear water; and if it is taken to mean “that which remains,” then it is a comparison to filth.
The meaning is that the good people have departed, and the bad remain.
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) gave an ambiguous answer. His intent is precisely that obedience to an authority is obligatory and necessary as long as the command is not contrary to the Shari'ah.
He issued a ruling in accordance with the Qur'anic verse: “So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” (: an-Nahl: 43), and there is no restriction that one must ask a particular scholar.
Rather, the duty of a layperson is that, whoever among the scholars he considers to be religious, pious, and God-fearing, he should ask him about religious matters.
From this, the notion of personal (individual) taqlid is also refuted—that it is incorrect for a common person to cling to only one scholar.
Rather, whichever scholar appears good to him, he may ask him about the issue.
This ruling also applies to those scholars who are alive and present.
As for those who have passed away centuries ago, to continue following only them, and even to fabricate an independent Shari'ah in their name—this is the disease in which most of the general muqallids (followers) are entangled.
They have divided the true religion into four parts, thereby tearing apart the unity of the Ummah.
Alas! The first deadly corruption in the Ummah began with this personal taqlid.
“They made the true religion into four madhhabs, and thus created a breach in the religion of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).”
If in the hadith, the word “ghubr” is taken to mean muddy water, then it is a comparison to clear water; and if it is taken to mean “that which remains,” then it is a comparison to filth.
The meaning is that the good people have departed, and the bad remain.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2964
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
The issue here is that if the Imam appoints someone to a place that is extremely distressing and dangerous, and performing duty there is beyond his capacity, then is it necessary in such a situation to obey the Imam’s command or not? Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radi Allahu anhu) hesitated to give a clear answer in this matter, because if it is said that obedience to the leader is obligatory even in such circumstances, then this would be a fatwa contrary to the truth. And if a fatwa is given permitting disobedience to the leader and not following his command, then every person would become emboldened to oppose the leader’s orders.
In this way, there is a risk of falling into tribulation, so in such matters, it is better to withhold judgment.
However, after this hesitation, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radi Allahu anhu) gave the fatwa of the obligation to obey the leader, provided that the command is in accordance with piety (taqwa).
The summary is that when a difficult matter arises, one should withhold judgment so that discord does not spread.
It should be clear that withholding judgment will be in matters related to administration, but in religious (shar’i) matters, compliance is necessary.
The Imam should also take into account the sensitivity of the time and the realities on the ground, and should not unnecessarily put anyone into tribulation, but rather assign tasks to people according to their strength and capability.
And Allah knows best.
The issue here is that if the Imam appoints someone to a place that is extremely distressing and dangerous, and performing duty there is beyond his capacity, then is it necessary in such a situation to obey the Imam’s command or not? Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radi Allahu anhu) hesitated to give a clear answer in this matter, because if it is said that obedience to the leader is obligatory even in such circumstances, then this would be a fatwa contrary to the truth. And if a fatwa is given permitting disobedience to the leader and not following his command, then every person would become emboldened to oppose the leader’s orders.
In this way, there is a risk of falling into tribulation, so in such matters, it is better to withhold judgment.
However, after this hesitation, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radi Allahu anhu) gave the fatwa of the obligation to obey the leader, provided that the command is in accordance with piety (taqwa).
The summary is that when a difficult matter arises, one should withhold judgment so that discord does not spread.
It should be clear that withholding judgment will be in matters related to administration, but in religious (shar’i) matters, compliance is necessary.
The Imam should also take into account the sensitivity of the time and the realities on the ground, and should not unnecessarily put anyone into tribulation, but rather assign tasks to people according to their strength and capability.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 2964
