The dislike of leadership, and the dislike of taking up its duties for one who sees weakness in himself or sees that the obligation is fulfilled by others

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O Abu Dharr! I love for you what I love for myself. I see that you are weak, so do not become the commander of (even) two, and do not take charge of an orphan's wealth."

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, appoint me as an official. He (peace and blessings be upon him) struck my shoulder with his hand, then said: "O Abu Dharr! You are weak, and this is a trust; it will be a cause of regret and disgrace on the Day of Resurrection, except for the one who fulfils its right."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will covet leadership, yet it will be a cause of regret and remorse on the Day of Resurrection. What an excellent wet nurse it is, and what an evil weaner! (Gaining authority is pleasing, but when it ends it is not pleasing.)"

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever becomes the commander of ten men will be brought on the Day of Resurrection with his hands tied to his neck."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever becomes the commander of ten men will come on the Day of Resurrection bound; his justice will free him or his injustice will destroy him."

Muhammad bin al-Munkadir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Grant me too authority over some of what Allah has placed you in charge of. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)! A soul that you save is better than an authority whose due you cannot fully discharge."
(b) Muhammad bin al-Munkadir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to authority?
The mursal (version) is the preserved one; the first is more authentic, and this al-Sulami al-Basri alone narrated it (as connected).

Ziyad bin Nu'aym al-Hadrami said: Ziyad bin al-Harith al-Suda'i (may Allah be pleased with him), the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and pledged allegiance to him on Islam. He mentioned the hadith to us, and in it is: He (peace and blessings be upon him) camped at a place, and the people there were complaining about their governor. They were saying: He has taken from us things that were (settled) by agreement between us and his people in the Jahiliyyah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Did he do that?" They said: Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to his Companions, and I was among them, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no good in leadership for a believing man."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever has been entrusted with the office of judge has been slaughtered without a knife."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever sits as a judge among the Muslims has been slaughtered without a knife."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is made a judge has been slaughtered without a knife."

Imran bin Hittan said: I heard Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), when the office of judge was mentioned in her presence; she said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "The just judge will be brought on the Day of Resurrection, and because of the severity of the reckoning he will wish that he had never judged between two people even over a single date."

Imran bin Hittan narrates from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The just judge will be brought." He mentioned the like of it.

Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), and sometimes he narrated it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no one who judges between people except that an angel is appointed over him who holds him by the nape of his neck and keeps him standing at the edge of Hell, and (the angel) raises his head towards Allah. If Allah commands, he throws him into a depth of Hell of forty years."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Woe to the rulers, the chiefs (urafa') and the trustees! On the Day of Resurrection people will wish that their forelocks had been tied to the Pleiades (al-Thurayya), dangling between the heavens and the earth, and that they had never been put in charge of any task."

Hisham narrates in the same way with his chain, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Their forelocks were tied to the Pleiades, and they were dangling in between."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Being a chief (irafah) is at first a cause of blame, at the end a cause of regret, and on the Day of Resurrection a cause of punishment." Abu Hazim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): (Except) the one among them who fears Allah? He said: I narrate it just as I heard it.

Amr bin Maymun (may Allah have mercy on him) related, concerning the story of the killing of Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): We came to him, and the people were praising him. A young man came and said: O Commander of the Believers, rejoice in the glad tidings from Allah for you: you had the companionship of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the precedence in Islam that you know of; then you were made ruler and you were just; then (came) martyrdom. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O my nephew, (I wish) it would just come out even, neither reward nor punishment; that alone is enough. When he turned away, his lower garment was touching the ground. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Bring that young man back. O my nephew, raise your garment, for it is cleaner for your garment and more pleasing to your Lord.

Simak said: I heard Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) saying: When Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was stabbed, I went in to him and said: Rejoice, O Commander of the Believers! Allah Almighty has built or populated cities through you, removed hypocrisy through you, and spread provision through you. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), do you wish to praise my leadership? He said: Yes, and other than that as well. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah, my wish is that I leave it just as I entered (it), with neither reward nor sin.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) used to fast. A man came to him while he was eating bread and chard, and he said: Come and eat. He said: The man asked him about something; I think he asked about some matter of judgeship. So Sa'id (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Fool! Go to the judge who has been seated for this work. Should I occupy myself with this work, or with you as well?

