19.1 Obedience (at-ta’ah)
Obedience is a fundamental matter for the existence of discipline in the State, and from the most important manifestation to indicate the general discipline in the State and Ummah. Due to this, the Qur’an emphasised obedience in many ayat despite the existence of revelation, miracles, the message and the Messenger (saw)’s personality which by themselves are enough to create obedience. The ayat came commanding obedience i.e. when it is obligatory to exist, a command which obliges its fulfilment, and it came prohibiting obedience i.e. when it is not permitted to exist, a prohibition which obliged its non-performance, and it considered that possessing such manners as something that the Muslim must put himself far away from. We find that the Qur’an, when it refers to obedience, saying:
“Obey Allah and the Messenger” [TMQ 3:32]
And:
“Follow me and obey my command” [TMQ 20:90]
And:
“Hear and obey” [TMQ 64:16]
And:
“Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him into gardens underneath which rivers flow” [TMQ 4:13]
And:
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah” [TMQ 4:80]
And:
“Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are among those whom Allah has granted favour” [TMQ 4:69].
So Allah has commanded unrestricted obedience in this ayat; obedience came without restriction. We find that the Messenger (saw) commands obedience to the rulers and governors in all situations except if what was commanded was a sin. From ibn Abbas (ra) from the Prophet (saw) who said:
“Whoever dislikes something from his Amir should be patient about it for verily, none among the people will go out/rebel from the authority (sultan) by even a hand span and die upon that except that he dies a death of ignorance (jahiliyyah).”
The Messenger (saw) considered the failure to obey the Amir as separation from the community. Abu Rija Al-‘Attardi related and said: “I heard ibn Abbas (ra) (narrating) from the Prophet (saw) who said:
“Whoever sees in his Amir something he dislikes, let him be patient. For, verily, whoever separated from the community by (even a) hand span and dies, his death is one of ignorance” (narrated by Muslim).
Among what the Muslims pledged the Prophet upon was obedience. From Junadah bin Abu Umayyah who said: “We entered upon Ubadah bin As-Samit when he was ill and said: May Allah improve your health. Relate (to us) a hadith for which Allah (swt) will benefit you from what you heard from the Prophet (saw). He said:
The Prophet (saw) invited us and we gave him a pledge (bay’ah). He said: Among what he took as condition(s) upon us is that we pledged to hear and obey in what we find pleasing and what we dislike, in our ease and hardship, even if others are preferred over us and that we do not dispute the authority of those who possess it ,he said, except if you see open disbelief (kufr buwah) for which you have clear proof from Allah” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari
The ayat and ahadith came from commanding obedience, except that this obedience is restricted by the limits of Islam, there came other ahadith prohibiting obedience in (matters of) disobedience to Allah (swt). He (saw) said:
“No obedience to the created in disobedience to the Creator” (narrated by Ahmad).
And Nafi’ related from Abdullah (ra) from the Prophet (saw) who said:
“Hearing and obedience is obliged upon the Muslim man in whatever he likes or dislikes except if he is commanded with a sin. If he is commanded with a sin, there is no hearing or obeying” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).
However, Allah (swt) commanded with this obedience when it is for the general discipline. As for when this obedience is contrary to Islam or in a way opposite to the way of Allah (swt), then Islam has prohibited obediece. Due to this, Allah (swt) explicitly forbade us from some (types of) obedience when He said:
“O you who believe, if you obey a party (fareeqa) of those given the Book they will turn you disbelievers after your belief” [TMQ 3:100]
And:
“Do not obey the one whose heart we have made neglectful of Our Remembrance so he followed his desire and his affair was lost” [TMQ 18:28]
And:
“If you obey most of those in the earth, they will misguide you from the way of Allah” [TMQ 6:116]
And:
“Do not obey the disbelievers” [TMQ 25:52]
And:
“Do not obey those who give lie (to the Truth)” [TMQ 68:8]
And:
“Do not obey the sinful or disbeliever among them” [TMQ 76:24]
And:
“Do not obey each swearing (maheen)” [TMQ 68:10].
All these ayat prohibit obeying persons (with specific) attributes. Anyone investigating (these persons or attributes) will find them clearly against Islam and in a way other than the way of Islam. Allah (swt) has clarified them to us so that we devote ourselves in developing the obedience in ourselves i.e bring in place a general discipline. And so as to keep this discipline far away from the areas where, if obedience occurs, it would be harmful to the entity (i.e. of the State). Therefore, it is obliged upon the Muslim that, when he responds to Allah’s (swt) command of obedience, to also avoid obeying those whom Allah (swt) has prohibited (us from) obeying them.