Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Because in another hadith it is stated «لا طاعةَ لمخلوق في معصيةِ الخالقِ» "The greatest sovereign is Allah, the Exalted; no one’s command should be heeded in opposition to His command." If any ruler gives a command contrary to the Shari‘ah, he should be advised and corrected. Otherwise, all the people should unite and depose such a ruler. This hadith also refutes those who, despite the presence of Qur’anic verses and Prophetic hadiths, persist in adhering to the statements of their imams, and who, by making erroneous interpretations of the verses and hadiths, try to evade them. Many examples of this can be seen in the book "I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in" by Allamah Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah. In the words of Hujjat al-Hind Hazrat Shah Waliullah rahimahullah, what answer will such people give on the day when they will have to stand in the supreme court of Allah? In the Noble Qur’an, wherever obedience to parents is commanded, it is also clearly stated that if the parents command one to commit shirk (associating partners with Allah), then their obedience is absolutely not permissible. This hadith severs the very root of blind imitation (taqlid jamid). As it has been rightly said: "Fahrob ‘an al-taqlid fa huwa dalalah, an al-muqallid fi sabil al-halika"—that is, keep away from blind imitation, for it is the path of destruction... This point must also be kept in mind. For further details, one should study "Mi‘yar al-Haqq" by Shaykh al-Kull Mawlana Sayyid Nadhir Husayn Sahib rahimahullah, the hadith scholar of Delhi.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In another hadith it is stated:
“There is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator.”
(Musnad Ahmad 1/131)
The greatest authority is Allah, the Exalted.
In violation of His command, one should neither listen to nor obey the command of anyone else.
If any ruler gives a command contrary to the Shari‘ah, he should be advised.
If he refrains, that is correct; otherwise, all the people together should depose him.

➋
In this regard, the position of the majority (jumhur) is that when an oppressive ruler is managing the affairs of the country properly, it is not permissible to raise the banner of rebellion against him, nor is it permissible to break allegiance (bay‘ah) to him.
This hadith is also a strong proof against blind following (taqlid), because rigid taqlid is a path to destruction.

Hadith Commentary:

Whether it is an amir (leader) or a mujtahid imam (jurisprudent), the possibility of error exists for everyone; therefore, it is not permissible to obey them in their mistakes.
This, in essence, cuts at the root of blind following (taqlid).
Nowadays, for a mosque imam to appoint himself as imam and caliph, and to declare those who do not accept his authority as falling under the purview of this hadith, is to make a mockery of this hadith, and to become an example of “one who is neither literate nor learned, yet claims the title of Muhammad Fadil.”
Such imams, while living under the servitude of outsiders, call themselves caliphs and thereby mock the Islamic caliphate.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
There remains the possibility of error in the Amir or Imam due to their being human; it is not permissible to obey them in their mistakes, but rebellion against them is also not permitted. However, if the ruler of the time commits clear disbelief (kufr buwah), that is, his disbelief is as clear as daylight, then in such circumstances, it is necessary to separate from him.
If one has the courage, one should confront such an Imam and stand firm against him.
The one who shows flattery or displays cowardice will be sinful and may be questioned by Allah ta'ala.
If someone is weak, then it is necessary for him to migrate from there and save his religion.
If he is not in a position to migrate from there, then he should continue to feel distress in his heart and maintain hatred towards them.

➋
In any case, to create turmoil and disorder or to pave the way for armed rebellion on the basis of trivial matters is very harmful for Islam and the people of Islam.
In any case, in these ahadith, "Imam" does not refer to the Imam of a mosque, nor does "Amir" refer to the leader of an organization; to do so is to mock the hadith.
Wallahu al-musta‘an.

Explanation:
1:
That is, whether the command of the Imam is agreeable or disagreeable, it is necessary to carry it out,
provided that it is not related to disobedience (ma‘siyah).
If it is related to disobedience, then it should be avoided.
However, one must also avoid a situation in which opposition to the Imam could lead to the emergence of discord and corruption (fitnah wa fasad).

Benefits and Issues:
(1)
One should not refuse to obey the leader in a righteous deed, even if that deed feels naturally unpleasant.

(2)
It is not permissible to comply with an unlawful command.