In Islamic culture, the term ''uli al-am''r (أولي آل عمرو) refers to "those charged with authority or responsibility or decision, or the settlement of affairs". It is referenced in the
59th verse of the Surat An-Nisā' section of the Qur'an, and outlines the necessity of Islamic followers to obey the control of Allah, Muhammed and those in authority as long as they too obey Allah and
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. They are seen as the
leader
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
s and
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
s of Islamic culture.
[كيف نفهم حديث رسولِ الله -صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم- بالسَّمع والطَّاعة لوليِّ الأمر حتى لو جلدَ ظهركَ، وأخذ مالَك ؟](_blank)
موقع علي الحلبي.
Quran
Obedience to political authorities in Islam refers to Surah Nisa verse 59, known as the verse of obedience, which calls for obedience to Allah and the Islamic Prophet Muhammad as well as to the ulil-amr or incumbent authorities (rulers and ulama), which is obedience to valid Islamic injunctions. Obedience to matters, not to un-Islamic orders.
[النظام السياسي الإسلامي، ص247 بقلم د.منير البياتي]
Also verse 83 of Surah Nisa mentions Ulil Amr or the holder of authority.
Overview
According to scholar
Moojan Momen
Moojan Momen is a retired physician and historian specializing in Baháʼí studies who has published numerous books and articles about the Baháʼí Faith and Islam, especially Shia Islam, including for Encyclopædia Iranica*
*
* the British Li ...
, "One of the key statements in the Qur'an around which much of the exegesis" on the issue of what Islamic doctrine says about who is in charge is based on the verse
"O believers! Obey God and obey the Apostle and those who have been given authority 'uulaa al-amr''among you" ().
For Sunnīs, the expression "those who have been given authority" (''uulaa al-amr'') refers to the rulers (caliphs and kings), but for Shīʿas it refers to the Imams. According to the British historian and Orientalist scholar
Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis, (31 May 1916 – 19 May 2018) was a British American historian specialized in Oriental studies. He was also known as a public intellectual and political commentator. Lewis was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near E ...
, this Quranic verse has been
elaborated in a number of sayings attributed to Muhammad. But there are also sayings that put strict limits on the duty of obedience. Two dicta attributed to the Prophet and universally accepted as authentic are indicative. One says, "there is no obedience in sin"; in other words, if the ruler orders something contrary to the divine law, not only is there no duty of obedience, but there is a duty of disobedience. This is more than the right of revolution
In political philosophy, the right of revolution (or right of rebellion) is the right or duty of a people to "alter or abolish" a government that acts against their common interests or threatens the safety of the people without cause. Stated throu ...
that appears in Western political thought. It is a duty of revolution, or at least of disobedience and opposition to authority. The other pronouncement, "do not obey a creature against his creator," again clearly limits the authority of the ruler, whatever form of ruler that may be.
According to the
exegetical interpretation of the medieval Sunnī Muslim scholar
Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah (January 22, 1263 – September 26, 1328; ar, ابن تيمية), birth name Taqī ad-Dīn ʾAḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd al-Salām al-Numayrī al-Ḥarrānī ( ar, تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم ...
, for this verse "there is no obedience in sin"; that people should ignore the order of the ruler if it would disobey the divine law and shouldn't use this as excuse for revolution because it will spill Muslims' blood. According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the saying "sixty years with an unjust imam is better than one night without a sultan" was confirmed by experience.
He believed that the Quranic injunction to "
enjoin good and forbid evil" (''al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wa-n-nahy ʿani-l-munkar'', found in , , and other verses) was the duty of every state functionary with charge over other Muslims, from the caliph to "the schoolmaster in charge of assessing children's handwriting exercises."
Exegesis of the revelation
Sunni scholars says that, and according to hadith of
Sihah Sittah
The ''Kutub al-Sittah'' ( ar-at, ٱلْكُتُب ٱلسِّتَّة, al-Kutub as-Sittah, lit=the six books) are six (originally five) books containing collections of ''hadith'' (sayings or acts of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) compiled by six ...
and
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
''Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm'' better known as ''Tafsir Ibn Kathir'' is the tafsir by Ibn Kathir (died 774 AH). It is one of the most famous Islamic books concerned with the science of interpretation of the Quran. It also includes jurisprud ...
, the
verse of Obedience
The Verse of Obedience ( ar, آيَة ٱلطَّاعَة) refers to verse 4:59 of the central religious text in Islam, the Quran, which reads
In Sunni Islam, "those in authority" () in this verse variously refers to Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, ...
about uli al-Amr was revealed about an incident of
sahaba
The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...
Abd Allah ibn Hudhafa.
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
once sent him as a military leader of some
sahaba
The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...
s, on the way he became furious and told them to make coils of fire, and to plunge into it. However, Imam Asakir Zuhri said, Abdullah was a humorous person. He made this order in jest.
After returning from the expedition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad said, obedience to the leader is only
wajib
' ( ar, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay (''spelled fardu or fardhu'') in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such com ...
in those matters which Allah has permitted.
