Forty Hadith About the Obligation of Obeying the Leader of the Muslims by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Nabahani

Forty hadith about the obligation of obeying the leader of the Muslims

By Sheikh Yusuf ibn Ismail Al-Nabahani

(may Allah be pleased with him)

In the name of Allah the most merciful the most compassionate

All praise is for Allah the supreme power; manifest proofs; the perfect force comprising of

excellence; the unique king in his dominion over creation and estimation, command, direction and if

it was not for this the invention and perfection would not be. The one the only, the only sustainer

who was not born, nor gives birth and there is no comparison to him. Is it not sufficient proof of the

creation for the creator? Praise be to Him who is no other deity, no partner has he, no peer, no

overseer, no supervisor. And where are his ministers? His supporters?

Prayers of Allah be upon our master Muhammad, the bringer of glad tidings, the warner, the

lightened lamp. All of the creation of Allah he views, he is a light from him, he is humanity who Allah

send to all mankind. He is superior to all the messengers. His nation surpassed all nations as their

books were surpassed by the Quran. Also upon his purified family and his chosen companions who

subdued the kings of polytheism by supporting his religion. They are his heroes and champions.

To commence:

I have gathered forty hadith on the obligation of obeying the leader of the Muslims and his deputy,

most of it is authentic/sahih or good/hassan. To organise the seeker to his speech, may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him, speech, “Whoever preserves, upon my nation, forty hadith from the

affairs of this religion; Allah shall resurrect him in the troop of the scholars and jurists.” (Source not

found.)

Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and numerous companions narrate that he (may

Allah bestow peace and blessing upon him) said, “Whoever preserves, upon my nation, forty hadith

of my practice shall be given my intercession of the day of judgement.” Narrated by Ibn Al-Najjar and

Abu Sa’id with an authentic chain and I shall explain the sources at the end, the commentary of

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Miskat Al-Masbih.

I shall begin with the noble Quranic passage:

“O you who believe; obey Allah, his Messenger and those in

authority among you.” Quran 4:59.

Imam Al-Nawawi reports that the scholars say the meaning of those in authority among you is

whoever is placed who it is necessary to obey, those possessing authority, this is the opinion of all of

the scholars of early community (salaf) and those of the later (khalaf) of the Quranic commentators,

jurist and others. Here I shall elucidate on the details of the hadiths. I say:

Hadith One

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah. Whoever

disobeys me has disobeyed Allah. Whoever obeys the leader has obeyed me; whoever disobeys the

leader has disobeyed me. The Imam is the protection that you fight behind and are fearful of. If they

order you to fear Allah and be just then there is a reward for this. If they say otherwise then they are

taken (into account) for it.”1

Hadith two

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace

and blessings upon him) said, “Hear and obey even if an Ethiopian slave who is upon you and whose

head is like a dried raisin.”2

His hair would be like a dried raisin and curly. In the commentary of Al-Bukhari of Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar

he says it means the great leader even if he is Ethiopian slave in authority in a region then, as in this

example, then it is necessary to obey him. It is not in the hadith that the Ethiopian slave be a great

leader. If the nation agreed that it would be a slave. Al-Khattabi said it is exaggeration in the matter

of obedience.

1 Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Protection is a shield and the Imam in all this hadith is are the caliphs.

2 Al-Bukhari. This is not about racism rather this about how Arabs would dislike anyone to rule over them, who

was not one of them.

Hadith three

‘Ibadah ibn Al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We made an oath with the Messenger of

Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) to hear and obey him in difficulty, ease,

pleasantness and dislike, to have deference, not abandon this matter for family and to speak the

truth wherever we are.” He (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him), “Have you not seen

manifest disbelief with you by the proof from Allah?”3

The meaning of manifest is to appear. Imam Al-Nawawi said in his comment on Muslim, “As for

going against them, meaning those in authority, fighting them is unlawful according to the

consensus of the Muslim which is manifest from this hadith.”

