Chapter: 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:" O you who believe, obey Allah, His Apostle (ﷺ) and those in authority from amongst You" (iv. 59) -was revealed in respect of 'Abdullah bin Hudhafa bin Qais bin Adi al-Sha'bi who was despatched by the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) as leader of a military campaign. The narrator said: He was informed of this fact by Ya'la bin Muslim who was informed by Sa'id bin Jubair who in turn was informed by Ibn Abbas (RA) .

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) 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 Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 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 Hurairah (RA) through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) by more than one chain of transmitters.

Hammam bin Munabbih has transmitted this hadith on the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) .

According to one version of the tradition, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whoso obeys the commander. He did not say:" My commander."

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 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.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr (RA) 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).

In another version of the tradition, we have the wording:" An Abyssinian slave maimed and disabled."

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

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya bin Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. She said that she heard the Holy 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).

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'bah with the same chain of transmitters, and he said:" a negro slave".

In other versions of the above tradition, the wordings are" an Abyssinian slave." and" a maimed Abyssinian slave".

Another version of the tradition does not qualify the slave with the epithets" maimed,"" an Abyssinian" but makes the addition:" I have heard the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) (say this) at Mina or 'Arafat."

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya bin 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 slave" 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 Holy 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.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of 'Ubaidullah.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu 'Abdul Rahman from 'Ali that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent a force (on a mission) and appointed over them a man. He kindled a fire and said: Enter it. Some people made up their minds to enter it (the fire), (carrying out the order of their commander), but the others said: We fled from the fire (that's why we have come into the fold of Islam). The matter was reported to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . He said to those who Contemplated entering (the fire at the order of their commander): If you had entered it, you would have remained there until the Day of Judgment. He commanded the act of the latter group and said: There is no submission in matters involving God's disobedience or displeasure. Submission is obligatory only in what is good (and reasonable).

It has been narrated on the authority of 'All who said: The Mersenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an expeditionand appointed over the Mujahids a man from the Ansar. (While making the appointment), he ordered that his work should be listened to and obeyed. They made him angry in a matter. He said: Collect for me dry wood. They collected it for him. Then he said: Kindle a fire. They kindled (the fire). Then he said: Didn't the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) order you to listen to me and obey (my orders)? They said: Yes. He said: Enter the fire. The narrator says: (At this), they began to look at one another and said: We fled from the fire to (find refuge with) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (and now you order us to enter it). They stood quiet until his anger cooled down and the fire went out. When they returned, they related the incident to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . He said: If they had entered it, they would not have come out. Obedience (to the commander) is obligatory only in what is good.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of A'mash.

It has been narrated on the authority of" Ubida who learnt the tradition from his father who, in turn, learnt it from his own father. 'Ubadah's grandfather said: 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 'Ubadah bin Walid with the same chain of transmitters.

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

It has been narrated on the authority of Junida bin Abu Umayya who said: We called upon 'Ubadah bin 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).