Sirat Ibn Hisham
''Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah'' (), by Ibn Hisham, 'The Life of the Prophet'; is an edited recension of Ibn Isḥāq's ''Sīratu Rasūli l-Lāh'' () 'The Life of God's Messenger'. Ibn Isḥāq's now lost work survives only in Ibn Hishām's and al-Tab ...
2/640
Arbitration and Ikhtilaf
After Muhammad's death, the Verse of Obedience stipulates that disagreements or
Ikhtilaf
Ikhtilāf ( ar, اختلاف, lit=disagreement, difference) is an Islamic scholarly religious disagreement, and is hence the opposite of ijma. Direction in Quran
After Muhammad's death, the Verse of Obedience stipulates that disagreements or Ikh ...
are to be arbitrated by referring to the Quran and Sunnah. While those in authority are absent from arbitration here, they are mentioned elsewhere in verse 5:83, which includes the passage, "And whenever tidings come unto them, whether of security or fear, they spread it about, whereas had they referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would have known it." Lalani attributes to the Twelver Imam al-Baqir () this argument, which also appears in ''
al-Jami' li-ahkam al-Quran'' by the Sunni al-Qurtubi ().
According to
Verse of Obedience
The Verse of Obedience ( ar, آيَة ٱلطَّاعَة) refers to verse 4:59 of the central religious text in Islam, the Quran, which reads
In Sunni Islam, "those in authority" () in this verse variously refers to Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, ...
, if there is any debate or ikhtilaf about any religious matter or rule, then Quran orders to retern to
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Sunnah
In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
to dismiss ikhtilaf and to avoid
taqlid
''Taqlid'' (Arabic تَقْليد ''taqlīd'') is an Islamic term denoting the conformity of one person to the teaching of another. The person who performs ''taqlid'' is termed ''muqallid''. The definite meaning of the term varies depending on co ...
.
The ''uli al-amr'' today
Today, the ''uli al-amr'' are still quite relevant. Societies whose cultures still rely heavily on Islamic teachings, such as Saudi Arabia, continue to preach the values of following the leadership of the religious authority figures.
This has caused issues due to the clash between the traditionalist views of the ''uli al-amr'' and the progressive desires of the youth.
[ The authority figures believe that their role is to advise their people; however some think they have done more to restrict them and keep them submissive. Whether or not this verse intends to keep the majority of people under the control of a few, it is quite polarizing. It is referred to by political classicists to "make submission to rulers a religious obligation." However, others defend it as necessary to ensure that governments remain inherently religious and devoted to the teachings of the Qur'an.
]
Selection
Ulil Amr was elected by Ahl al-hall wal-aqd.
Conditions to be met by Uli al-Amr (the ruler)
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
that encompasses its conditions and knowledge that leads to diligence in calamities and rulings. The integrity of the senses of hearing, sight, and tongue, so that what is perceived directly with it is correct, and the integrity of the members from deficiency that prevents the fulfillment of movement and the speed of advancement.
Duties of Ulil Amr (the ruler)
The duty of the ruler is several things:
# Preserving religion on its origins.
# Establishing a fair judiciary among people to preserve their rights.
# Protecting the country and its security.
# Applying hudud to preserve the sanctities of God Almighty and the rights of people.
# Establishing jihad for the sake of God Almighty.
# Collecting alms and public funds.
# Distribution of public funds to those who deserve it.
# Assuming public positions for qualified secretaries.
# To initiate himself to see things, and browse the conditions; To advance the nation's politics and guard the nation.
Ulil Amr's rights
Al-Mawardi
Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī Ibn Muḥammad al-Māwardī (), known in Latin as Alboacen (972–1058 CE), was an Islamic jurist of the Shafi'i school most remembered for his works on religion, government, the caliphate, and public and constitutional law ...
said: "If the Imam did what we mentioned among the rights of the nation, he fulfilled the right of God Almighty in them and upon them, and he obliged them with rights: obedience and help did not change their condition." [Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah, p. 42]
See also
* Verse of Obedience
The Verse of Obedience ( ar, آيَة ٱلطَّاعَة) refers to verse 4:59 of the central religious text in Islam, the Quran, which reads
In Sunni Islam, "those in authority" () in this verse variously refers to Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, ...
* Ikhtilaf
Ikhtilāf ( ar, اختلاف, lit=disagreement, difference) is an Islamic scholarly religious disagreement, and is hence the opposite of ijma. Direction in Quran
After Muhammad's death, the Verse of Obedience stipulates that disagreements or Ikh ...
* Political aspects of Islam
Political aspects of Islam are derived from the Quran, ''ḥadīth'' literature, and ''sunnah'' (accounts of the sayings and living habits attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his lifetime), the history of Islam, and elements of ...
* Ismah
''‘Iṣmah'' or ''‘Isma'' ( ar, عِصْمَة; literally, "protection") is the concept of incorruptible innocence, immunity from sin, or moral infallibility in Islamic theology, and which is especially prominent in Shia Islam. In Shia theolo ...
References
{{Reflist
Islamic culture
Quranic verses
Islamic terminology
Sharia legal terminology