Disobeying the Rulers and Abandoning the Scholars – Shaykh Abdil-Azeez Aali Shaikh

Question: Some biased and questionable people these days are promoting by way of the internet and calling the youth of this country to disregard obedience to the leaders/government of the country and to instead oppose them. They also call the youth not to listen to the scholars in this regard. So, we ask for your counsel and comments on this.

Answer: We seek refuge with Allāh from such evil circumstances. These are the hypocrites. They are astray and in their hearts is a disease. They envy Islam and its people. Whoever calls to opposing and rebelling against the leader, whoever calls to insurgence against the authorities, and whoever calls to chaos, then there’s hypocrisy in his heart and a disease. May Allāh suppress and disgrace such a person.

This person is, and we seek help from Allāh, one of the callers to evil and wickedness and of those who cause distress to a nation. He’s one of those who have a sickness of envy in their hearts towards Islam and its adherents. They love to spread chaos and anarchy among Muslim societies.

It is required for every Muslim to have insight and to fully comprehend all that he hears. No doubt, the internet is one of the most technological advances in communication. However, unfortunately it sometimes contains websites and allows access to the promotion of criminal, misleading, and hypocritical information which takes others away from Allāh. These are politically sectarian people causing nothing but corruption. Allāh (تعالى) says:

﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾

And when it is said to them, “Do not cause corruption on earth,” they say, “We are only trying to rectify and better the situation.” For sure, they are the corruptors but they don’t perceive it.

[Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:11-12]

Anyone who invites another person to oppose and rebel against the obedience of those in leadership and not to listen to them, then assume the worst of such a person in that he’s a hypocrite and a wicked sinner. He has no allegiance, no religion, and no loyalty. This is so because, and we seek refuge with Allāh, these types of incitements promote chaos, bloodshed, the plundering of property, and the violation of people’s rights. Our society, thanks to Allāh, is a Muslim society under Muslim leadership. There are men in its service working for the well-being of the country, defending it, some working throughout the entire night safeguarding it in order to protect it in every possible way. They sacrifice their time and money for the establishment of this society. Whenever any ways leading to evil arise, Allāh repels them from this country by means of what it contains of good, rectifications, legislative rulings, and good intentions from those in positions of authority in the country. May Allāh grant them success and guide them to all that’s good.

So, these types of calls and invitations on the internet and by other means originate from envious people and misguided hypocrites. They cannot come from a Muslim who fears Allāh and remains conscious of Him. A Muslim is someone who fears Allāh conscientiously, calls to that which Allāh calls to of listening to and obeying the leaders in obedience to Allāh, and supports them by cooperation, especially in these recent times of dangers and tribulations that threaten all Muslim societies. So, alliance, cooperation, mutual support, and the unity of hearts and goals, and of the ranks of the people – this is what’s obligated upon us and required from every individual among us. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

مَنْ لَقِيَ اللهَ وَلَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ، فَإِنَّهُ يَمُوْتُ وَمِيْتَتُهُ مِيْتَةٌ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ

“Whoever meets Allāh (dies) with no allegiance of obedience upon him, then he dies a death in a state of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic state of ignorance).”^[3]

Whoever has within his heart envy and enmity towards the country and belittles obedience and social order, he lives a wretched life and dies the death of Jāhiliyyah.

A Muslim should love the good for other Muslims. He should love that they are united and that their hearts and ranks are one. It’s well-known that these enemies desire only chaos and disorder and not unity.

This country is envied because of its religion, its safety, its leadership, affluence and rich resources, and its unity and uniformity. So, we ask Allāh for His protection from these misguiding propagations. Every Muslim is required, when hearing such evil, to pay no attention to it, reject it, and make it known that it originates from people with hearts full of envy and animosity, of deviance and evil – from those waging war against Allāh and his messenger (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم).

May Allāh protect our Muslim lands from every evil. We ask Allāh to preserve for us our religion, our safety, and our leadership. May He unite us on obedience to Him and may He prevent the plots of the treacherous and the hatred of the envious.^[4]