Ayyub (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The one who flees most from the office of judge is the one who knows it better than other people, and no one knows it better than Abu Qilabah (may Allah have mercy on him). It was intended to make Muhammad bin Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) a judge, so he fled once to Syria and another time to Yamamah, and when he came to Basrah he would live in hiding until he left it.

Ayyub narrates from Abu Qilabah (may Allah have mercy on him) that the example of a judge is like that of a man swimming in the sea: how long will he keep swimming before he drowns? Abu Qilabah (may Allah have mercy on him) was summoned for the office of judge, but he fled.

Ibn Abi al-Sahba' al-Taymi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I came to Muharib bin Dithar (may Allah have mercy on him) while he was standing in prayer. When he saw me, he shortened the prayer. Then he came and sat in the judges' seat. Then he sent someone to me and asked: Have you come with a dispute, have you come to greet, or is there some other need? I said: I have come only to greet. The messenger went and informed him, then came to me and said: Stand up. He said: I greeted him, and he praised and glorified Allah, then said: 'Allahumma innaka ta'lamu anni lam ajlis li-hadha al-majlis alladhi ibtalaytani bihi wa qaddartahu 'alayya illa wa ana akrahuhu wa ubghiduhu, fakfini sharra 'awaqibihi' (O Allah, You know that I have not sat in this seat with which You have tested me and which You decreed for me except while I dislike it and detest it, so protect me from the evil of its consequences). Then he took out a clean piece of cloth, placed it over his face and kept weeping until I stood up. The narrator said: He remained as long as Allah willed. Then Ibn Shubrumah (may Allah have mercy on him) became judge. I came to him and found that he too was praying. When he saw me, he shortened the prayer. Then a messenger came to me and said: Have you come with a dispute, or to greet, or is there some other need? I said: I have come only to greet. The messenger went and informed him, then came to me and said: Get up. I went, greeted him and sat beside him. He said: Tell me the story of my brother Muharib bin Dithar. I told him the story, and he said: 'Allahumma innaka ta'lamu anni lam ajlis hadha al-majlis alladhi ibtalaytani bihi illa wa ana uhibbuhu wa ashtahihi, fakfini sharra 'awaqibihi' (O Allah, You know that I have not sat in this seat with which You have tested me except while I love it and desire it, so protect me from the evil of its consequences). Then he took out a clean piece of cloth, placed it over his face and kept weeping until I stood up.

Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I heard Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) saying: When Muharib bin Dithar (may Allah have mercy on him) became judge, it was said to al-Hakam bin Utaybah (may Allah have mercy on him): Why do you not go to him? He said: By Allah! In my view he has not gained any prize for which I should congratulate him, nor has any calamity befallen him for which I should console him. And I did not use to visit him before this, that I should go to visit him today.

Abu Nu'aym (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Qadi Shurayh (may Allah have mercy on him) came out from Ziyad, and a man met him and said: Your age has advanced, your bones have grown frail, and your son has taken bribes. He went back to Ziyad and informed him of this. He said: Who told you this? He said: I do not know him, so excuse me (from the office). Ziyad said: I will not excuse you until you point me to a man. So he pointed to Abu Burdah (may Allah have mercy on him), and he made him judge.

Sufyan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A governor summoned Qa'nab al-Tamimi (may Allah have mercy on him) and wanted to give him the office of judge, but he refused. After repeated insistence the office was given to him. When he left him, he abandoned the office and went into hiding, so the governor sent men to search for him. While they were searching, the roof of the house in which he was hiding collapsed, and they did not even know of it. They only learned of it when his funeral bier was brought out.

Al-Layth (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Abu Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on him) said to me: Become governor of Egypt on my behalf. I said: O Commander of the Faithful! I am a weak man. I am one of the mawali (freedmen). He said: You are not weak; it is only your intention to work with me that is weak. Do you want greater strength than mine, and greater work than my work? He said: If you refuse, then direct me to a man to whom I can entrust the governorship of Egypt. I said: Uthman bin al-Hakam al-Judhami (may Allah have mercy on him) is a righteous man, and he has a tribe as well. When this reached him, he swore by Allah that he would never speak to al-Layth bin Sa'd (may Allah have mercy on him).