Hadith four

Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “Whoever sees something disliked in his leader should be patient

as there is no one who separates from the majority a hand span and dies a death of ignorance.”4

Hadith five

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) say, “Whoever leaves obedience, separates the majority

thus dies, dies a death of ignorance. Whoever is killed under the banner of those without vision is

angered for partisanship or calls to partisanship or supports partisanship and is killed dies in

ignorance. Whoever of my community goes out kills the pious and righteous of them and does not

avoid the believer. They did not fulfil the agreement they possess and they are not from me and I am

not from them. The blind leader is blind to that which is before his face.”5

3 Al-Bukhari and Muslim.


5 Muslim and An-Nisa’i.

Hadith six

‘Awf ibn Malik Al-Shujaiy (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The best leader are those you love and those who

love, you pray from them and they pray for you. The worst of your leaders are those who hate you

and you hate them, you curse them and they curse you.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, shall

we not oppose them by the sword?” He said, “No, as long as they establish prayer and if you see

them do something disliked then dislike the action and do remove your hand from obeying them.”6

Hadith seven

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Princes shall come to you that you know and dislike. If

you deny then you are free from their disliked actions and are safe. However he who is pleased and

follows them saying, “Shall we not fight them (the people)?” Say, we do not pray on them, we do not

pray on them.”7

Hadith eight

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said to us, “You shall see, after me, events and matters

that you dislike.” They asked, “So what do you instruct O Messenger of Allah?” he said, “Give them

their rights and ask Allah for your rights.”8

6 Muslim.

7 Muslim. The last line means whoever dislikes it in his heart has denied it in his heart. If you dislike the sins

that the leaders commit then you are free from them. 8 Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Hadith nine

Wail ibn Hujjar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Salmah ibn Yazid Al-Ju’fiy asked the

Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him), “O Prophet of Allah, what

would you say if a leader came into power that we ask for our rights and he prevents us from our

right what do you order us with?” He replied, “Hear and obey as he upon you, as he is tasked to be

just and you are tasked to obey.”9

Hadith ten

‘Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said he heard the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) say, “Whoever withdraws his hand from obedience of a

leader meets Allah on the Day of Judgment without a defence and if he dies there is no price for his

neck. He dies the death of ignorance.”10

Hadith eleven


bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The tribe of Israel used to be ruled by prophets, each

one following a deputy of a prophet. There shall be no prophet after me rather there shall be many

caliphs.” They said, “How do you order us?” He replied, “Take oath with the first and give the first his

right as Allah asks them about those under their authority.”11

9 Muslim.

10 Muslim.


Hadith twelve

‘Arfajah (may Allah be pleased with him) said he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “There shall be tribulations, tribulations upon whoever desires to

separate the affair of this nation. Gather them and smite their existence by the sword, as they

were.”12

And in another narration in Muslim also that he heard him say, “Whoever is brought to you and

order each one of them, desire to break your staffs and separate their group then kill them and

gather the flawed here is sedition and new affairs, and break your staff separating their group.”

Hadith thirteen

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Whoever takes an oath with a leader is making a

transaction of his hand and the fruit of his heart. So he should give as he is able and if another comes

he should refrain and smite the neck of the other.”13

Hadith fourteen

Al-Harith Al-Ashari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Follow your commander in five things; congregation,

hearing, obedience, migration and striving for the path of Allah. As anyone who leaves the

congregation the extent of a hand span has freed himself from the rope of Islam. Has he returned to

the call of the pretext of the ignorance. So he is at the footstool of hell even if he fasts, prays and

claims that he is Muslim.”14

12

Muslim. 13

Muslim. 14

Imam Ahmed and At-Tirmidhi.

