Kuwawajibisha watawala ni wajibu juu ya Waislamu. Wajibu wa kuwatii hata kama wametenda makosa na kunyima haki za watu hauwamaanishi Waislamu wanyamaze kimya, bali kuwatii ni wajibu, na kuwawajibisha kwa matendo yao pia ni wajibu.

Holding the rulers accountable is a duty upon the Muslims. The obligation of obeying them even if they did wrong and withheld people’s rights does not mean that the Muslims should keep silent, but it means that obeying them is obligatory and holding them accountable for their actions is obligatory as well.

Allah (SWT) aliwaamuru Waislamu wawajibishe watawala wao kuwawajibisha, na aliwaamuru kwa msisitizo kuwapinga iwapo wangezuia haki za raia, wangepuuza majukumu yao kwao, wangepuuza jambo lolote la raia, wangevunja sheria za Uislamu au wangetawala kwa kitu kingine tofauti na kile alichokiteremsha Allah (SWT). Muslim amepokea kutoka kwa Umm Salama kwamba Mtume ﷺ alisema: “Watateuliwa juu yenu viongozi, mtakubali baadhi ya wanayoyafanya na mtayakataa baadhi. Atakayeyakubali hatakuwa na lawama. Atakayeyachukia yatamuepusha na madhara, lakini atakayeridhia na kuwafuata (ataangamia).” Wakasema: “Je, tusipigane nao?” Akasema ﷺ: “La, mradi wanaswali.” Katika riwaya nyingine ya Muslim,

Allah (swt) ordered the Muslims to hold their rulers accountable and strongly commanded them to challenge them if they withheld the citizens’ rights, neglected their duties towards them, ignored any of the citizens affairs, violated the rules of Islam or ruled by other than that which Allah (swt) has revealed. Muslim reported on the authority of Umm Salama that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said; “‘Ameers will be appointed over you, you recognise some of what they do and you disown some. Whoever recognised He is absolved from blame. Whoever disapproved (of their bad deeds) He is safe, but whoever consented and followed them (he is doomed.)’ They said; ‘Should we not fight against them?’ He (pbuh) replied; ‘No, as long as they prayed.’” In another narration by Muslim,

"Yeyote aliyechukia, atakuwa salama, na yeyote aliyekataa atakuwa salama, lakini yeyote aliyekubali na kufuata, (hatakuwa salama)." Simulizi hii inafafanua simulizi ya kwanza. Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ ameamuru kuonyesha kukataa kwa mtawala, na amelifanya hili kuwa la lazima kwa njia yoyote inayowezekana, kwa sharti kwamba iwe bila vita, yaani bila kutumia upanga, isipokuwa mtawala ameonyesha ukafiri wa wazi kwa ulimi kwa kusema jambo fulani, au kwa moyo endapo mtu hawezi kutumia mkono wala ulimi. Mtume ﷺ amemchukulia yule asiyekataa tendo ovu kuwa ni mshirika wa mtawala katika dhambi, kwani alisema kwamba yeyote aliyekubali matendo yao maovu na kuwaiga, atahukumiwa vibaya na hataepuka lawama wala dhambi. Dalili zinazohusu kuamrisha mema na kukataza maovu pia ni dalili za kumwajibisha mtawala, kwani ni dalili za jumla zinazojumuisha mtawala na wengine pia. Allah (SWT) ameamuru kwa uthabiti kuamrisha mema na kukataza maovu. Anasema: {Na iwepo miongoni mwenu kundi linalolingania kheri, na kuamrisha mema na kukataza maovu.} [TMQ Al-Imran: 104] Pia anasema: {Mmekuwa umma bora kabisa uliotolewa kwa watu, mkiamrisha mema na kukataza maovu.} [TMQ Al-Imran: 110] Allah (SWT) anasema: {Wale wanaomfuata Mtume, Nabii asiyejua kusoma wala kuandika, ambaye wanamkuta ametajwa kwenye vitabu vyao, katika Taurati na Injili, anayewaamrisha mema na kuwakataza maovu.} [TMQ Al-A'raf: 157] Na anasema (SWT): {Wale wanaomrudia Allah kwa toba, wanaomwabudu, wanaomhimidi, wanaosafiri kwa ajili ya njia ya Allah, wanaorukuu na kusujudu, wanaoamrisha mema na kukataza maovu, na wanaozishika mipaka aliyoiweka Allah; basi wabashirie waumini.} [TMQ At-Tawba: 112] Na Yeye (subhanahu wa ta'ala) anasema: "Wapo ambao, tukiwathibitisha katika ardhi, husimamisha Swala, hutoa Zaka, huamrisha mema na hukataza maovu." [TMQ Al-Hajj: 41] Katika aya hizi zote, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) anaamrisha kuamrisha Ma'ruf (mema) na kukataza Munkar (maovu). Amri hii inaambatana na viashiria vingine vinavyothibitisha kwamba amri hiyo ni ya lazima, yaani sifa njema, kwani Yeye (subhanahu wa ta'ala) anasema: "Na hao ndio waliofanikiwa." [TMQ Al-'Imran: 104] Yeye (subhanahu wa ta'ala) anasema: "Mlikuwa umma bora." [TMQ Al-'Imran: 110] Katika aya nyingine Yeye (subhanahu wa ta'ala) anasema: "Na wabashirie waumini." [TMQ At-Tauba: 112]

