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مسند الشهاب
Musnad Shihab
Hadiths 1001 to 1200
إِنَّا لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُWe do not appoint to our work those who desire it
Hadith 1134
اُردوEn
1134 - أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْمُقْرِئُ، أبنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْبَزَّارُ، ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، ثنا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ هِلَالٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ: أَقْبَلَتْ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ، فَقَالَ «يَا أَبَا مُوسَى - أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ - إِنَّا لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ»
Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that I went to the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and two men from the Ash‘ari tribe were with me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Musa!" or he said: "O Abdullah bin Qais! Indeed, we do not appoint to our work the one who desires it."
Brief Explanation
Explanation:
This is an abridgment of a lengthy hadith; the complete hadith is as follows: Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari radi Allahu anhu says that I presented myself in the service of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and with me were two men from the Ash‘ari tribe—one on my right and the other on my left. Both of them requested a position of authority. At that time, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was using a tooth-stick (miswak). He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Abu Musa! What do you say?” or he said: “Abdullah bin Qais!” I replied: By the One Who sent you with the truth, they did not inform me of what was in their hearts, nor did I know that they would request a position. Sayyiduna Abu Musa radi Allahu anhu says: It is as if I am seeing the tooth-stick beneath your lips, which had worn down. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “We do not appoint to our work anyone who desires it...”
In this blessed hadith, a very excellent principle has been stated: that a person who himself seeks an office or position should never be given it, and the one who flees from it should be given it, provided he is qualified for it. The wisdom in this is that if a position is given upon request, then there will not be divine assistance from Allah, as is mentioned in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Samurah radi Allahu anhu. (See Sahih Muslim: 1652) And when there is no assistance, it means that the person is not qualified for it; therefore, giving such a position to an unqualified person is foolishness.
However, this does not mean that a rightful person should be deprived of his right merely because he requested it. Rather, if a person is qualified for a position while that position is in the hands of unqualified people, then in such a case it is necessary to give him the position, whether he requests it or not. Just as Sayyiduna Yusuf the Truthful alayhis salam requested a governmental position for himself from the king of Egypt, and in the Qur’an, Allah Ta‘ala’s command is also:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا﴾ (an-Nisa: 58)
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.”
This is an abridgment of a lengthy hadith; the complete hadith is as follows: Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari radi Allahu anhu says that I presented myself in the service of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and with me were two men from the Ash‘ari tribe—one on my right and the other on my left. Both of them requested a position of authority. At that time, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was using a tooth-stick (miswak). He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Abu Musa! What do you say?” or he said: “Abdullah bin Qais!” I replied: By the One Who sent you with the truth, they did not inform me of what was in their hearts, nor did I know that they would request a position. Sayyiduna Abu Musa radi Allahu anhu says: It is as if I am seeing the tooth-stick beneath your lips, which had worn down. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “We do not appoint to our work anyone who desires it...”
In this blessed hadith, a very excellent principle has been stated: that a person who himself seeks an office or position should never be given it, and the one who flees from it should be given it, provided he is qualified for it. The wisdom in this is that if a position is given upon request, then there will not be divine assistance from Allah, as is mentioned in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Samurah radi Allahu anhu. (See Sahih Muslim: 1652) And when there is no assistance, it means that the person is not qualified for it; therefore, giving such a position to an unqualified person is foolishness.
However, this does not mean that a rightful person should be deprived of his right merely because he requested it. Rather, if a person is qualified for a position while that position is in the hands of unqualified people, then in such a case it is necessary to give him the position, whether he requests it or not. Just as Sayyiduna Yusuf the Truthful alayhis salam requested a governmental position for himself from the king of Egypt, and in the Qur’an, Allah Ta‘ala’s command is also:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا﴾ (an-Nisa: 58)
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.”
