From Abu Bakra from his father who said that I heard the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- say:
من أجَلَّ سلطانَ اللهِ أجَلَّه اللهُ يومَ القيامةِ
‘Whoever honours the ruler whom Allaah has placed then Allaah honours the person on the Day of Judgement.’
[Collected by Ahmad in ‘ al – Musnad ‘& by ibn Abi Aassim in ‘as – Sunnah ‘ and declared hasan by Al-Albaani in Dhilal al – Jannah fee Takhreej as – Sunnah’, also in Ibn Abee Aasim in ‘as-Sunnah’, & Silsilah saheehah no. 2297 and Saheeh al – Jami as – Sagheer]
In another wording also from Abu Bakra who said I heard the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- saying:
‘Whoever honours the Sultan (ruler) whom Allaah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala has placed in the Dunya then Allaah will honour him on the Day of Judgement. Whoever belittles the Sultan whom Allaah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala in the Dunya then Allaah belittles him on the Day of Judgement.’
[Collected by Ahmed with this wording, by Tayyalisi with the second sentence, likewise Ibn Hibban in ‘Thiqaat’, likewise Tirmidhi and he said ‘Hadeeth Hasan Ghareeb’ & Al-Albaani said the Hadeeth is Hasan to me and Allaah knows best. [Saheehah 2297]
Explanation
Imam al-Barbahari (d. 329 AH) -Rahimahullaah- said:
‘If you see a man making Dua (supplicating) against the ruler then know that he is a person who follows desires. When you hear a man making Dua (supplicating) for the ruler for his rectification then know that he is a person of Sunnah In Shaa Allaah (if Allaah Wills it).
Fudayal bin Ayyad said: ‘If I had a supplication which would be answered I would only make it for the ruler.’
It was said to him: ‘O Abu Ali explain this point to us.’
He replied: ‘If I make the Dua for myself it may not transcend to more than me however, if I made the Dua for the ruler and he was rectified, then by him being rectified the worshippers and the land will be rectified. Therefore, we have been ordered to make Dua for the rulers with rectification and we have not been ordered to make Dua against them, even if they are tyrannical and oppressive because their tyranny and oppression is upon themselves, as for their rectification then it is for themselves and for the Muslims.’
[Sharh as-Sunnah by al-Barbahari point no. 107]
Belittling the Ruler
By Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen Rahimahullaah
From Abu Bakra RadhiAllaahu anhu who said, I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ saying:
من أهان السلطان أهانهُ الله
‘Whoever belittles the leader, then Allaah belittles him.’
[Collected by Tirmidhi and graded Hasan by Al-Albaani in kitab as-Sunnah]
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen Rahimahullaah said:
‘Belittling the leader has several forms:
From them: to ridicule the leader’s orders. So, if he ordered a matter, a person sneers and says, ‘look at what he’s saying?!’
From that: when the leader does something which this person does not agree with, he says, look, look what he’s doing?!
He wants to belittle the order of the leader to the people, because if he belittles the command of the leader to the people then they will belittle the leader and they will not fulfil his command nor keep away from what he prohibited.
Therefore, whoever belittles the leader by spreading his deficiencies of misjudgement among the people and his dispraise to revile and defame him, then he exposes himself to being belittled by Allaah Azza wa Jal. This is because if he belittles the leader with these matters, then the people revolt against him and disobey him. Then here this will be means to evil, so Allaah belittles him.
If Allaah belittles him in the worldly life, then he has been given his punishment.
If he has not been belittled in the worldly life then he is deserving of being belittled in the Hereafter, and we seek refuge with Allaah.
Because the speech of the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam is true:
من أهان السلطان أهانه اللّٰه
‘Whoever belittles the leader then Allaah will belittle him.’
So, whoever aids the leader then Allaah aids him, because he aided the leader upon goodness and righteousness.
Therefore, if you clarify for the people what is obligatory upon them towards the leader and aid them upon obedience to the leader in other than sinning then this is great goodness, aiding upon righteousness, taqwa and goodness.
We ask Allaah for protection for ourselves and yourselves from what angers Him. And for success for what He loves and is pleased with.’
[Sharh Riyadh as-Saliheen 3/373]
In another Hadeeth also from Abu Bakra the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘The ruler is a protection of Allaah on the earth, whoever honours him then he has honoured Allaah and whoever belittles him then he has belittled Allaah.’
[Collected by Ibn Abi Assim in ‘as-Sunnah’ (1024), al-Bayhaqi in ‘Shua’ab al-Emaan’ & graded Hasan by Al-Albaani]