Haya yote yanatumika kama ushahidi kwamba amri hiyo ni ya lazima, maana yake ni wajibu. Kumhoji mtawala na kumtaka awajibike ni kwa hakika kuamrisha mema (Ma'ruf) na kukataza maovu (Munkar), hivyo ni wajibu.

These all serve, as evidences that the command is decisive, which means that it are an obligation. Holding the ruler accountable is in fact enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar, thus it is an obligation.

Pia kuna Hadithi nyingi zinazoonyesha wajibu wa kuamrisha mema na kukataza maovu. Huzayfah bin Al-Yaman amesimulia kwamba Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema: "Naapa kwa Yule ambaye roho yangu iko mikononi mwake, lazima mtaamrisha mema na mtakataza maovu, la sivyo Allah atawapelekea adhabu yake, kisha mtamwomba, lakini hatajibu dua zenu." [Imesimuliwa na Ahmad na Al-Tirmidhi] Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri ameripoti: Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema: "Yeyote kati yenu akiona ovu, na aliondoe kwa mkono wake; asipoweza, basi kwa ulimi wake; asipoweza, basi aichukie moyoni mwake, na hiyo ndiyo daraja dhaifu zaidi ya imani." [Imesimuliwa na Muslim] Ahmad ameandika kutoka kwa Uday bin Uday bin Umairah Al-Kindi, aliyesema: "Nilimsikia Mtume wa Allah ﷺ akisema:

In addition, there are many Ahadith that indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar. Huzayfah Ibnul Yaman reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said; “By Whom in Whose hand is my soul, you shall enjoin Ma’ruf and you shall forbid Munkar, or Allah may send His punishment upon you, then you will supplicate to Him and He will not answer your prayers.” [Narrated by Ahmed and al-Tirmithi] Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said; “Whoever of you sees a Munkar should change it with his hand, and if He was unable then with his tongue, and if He was unable then He should abhor it by his heart and that is the weakest of Iman (belief).” [Narrated by Muslim] Ahmed narrated from Uday ibn Uday ibn Umairah Al-Kindi, who said; “I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:

