صحيح البخاري
Bukhari
كتاب الأحكامThe Book of Al-Ahkam (Judgements)
بَابُ الْعُرَفَاءِ لِلنَّاسِ:Chapter. The Urafa appointed to look after the people’s affairs.
Hadith 7176
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ : حَدَّثَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ ، أَنَّمَرْوَانَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ ، وَالْمِسْوَرَ بْنَ مَخْرَمَةَ ، أَخْبَرَاهُ ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ حِينَ أَذِنَ لَهُمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي عِتْقِ سَبْيِ هَوَازِنَ : " إِنِّي لَا أَدْرِي مَنْ أَذِنَ مِنْكُمْ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَأْذَنْ ، فَارْجِعُوا حَتَّى يَرْفَعَ إِلَيْنَا عُرَفَاؤُكُمْ أَمْرَكُمْ ، فَرَجَعَ النَّاسُ ، فَكَلَّمَهُمْ عُرَفَاؤُهُمْ ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ طَيَّبُوا وَأَذِنُوا " .
Narrated `Urwa bin Az-Zubair: Marwan bin Al-Hakam and Al-Miswar bin Makhrama told him that when the Muslims were permitted to set free the captives of Hawazin, Allah's Apostle said, "I do not know who amongst you has agreed (to it) and who has not. Go back so that your 'Urafa' may submit your decision to us." So the people returned and their 'Urafa' talked to them and then came back to Allah's Apostle and told him that the people had given their consent happily and permitted (their captives to be freed).
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
The administrator and chief of a specific group of people is called an ‘arif (chowdhury, overseer).
In one hadith, it is stated that the ‘urafa (plural of ‘arif) will enter Hell, and there is destruction for the rulers as well.
(Musnad Ahmad: 352/2)
By this are meant those administrators who transgress limits and commit oppression and injustice.
‘Urafa are not condemned in an absolute sense, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself permitted this system.
No individual can manage the affairs of the state alone; he needs ‘urafa (administrators, etc.) at the lower level,
who convey the needs and issues of the people to the supreme authority and communicate the laws and instructions of the government to the general public. Accordingly, Ibn Battal has written that the aforementioned hadith contains a statement of the legitimacy of ‘urafa and administrators, because the Imam of the time cannot directly manage all affairs.
He needs this system so that the affairs of the people can be resolved in the best manner and in a timely fashion, and so that they do not face any kind of difficulty.
(Fath al-Bari: 210/13)
The administrator and chief of a specific group of people is called an ‘arif (chowdhury, overseer).
In one hadith, it is stated that the ‘urafa (plural of ‘arif) will enter Hell, and there is destruction for the rulers as well.
(Musnad Ahmad: 352/2)
By this are meant those administrators who transgress limits and commit oppression and injustice.
‘Urafa are not condemned in an absolute sense, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself permitted this system.
No individual can manage the affairs of the state alone; he needs ‘urafa (administrators, etc.) at the lower level,
who convey the needs and issues of the people to the supreme authority and communicate the laws and instructions of the government to the general public. Accordingly, Ibn Battal has written that the aforementioned hadith contains a statement of the legitimacy of ‘urafa and administrators, because the Imam of the time cannot directly manage all affairs.
He needs this system so that the affairs of the people can be resolved in the best manner and in a timely fashion, and so that they do not face any kind of difficulty.
(Fath al-Bari: 210/13)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 7176
