Sixty Sultaniyya

Weekly Sultaniyya Hadith Source Week No: 42

Accounting the Ruler

Hadith 53, The best Jihad is the word of Justice in front of the oppressive Sultan (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, ibn Maja)
Hadith 54, The master of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Mattalib, and a man who stands (in front of) an oppressive ruler and enjoins the good and forbids the evil and so is killed for it (Hakim)

Commentary:

A: Imam al-Munawi mentions that the word Jihad is intended in its linguistic meaning which is a general meaning.

B: The second narration indicates that the reward of the one who carried out the act of enjoining the good upon and forbidding the evil of the ruler and is killed for it, then he is alongside Hamza at the head of the ranks of the martyrs - which confirms that it is the best jihad which includes the specific Shari'ah meaning as well as the general.

C: Imam Aabadi states in his commentary that the scholars have said that a person is not exempted from ordering the good and forbidding the evil even if he thought it would not bring any benefit, rather it remains obligatory upon him.

D: Imam al-Siddiqi said it is the best jihad, because it indicates the complete certainty of the one carrying it out, and the strength of his iman, and the steadfastness of his certitude when saying that word to the tyrant destructive ruler whose tyranny and oppression is known, and he is not afraid of him, nor of his tyranny and power. Rather he has sold himself to Allah (SWT), and has put the order and right of Allah (SWT) before his own right, and this is different than the mujahid in comparison, since he is not in the same danger as the danger of the one who speaks the word of truth to the tyrant ruler.

E: To account the rulers is the most difficult task, and the highest form of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, since as mentioned by Sheikh ibn Taymiyya if the ruler is righteous then the people will be righteous, and if he is corrupt then the people will be corrupt. So the correction of the rule and the ruler will lead to the correction of the society, and if corruption of the rule and the ruler remains then the society will remain corrupted.

Hadith with commentary each week, taken from The Sixty Sultaniyya compiled by Abu Luqman Fathullah
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