Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
اللهم من ولي من أمر أمتي شيئًا فشق عليهم فاشقق عليه
[أخرجه مسلم]
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“O Allah, whoever takes charge of any affair concerning my Ummah and imposes hardship upon them, then impose hardship upon him.”
(Related by Muslim)
In the complete narration from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Shumāsah reports that he visited ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها), and she asked about the ruler governing the Egyptians. He responded that he was good and generous to his people. Despite her grief regarding her brother Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, who had been killed by that ruler, she narrated the full hadith without withholding the Prophet’s ﷺ statement:
"O Allah, whoever takes charge of an affair of my Ummah and treats them with hardship, then treat him with hardship. And whoever takes charge of an affair of my Ummah and treats them with kindness, then treat him with kindness."
[Muslim, Kitāb al-Imārah 4722]
➊ Command to Leaders to Treat the Ummah with Gentleness
This Hadith serves as a stern warning to all those in authority—whether kings, ministers, governors, judges, commanders, teachers, or any person responsible for the affairs of Muslims.
They are forbidden from burdening the people and are instructed to deal with them compassionately and justly.
The Prophet ﷺ:
If a person is innocent but arrested, he may:
All this reflects the grave consequences of abandoning the merciful and swift justice of Islam in favor of man-made systems filled with corruption, delay, and oppression.
Had Muslim rulers:
Then, Allah would have:
Allah says:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ...
[Al-Aʿrāf: 96]
“Had the people of the towns believed and been righteous, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth…”
Due to their oppression, many rulers now:
Their hardship upon the Ummah has returned to them in the form of divine hardship, as per the Prophet’s ﷺ supplication.
The ruler mentioned by ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) was Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj (رضي الله عنه)—a companion of the Prophet ﷺ. Though he was responsible for the death of her brother Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, she did not suppress a Prophetic hadith in which he was indirectly praised for his kindness as a leader.
This reflects her:
If Muslim rulers returned to the Prophetic model of governance, Allah would ease their rule, bless their lands, and remove their fear and dependence.
Kindness and mercy are not signs of weakness, but marks of true leadership and prophetic character.
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
Hadith Reference:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
اللهم من ولي من أمر أمتي شيئًا فشق عليهم فاشقق عليه
[أخرجه مسلم]
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“O Allah, whoever takes charge of any affair concerning my Ummah and imposes hardship upon them, then impose hardship upon him.”
(Related by Muslim)
In the complete narration from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Shumāsah reports that he visited ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها), and she asked about the ruler governing the Egyptians. He responded that he was good and generous to his people. Despite her grief regarding her brother Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, who had been killed by that ruler, she narrated the full hadith without withholding the Prophet’s ﷺ statement:"O Allah, whoever takes charge of an affair of my Ummah and treats them with hardship, then treat him with hardship. And whoever takes charge of an affair of my Ummah and treats them with kindness, then treat him with kindness."
[Muslim, Kitāb al-Imārah 4722]
✦ Key Lessons and Benefits
➊ Command to Leaders to Treat the Ummah with Gentleness
This Hadith serves as a stern warning to all those in authority—whether kings, ministers, governors, judges, commanders, teachers, or any person responsible for the affairs of Muslims.
They are forbidden from burdening the people and are instructed to deal with them compassionately and justly.
The Prophet ﷺ:
- Cursed those who burden the Ummah with unnecessary difficulty
- Supplicated for ease for those who are gentle and accommodating
Examples of Hardship Imposed by Contemporary Leaders:
- Rulers remain inaccessible, while citizens wait in vain for appointments.
- Petitions are ignored, buried in bureaucracy for months or years.
- Government officers delay people with excuses, while indulging in personal conversations.
- Business and employment are hindered by excessive licensing, bribes, and regulatory barriers.
- Taxation is unjust, forcing people to lie or pay bribes to survive.
- Law-abiding citizens are punished, while criminals roam freely.
- Access to justice is a nightmare:
- Courts follow foreign laws instead of Shariah.
- Trials are held in English, excluding the common man.
- Legal fees, court fees, and endless delays make justice unattainable.
If a person is innocent but arrested, he may:
- Rot in jail for years awaiting trial.
- Be denied family contact, education, or income.
- Be burdened by a system that punishes his entire family.
All this reflects the grave consequences of abandoning the merciful and swift justice of Islam in favor of man-made systems filled with corruption, delay, and oppression.
✦ Blessings of Gentleness Upon the Ummah:
Had Muslim rulers:
- Removed barriers between themselves and their people
- Delivered swift and fair justice
- Armed their people for protection
- Abolished unjust taxes
- Adopted the economic model of zakat, kharāj, and spoils of war
- Replaced foreign laws with the divinely revealed Islamic judicial system
Then, Allah would have:
- Opened blessings from the heavens and earth,
- Bestowed peace and prosperity,
- And protected their rule through His divine aid.
Allah says:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ...
[Al-Aʿrāf: 96]
“Had the people of the towns believed and been righteous, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth…”
The Downfall of Tyrants:
Due to their oppression, many rulers now:
- Live in fear of losing power
- Depend on disbelievers for military and political survival
- Borrow from interest-based institutions, enslaving their people in debt
- Are cursed with economic collapse and insecurity
Their hardship upon the Ummah has returned to them in the form of divine hardship, as per the Prophet’s ﷺ supplication.
✦ Historical Example from the Hadith:
The ruler mentioned by ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) was Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj (رضي الله عنه)—a companion of the Prophet ﷺ. Though he was responsible for the death of her brother Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, she did not suppress a Prophetic hadith in which he was indirectly praised for his kindness as a leader.
This reflects her:
- Deep commitment to justice, and
- Sincere concern for transmitting the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ
Final Reflection:
If Muslim rulers returned to the Prophetic model of governance, Allah would ease their rule, bless their lands, and remove their fear and dependence.
Kindness and mercy are not signs of weakness, but marks of true leadership and prophetic character.
