الإمامُ راعٍ وهو مسؤولٌ عن رعيته، رواه البخاري عن عبد الله بن عمر، وكذلك القواعدُ التي أعطتها الشريعةُ للخليفة كاستقلاله في التصرف بحسب اجتهاده ورأيه في أموال بيت المال الموكول إليه، وكإلزام الناس باتباع رأيٍ معين في المسألة الواحدة، وما شابه ذلك. وهذا الحديثُ يمنح الخليفةَ الحقَّ الكاملَ في تدبير شؤون الرعية دون أي قيد، فقواعدُ بيت المال والتبني وإعداد الجيش وتعيين الولاة وكلُّ ما أُعطي للخليفة قد أُعطي له على وجه الإطلاق دون تقييد، وهذا دليلٌ على أنه يمكنه تنفيذ تدبير الشؤون بحسب ما يراه دون أي قيد، وطاعتُه واجبةٌ ومعصيتُه إثم. غير أن القيامَ بهذه الولاية يجب أن يكون وفق أحكام الشريعة، أي وفق نصوص الشرع. فالسلطةُ الملزمة، وإن أُعطيها مطلقةً، مقيدةٌ بالشريعة، أي بأحكامها. فمثلاً، أُعطي صلاحيةَ تعيين الولاة كما يشاء، لكن لا يصح تعيين الكافر أو الصبي أو المرأة والياً، لأن الشرع حرّم ذلك. ومثالٌ آخر أنه يجوز له الإذن بفتح سفارات للدول الكافرة في الأراضي الخاضعة لسلطانه، وله أن يفعل ذلك دون أي قيد، غير أنه لا يصح الإذن بفتح سفارة لدولة كافرة تريد اتخاذ السفارة أداةً للسيطرة على البلاد الإسلامية، لأن الشرع حرّم ذلك. وكذلك يجوز له أن يضع أبواب الميزانية والمبالغ اللازمة لكل باب، لكن لا يجوز له أن يضع في الميزانية بابًا لبناء سدٍّ تتجاوز تكلفته إيرادات بيت المال، على أساس أنه سيجمع الضرائب لتمويله. وذلك لأنه لا يجوز في الشريعة فرض الضرائب من أجل شيء ليس من الحاجات الضرورية، كهذا السد. وهكذا، فإنه وإن كان له سلطان مطلق في تدبير الشؤون التي أُعطيها بمقتضى الشريعة، فإن هذا الإطلاق لا يجري إلا وفق أحكام الشريعة. وليس المقصود بالحق المطلق في تدبير الشؤون أن له أن يضع من القوانين ما يراه لازمًا لتدبير شؤون البلاد، بل المقصود أنه قد أُعطي الاستقلال في التصرف ليتصرف بحسب اجتهاده في كيفية تدبير الشؤون في تلك المسائل التي أُبيحت له، فحينئذ يضع القوانين في تلك المسائل التي أُبيح له أن يتولاها بحسب اجتهاده، ويصبح عندئذ واجبًا على الناس طاعته، لأن الشريعة أعطته الاستقلال في التصرف ليُطبّق اجتهاده في تلك المسائل، وأمرتنا بطاعته. فله أن يجعل هذا الاجتهاد قانونًا يُلزم به الناس. فمثلًا، له الحق في إدارة شؤون بيت المال بحسب اجتهاده ورأيه، وأمر الناس بطاعته في ذلك، فله أن يضع قوانين مالية لبيت المال، فيصبح عندئذ واجبًا الالتزام بهذه القوانين. وكذلك أُعطي قيادة الجيش وإدارة شؤونه بحسب اجتهاده ورأيه، وأُمر الناس بطاعته في ذلك، فله أن يضع قوانين تتعلق بقيادة الجيش وإدارته، فيصبح عندئذ واجبًا الالتزام بتلك القوانين. وكذلك له الحق في إدارة مصالح الرعية وفق رأيه واجتهاده، وفي تعيين أشخاص لإدارة المصالح والعمل معهم وفق رأيه واجتهاده، وقد أُمر الناس بطاعته في ذلك. فله أن يضع قوانين لإدارة شؤون الدولة، وله أن يضع قوانين تتعلق بالموظفين المدنيين، وعندئذٍ تصبح طاعة تلك القوانين واجبة. وله أن يضع قوانين لكل مسألة تُركت لرأي الخليفة واجتهاده فيما له فيه صلاحيات الإلزام، وتكون طاعة تلك القوانين واجبة.
