This is an excerpt from Ibn Taymiyyah’s as-Siyasah ash-Shari’ah fi Islah ar-Ra’i war-Ra’iyah.

It should be known that the exercise of authority[1] (for the benefit) of the people is (one) of the greatest religious duties. Neither deen nor world order may be established without it. The children of Adam cannot ensure the realization of their (common) interest except by meeting together, because every one of them is in need of every other one, and when they meet together, it is inevitable for them to have a head (rais رَأْس), so the Prophet ﷺ said:

إِذَا خَرَجَ ثَلاَثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ

“If three of them were on a journey, they should choose one of them as Amir (leader).”[2]

Imam Ahmad has related in his Musnad on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn Amr that the Prophet ﷺ has said:

لَا يَحِلُّ لِثَلَاثَةٍ يَكُونُونَ بِفَلَاةٍ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ إلَّا أَمَّرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ أَحَدَهُم

“If three (of you) are in a desolate tract of land, one of you must be the Amir.”

The Prophet ﷺ has thereby enjoined that even in a small transient meeting on a journey- there should be one Amir, implying thereby that (men should behave in this way) in all other kinds of meeting and because, furthermore, Allah, be He exalted, has ordered that (men) should enjoin good and prohibit evil. This can only be accomplished by force and authority. Also, all that Allah has enjoined, like undertaking Jihad (legal war), administering justice, performing pilgrimage or Friday prayer or prayer on feast days as well as relieving the oppressed and execution of penalties, can only be accomplished by force and authority. It is (in reference to this) that it is related:

أَنَّ السُّلْطَانَ ظِلُّ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْض

“The Sultan (ruler) is Allah’s shadow on Earth.”[3]

It is also said that:

سِتُّونَ سَنَةً مِنْ إمَامٍ جَائِرٍ أَصْلَحُ مِنْ لَيْلَةٍ واحدة بِلَا سُلْطَانٍ

“Sixty years (domination) of a despotic ruler are better than one single night (passed) without a ruler.”

Experience has proved this. Consequently, the early Muslims, like Fudail Ibn Tyad[4] and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and others, used to say: لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا دَعْوَةٌ مُجَابَةٌ لَدَعَوْنَا بِهَا لِلسُّلْطَانِ “Were our invocation answerable by Allah, we would pray that the ruler (be helped and strengthened by Him).”

The Prophet ﷺ has also said:

إن الله يرضى لكم ثلاثاً: أَنْ تَعْبُدُوهُ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَأَنْ تَعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا، وَأَنْ تَنَاصَحُوا مَنْ وَلَّاهُ اللَّهُ أَمْرَكُمْ

“Allah wants you to abide by three things: Worship Him and associate with Him and no other, hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and not disperse, and give good counsel to those whom Allah has made men of authority over you.”[5]

He ﷺ has also said:

ثَلاَثٌ لاَ يُغَلُّ عَلَيْهِنَّ قَلْبُ مُسْلِمٍ إِخْلاَصُ الْعَمَلِ لِلَّهِ وَمُنَاصَحَةُ أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلُزُومِ جَمَاعَتِهِمْ فَإِنَّ الدَّعْوَةَ تُحِيطُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ

“Three (things) no Muslim would hate: sincerity in actions (for the sake of) Allah, giving good counsel to those who are in authority and abiding by the (opinions agreed upon by the) Muslim community. Then (if Muslims did respond to these), three things, these three things would encompass them on all sides (and protect them).”[6]

It is (further) related from the Prophet ﷺ in his authentic hadith that he has said:

الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ، الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ، الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ. قَالُوا: لِمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: لِلَّهِ وَلِكِتَابِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ

“Deen is to give good counsel, Deen is to give good counsel, Deen is to give good counsel (repeated three times)”. Those (who were around him) asked: “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?” He answered: “To Allah, to His Book and to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and to the common people among them.”[7]

End quote.[8]

Notes

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[1] wiliyatul-amr ولاية أمر

[2] Sunan Abi Dawud 2608 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2608

[3] Mishkat al-Masabih 3718 https://sunnah.com/mishkat:3718

[4] Al-Fudail Ibn ‘Iyad, d. 187 AH (803 CE)

[5] Sahih Muslim

[6] Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2658 https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2658

[7] Sunan an-Nasa’i 4199 https://sunnah.com/nasai:4199

[8] Ibn Taymiyyah, ‘The Political Shariyah on Reforming the Ruler and The Ruled,’ Translation of as-Siyasah ash-Shari’ah fi Islah ar-Ra’i war-Ra’iyah, Dar ul Fiqh, UK, p.249 ; https://shamela.ws/book/31237/125