Hadith fifteen

Abu Bakarah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) say, “Whoever offends a sultan of Allah on the earth;

Allah will humiliate.”15

Hadith sixteen

Abu Bakarah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Whoever dignifies a sultan of Allah; Allah dignifies him

on the day of judgement.”16

Hadith seventeen

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “The sultan is the shadow of Allah upon the earth and refuge for

every servant from oppression. If he is just then he has the reward and (his people should be) grateful

subjects. If despotic then he has an agreement that his subjects be patent.”17

Hadith eighteen


bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The sultan is the shadow of Allah upon the earth; the

weak seek refuge with him and by the oppressed are given victory. Whoever honours a sultan of

Allah in the world Allah honours on the day of judgement.”18

15

At-Tirmidhi hadith hassan. 16

Al-Tabarani. 17

Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab Al-Iman. 18

Ibn Al-Najjar with a Hassan/Good Chain.

Hadith nineteen

Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “Allah (the Exalted) stated, “I am Allah, there is no other deity, I

am the possessor of dominion, I am the king of kings, the hearts of kings are in my control, if the

servant obeys me I change the conditions of the kings to show them mercy and compassion, if my

servant disobeys me then I change their hearts to indignation and vengeance. So they are compelled

with severity. So do not busy yourselves by supplications against the kings rather busy yourselves

with remembrance and submissiveness so that it suffices you from your kings.”19

The meaning of this hadith is given in two hadiths one is narrated by Al-Daylami in Musnad Al-

Firdaws on the authority of Abu Bakarah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the

Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “As you are so you shall

be ruled.”

The second hadith is narrated by Ibn Al-Najjar on the authority of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with

her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,

“Do not busy yourselves by cursing the kings rather approach Allah with supplication for them. Allah

(the Exalted) shall incline their hearts to you.”

Hadith twenty

Abu Darr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “Two are better than one, three are better than two, four are

better than three. So cling to the congregation as Allah did not gather this nation except that he

guided it.”20

Hadith twenty one

Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Obey every prince, pray behind them every leader and

do not curse a single of my companions.”21

19

Al-Haytami in Majama Az-Zawid, Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat. 20

Imam Ahmed with an authentic chain. 21

Al-Tabarani.

Hadith twenty two

It is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Allah, the Exalted, is pleased

by three things for you and displeased by three things for you. The things that please him are that

you worship him and do not associate anything with him, that you all cling to the rope of Allah (the

Quran and the light of its guidance) and that you do not divide and that you advise whoever Allah

places in authority over you. He dislikes vain speech, constant questioning and squandering

wealth.”22

Hadith twenty three

Abi Ruqayyah Tamim Ibn Owais Ad-Darri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet

(may Allah bestow peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Religion is sincerity.” We asked, “To

Whom?” He replied, “To Allah, his book (Quran), His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and to

the generality.”23

Hadith twenty four

Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Pardoned are the sins of the generous, the mistakes of

the scholar, the hastiness of a just sultan; as Allah, the Exalted, has taken from all their hands their

stumbles and errors.”24

Hadith twenty five

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessing upon him) said, “Three rights are belittled by no one except a hypocrite in

his hypocrisy; the elderly in Islam, the just leader and the teacher of good.”25

22

Imam Ahmed and Muslim. 23

Muslim 55, Abu Dawood 4944, An-Nisa’I 7/156, Imam Ahmed 4/102, Al-Hammadi 837. 24

Al-Khattabi. 25

Abu l’Sheikh.

Hadith twenty six


and blessings be upon him) said, “The sultan is the shadow of Allah upon the earth. Whoever cheats

him is misguided and whoever gives advice is guided.”26

Hadith twenty seven


and blessings be upon him) said, “When you pass a country without sultan then do not enter it as the

sultan is the shadow of Allah, and authority, upon the earth.”27

Hadith twenty eight

Abi Imamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Do not curse the leaders. Pray to Allah for their

goodness and if you are good to them they are good to you.”28

Hadith twenty nine

Abu ‘Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Do not curse the sultan as he is the shade of Allah upon

the earth.”29

26

Al-Bayhaqi. The shadow of Allah repels harm. 27

Al-Bayhaqi. 28

Al-Tabarani. 29

Al-Bayhaqi.