“The Imam (ruler) is a guardian and responsible (will be questioned) of his subjects” reported by Al-Bukhari through ’Abd Allah Bin Umar, and also that the rules which the Shari’ah gives to the Khalifah such as his independence of action according to his opinion and Ijtihad in the wealth of the commissioned Bayt Al-Mal (state treasury), and such as the coercion of the people to follow a specific opinion in the single issue, and whatever else is similar. This narration gives the Khalifah the complete right in governing the affairs of the subjects without any restriction, and the rules of the Bayt Al-Mal, adoption, preparation of the Army, appointing the governors, and whatever else which has been given to the Khalifah was given to him in an absolute manner without any restriction, which is proof that he can carry out the governing of the affairs according to how he views without any restriction, and to obey him is obligatory while disobeying him is a sin. However, the undertaking of this governing must be done according to the rules of the Shari’ah; in other words, according to the Shari’ah texts. So the mandatory power, even if it has been given to him absolutely, is restricted by the Shari’ah; in other words, according to the rules of the Shari’ah. For example, he has been granted the power to appoint the governors as he pleases, but it is not correct to appoint the disbeliever, or child, or woman as a governor, since it has been prohibited by the Shari’ah. Another example is that he may permit the opening of embassies of the disbelieving countries in the lands which are under his authority, and he is allowed to do that without any restriction, however it is not correct to permit the opening of embassies for a disbelieving country that wants to use the embassy as a tool for control over the Islamic lands, since the Shari’ah prohibited that. Likewise, he may draft the sections of the budget, and the necessary amounts for each section, but he may not draft a section in the budget for building a dam whose cost is beyond the revenues of the Bayt Al-Mal on the basis that he will collect taxes to pay for it. This is because it is not permitted from the Shari’ah to raise taxes for the sake of something which is not vital such as this dam. In this manner, though he has absolute power in governing the affairs which have been given to him by the Shari’ah, but this absoluteness can only operate according to the rules of the Shari’ah. Additionally, what is meant by the absolute right in the governing of the affairs is not that he can draft laws which he sees as necessary for the governing of the affairs of the lands, but rather the meaning is that he has been given the independence of action to act according to his opinion of how the affairs should be carried out in those issues that have been permitted to him, at which point he drafts the laws in those issues which he has been permitted to undertake according to his opinions, and then it becomes obligatory for the people to obey him since the Shari’ah gave him the independence of action to apply his opinion in those issues and ordered us to obey him. So he may make this opinion into a law which people are obliged by. For example, he has been given the right to manage the affairs of the Bayt Al-Mal according to his opinion and Ijtihad, and order the people to obey him accordingly, so he can draft financial laws for the Bayt Al-Mal at which point it becomes obligatory to obey these laws. Likewise, he has been given the leadership of the Army and the management of its affairs according to his opinion and Ijtihad, and the people are ordered to obey him accordingly. So he may draft laws regarding the leadership of the Army and for its administration at which point it becomes obligatory to obey those laws. Likewise, he has been given the right to manage the interests of the subjects according to his opinion and Ijtihad, and to appoint people to manage the interests and work with them according to his opinion and Ijtihad, and the people have been ordered to obey him accordingly. So he may draft laws for the Administration of the Affairs, and he may draft laws regarding the civil servants at which point it becomes obligatory to obey those laws. He may draft laws for every issue that has been left to the opinion and Ijtihad of the Khalifah in the issues which he has the mandatory powers, and it would be obligatory to obey those laws.