Hakika Allah hatamwadhibu watu wa kawaida kwa sababu ya vitendo vya watu fulani maalum isipokuwa watakaposhuhudia Munkar miongoni mwao huku wakiwa na uwezo wa kuikataa lakini wasifanye hivyo. Wakifanya hivyo, Allah atawaadhibu watu wa kawaida na watu hao maalum wote wawili.’” Hadithi hizi zote zinaonyesha wajibu wa kuamrisha Ma'ruf na kukataza Munkar. Zinaonyesha wajibu wa kuamrisha Ma'ruf kwa mtawala na kukataza Munkar lake. Bila shaka, hii inamaanisha kumfanya awajibike kwa matendo yake. Zaidi ya hayo, zipo Hadithi zinazomhusu mtawala moja kwa moja, zikithibitisha wajibu wa kumfanya awajibike, hivyo kusisitiza umuhimu wa kuamrisha Ma'ruf kwa mtawala na kukataza Munkar lake. Ahmad amesimulia kutoka kwa Abi Sa'id, aliyesema: “Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema: ‘Jihadi bora kabisa ni neno la haki mbele ya mtawala dhalimu.’” Abu 'Amama ameripoti: “Mtu mmoja alimjia Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alipokuwa karibu kurusha jamra ya kwanza (kokoto), akasema: ‘Ewe Mtume wa Allah, Jihadi ipi ilio bora?’ Akanyamaza. Alipokwisha kurusha jamra ya pili, yule mtu alimuuliza tena. Naye ﷺ hakujibu tena. Alipokwisha kurusha Jamrat-ul-Aqaba, inayojulikana pia kama Al Jamra Al Kubra (jamra kubwa), na kuweka mguu wake katika kitanzi cha tandiko ili apande, alisema: ‘Yuko wapi yule aliyeuliza?’ Yule mtu akasema: ‘Ni mimi, ewe Mtume wa Allah.’ Naye ﷺ akasema: ‘Neno la haki linalosemwa mbele ya mtawala dhalimu.’” [Imesimuliwa na Ibnu Majah na Ahmad] Hili ni andiko wazi kuhusu mtawala na kuhusu wajibu wa kusema ukweli usoni mwake. Hii inajumuisha kuwafanya watawala wawajibike, kupambana dhidi ya wale wanaozuia haki za raia, wanaopuuza wajibu wao kwa raia wao, au wanaopuuza baadhi ya mambo yao. Ni wajibu, kwa kuwa ni amri ya Allah na unachukuliwa kuwa kama Jihadi bora kabisa. Ni kana kwamba ﷺ anasema: Jihadi bora mbele ya Allah ni kupambana dhidi ya watawala madhalimu. Ushahidi huu peke yake unatosha kuthibitisha wajibu wa kuwawajibisha watawala. Mtume wa Allah ﷺ amehimiza kupambana dhidi ya watawala madhalimu, bila kujali majaribu yatakavyokuwa makubwa, hata kama yatasababisha kupoteza maisha. Imepokewa na Al-Hakim kutoka kwa Jabir, kutoka kwa Mtume ﷺ:

‘Verily Allah would not punish the common people because of the deeds of some specific people unless they witness the Munkar among them while they are able to deny it but do not do so. If they did this Allah would then punish both the common people and the specific people.’” All of these Ahadith indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar. They indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf towards the ruler and forbidding his Munkar. Without doubt, this means holding Him accountable for his actions. Furthermore, there are Ahadith which specifically relate to the ruler, confirming the obligation of holding Him accountable, thus stressing the importance of enjoining Ma’ruf towards the ruler and forbidding his Munkar. Ahmed narrated from Abi Sa’id, who said; “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said; ‘The best of Jihad is a word of truth before the tyrant ruler.’” Abu ‘Amama reported: “‘A man came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) when He was about to throw the first Jamra (pebble), so He said; ‘O Messenger of Allah, which is the best Jihad?’ He  kept silent. When He (pbuh) threw the second Jamra, the man asked Him again. And again He (pbuh) did not answer. When He (pbuh) threw the Jamrat-ul-Aqaba - known also as Al Jamra Al Kubra - (the great Jamra), and put his foot in the stirrup to ride He said; ‘Where is the person who asked?’ The man said; ‘It is me O Messenger of Allah.’ He (pbuh) said; ‘A word of truth said before a tyrant ruler.’” [Narrated by Ibnu Majah and Ahmed] This is an explicit text about the ruler and about the obligation of saying the truth to his face. This includes holding the rulers accountable, struggling against those who withhold the citizens’ rights, neglect their duties towards their subjects, or ignore some of their affairs. It is a duty, for it is Allah’s command and is considered to be like the best of Jihad. It is as if He (pbuh) says; The best Jihad in the sight of Allah is to struggle against the tyrant rulers. This evidence alone is sufficient to prove the obligation of holding the rulers accountable. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has exhorted the struggle against the tyrant rulers, no matter how great the trials, even if it leads to the loss of life. It has been reported by Al-Hakim from Jabir from the Prophet (pbuh):

"Bwana wa mashahidi ni Hamza, na mtu aliyesimama mbele ya mtawala dhalimu akamnasihi, akauawa." Hii ni miongoni mwa kauli fasaha kabisa zinazoitamka haki na kuhimiza kuvumilia mitihani na madhara, hata kufikia kifo, katika juhudi za kuwawajibisha watawala dhalimu na kupambana nao.

“The master of martyrs is Hamza, and a man who stood up to a tyrant ruler to advice Him and got killed.” This is of the most eloquent phrases in voicing the truth and exhorting the endurance of trials and harm which could even mean death, in the bid to hold the tyrant rulers accountable and struggle against them.