Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 59

59. 1. The meaning is that the real obedience is to Allah Almighty because the command belongs only to Allah; but since the Messenger ﷺ is the pure manifestation of the divine will and the representative of His pleasure, therefore Allah Almighty has made the command of the Messenger ﷺ also independently obligatory to obey along with Himself, and said that obedience to the Messenger ﷺ is in fact obedience to Allah. (مَنْ يُّطِعِ الرَّسُوْلَ فَقَدْ اَطَاع اللّٰهَ) 4:80 "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah," which makes it clear that hadith is also a source of religion just as the Noble Quran is. However, obedience to those in authority is also necessary because they either enforce the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ or manage and supervise the collective interests of the Ummah. From this, it is understood that obedience to those in authority, although necessary, is not absolute but conditional upon obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. That is why after "Obey Allah" it is said "Obey the Messenger," because both these obediences are independent and obligatory, but it is not said "Obey those in authority," because the obedience to those in authority is not independent. And it is also stated in the hadith: (There is no obedience to the created in disobedience to the Creator) (Al-Albani said: This hadith is Sahih. Mishkat no. 696; in the wording of Muslim: "There is no obedience in disobedience to Allah," Kitab al-Imarah, Bab Wujub Ta'at al-Umara fi Ghayr Ma'siyah, Hadith no. 1840; and "Obedience is only in what is right") (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Rulings, Chapter No. 4) (Listening and obeying the Imam as long as there is no command of disobedience) "There is no obedience in disobedience; obedience is only in what is right." The same applies to scholars and jurists (if they are also included among those in authority), meaning their obedience is required because they convey the commands and statements of Allah and His Messenger and guide and direct towards His religion. From this, it is understood that scholars and jurists are certainly a reference for the public in religious matters just like the rulers, but their obedience is also only as long as they inform the public of only Allah and His Messenger ﷺ's words. But if they deviate from this, then it is not necessary for the public to obey them; rather, knowingly obeying them in case of deviation is a grave sin and disobedience.

59. 2. Referring to Allah means the Noble Quran, and referring to the Messenger ﷺ now means the hadith of the Messenger ﷺ. This is a great principle given for resolving disputes. This principle also makes it clear that obedience to a third person is not obligatory, as those who advocate personal imitation or fixed imitation have made a third obedience obligatory, and this third obedience, which is in clear opposition to this verse of the Quran, has made Muslims a divided nation instead of a united one and has made their unity almost impossible.