Hadith thirty

Abu Bakr the Truthful (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The humble just sultan is the shadow of Allah, and

authority, upon the earth. He is raised, for his actions, seventy ranks of the truthful.”30

Hadith thirty one

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The just are with Allah upon pillars of light, before

the All-Merciful, to the right are those who they showed justice in their rulings, their people and

those in their authority.”31

Hadith thirty two

Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “A day of a just ruler is better than sixty years of

worship.”32

Hadith thirty three

‘Ayyad ibn Hammad (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The people of paradise are three kinds; a successful just

leader, a merciful person with a gentle heart to every Muslim relative and a modest person of

restraint possessing dependants.”33

30

Abu l’Sheikh. 31

Muslim. 32

Al-Tabarani with a Hassan/Good chain. 33

Muslim.

Hadith thirty four


bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Three are never refused their supplication; the faster

when he breaks his fast, the just leader and the supplication of the oppressed. Allah raises it above

the clouds, opens the doors of paradise to it and it says, “O Lord it is my honour to support you even

for a while.”34

Hadith thirty five

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The most beloved of the people according to

Allah, on the day of judgement, and those in closest proximity, is a just leader. The worst people

according to Allah on the day of judgement and those who receive those who receive the severest

punishment...” in another narration, “the furthest in proximity is the tyrant leader.”35

Hadith thirty six

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The best of the servants of Allah according to

their proximity, on the day of judgement, is a mild just leader. The worst of people according to Allah

and their proximity is a harsh unjust leader.”36

Hadith thirty seven

Mu’akl ibn Yasir (may Allah pleased with him) said he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah

bestow peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no leader given authority over Muslims who

dies and has cheated them except Allah makes paradise unlawful for him.”37

34

Imam Ahmed, At-Tirmidhi and rated hassan; Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih. 35

At-Tirmidhi rated hassan. 36

Al-Bayhaqi. 37

Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Hadith thirty eight

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow

peace and blessings upon him) said, “O Allah whoever of those in authority over my nation, for

anything, are harsh be harsh on him. Whoever of those in authority over my nation, for anything, are

gentle are then show them gentleness.”38

Hadith thirty nine

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may

Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Allah do not send a prophet nor appoint his

successor except they have two entourages; one commanding the good and inclining to it, and one

commanding to evil and inclining to it, the sacrosanct are protected by Allah.”39

Hadith forty


bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Seven are given shade by Allah on day where there is

no shade except what he provides, a just ruler, a youth reared in the worship of Allah, a man whose

heart is attached to the masjid so when he leaves he anticipates returning, two men who love each

for the sake of Allah then meet and leave like this, a man who remembers Allah alone until he sheds

tears, a man who is called by a woman possessing rank and beauty and says, ‘I fear Allah Lord of the

universe,’ a man who gives charity in secret that his left hand does not know what his right hand has

spent.”40

38

Muslim. 39

Al-Bukhari. 40

Al-Bukhari.

Know that the sources for these that I have gathered forty hadith are three, Mishkat Al-Masbih of Al-

Khateeb Al-Tabrizi, Al-Targhib Al-Tarhib of Al-Hafiz Al-Mudhari, Al-Jamiah Al-Saghir of Imam As-

Suyuti, then I returned to Al-Bukhari, Muslim to those narrated from them.

It was completed in the month of Dhul Hijjah in the year 1312 of the migration of our master

Muhammad, master of creation, upon him, his family, his honourable companions the most virtuous

prayers and peace, from the beginning to the end. Glorified is Our Lord, the mighty Lord, free of

what they ascribe him, peace be upon the messengers and all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the

universe.

(This translation was completed on the 27th Shahban 1432/29th July 2011 by the sinful servant Arfan

Shah (Sheikhy notes))

Forty Hadith About the Obligation of Obeying the Leader of the Muslims by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Nabahani

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