Abu Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When Sawwar, the judge of Basrah, died, Abu Ja'far al-Mansur summoned Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) and said: Sawwar, the judge of Basrah, has died, and this city needs a judge. I am entrusting the office of judge to you, so accept it. Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: By Allah! I am not fit for the office of judge. O Commander of the Faithful! If I am telling the truth, then it is not proper to give the office of judge to a man who is not fit for it; and if I am lying, then do not give the office of judge to a liar. This office suits some Arab man; I will oppose you. The narrator said: Al-Mansur said: You have spoken the truth that those fit for this office were people like Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). "That was a nation which has passed away; for them is what they earned." [Surah al-Baqarah: 134] As for your saying that the Arabs are fit for it, Allah Almighty says: "Indeed, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you." [Surah al-Hujurat: 13] We are only to strive among the people of our own time. And as for your saying that you have taken up opposition to me, one opinion may differ from another, so accept this matter. Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: O Commander of the Faithful! Let me go, otherwise I will begin the talbiyah right here, this very hour, and then it will not be permissible for you to imprison one who is reciting the talbiyah. The narrator said: So he let him go.

Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sufyan al-Thawri went to the Commander of the Faithful. He was making himself appear mad, stroking the carpet and saying: How beautiful it is, how beautiful it is! For how much did you buy this? Then he began saying: Urine, urine! Until he got out, so that he might stay far from their affairs and remain safe.

Ubayd bin Ya'ish (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man was praising Sufyan (may Allah have mercy on him): Sufyan (may Allah have mercy on him) chose to guard himself and went out taking his religion with him, while Sharik (may Allah have mercy on him) lay in wait for his dirhams.

Yunus bin Abd al-A'la (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Caliph wrote to Abdullah bin Wahb (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding the judgeship of Egypt, so he made himself appear mad and kept to his house. One day he was about to perform ablution in the middle of the house when Rishdin bin Sa'd (may Allah have mercy on him) saw him from the roof and said: "O Abu Muhammad! Will you not go out to the people and judge between them by what Allah and His Messenger have commanded? You have made yourself appear mad and kept to your house." He raised his head and said: "Is this the limit of your knowledge? Do you not know that the judges will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection with the rulers, and the scholars will be gathered with the prophets and messengers?"

Yahya bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy on him) was rebuking al-Husayn bin Mansur for entering into the 'adalah (the office of vouching for witnesses). Then he said: Did you not yourself relate from Sufyan bin Uyaynah (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: Do not be one who vouches for witnesses, nor one whom such a voucher knows? Then Yahya bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The 'adalah is nothing but a little platter that is sent to one of them.

Al-Husayn bin Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I went to Yahya bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy on him) and greeted him, but he did not even look at me. I sat down in a corner until the people dispersed. Then I drew near, kissed his head and said: O teacher! What offence have I committed? He said: Yes, you have committed a very great crime and sin. I said: What is it? He said: What do you think, when it is called out on the Day of Resurrection: Where are the associates of Abdullah bin Tahir? Are you not one of those who have been taken into the 'adalah? He said: I said: I seek the forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance. He said: He came close to me, embraced me and said: Now you are my brother.

The office of judge in Naysabur was offered to al-Husayn bin Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him). He remained in hiding for three days, supplicated to Allah Almighty, and died on the third day.

Ahmad bin Sa'id al-Ribati (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I came to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), and he would not even raise his head towards me. I said: O Abu Abdullah! (Hadiths) have been written down from me in Khurasan; if you treat me in this way, people will abandon my hadiths. He said to me: O Ahmad! Is there any escape from it being called out on the Day of Resurrection: Where are Abdullah bin Tahir and his followers? So see where you will be among them. I said: O Abu Abdullah! He appointed me over the affairs of the ribat, and so I entered among them. The narrator said: He kept repeating the same words to me: O Ahmad! It is inevitable that on the Day of Resurrection it will be asked: Where are the followers of Abdullah bin Tahir? See where you will be among them!

Ali bin al-Abbas bin al-Walid al-Bajali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We were with Nasr bin Ali al-Jahdami (may Allah have mercy on him) in the evening when a letter from the ruler reached us, appointing him to the judgeship of Basrah (i.e., to accept the office of judge). He said: Tonight I will consult my heart, and tomorrow I will tell you. The next morning we went to him, and at his door there was a bier. We said: What is this? They said: Nasr has died. We asked his family about him, and they said: He spent the night praying, and when it was the time of suhur he made a long prostration. We moved him and found him dead.