Obedience to the Prophet as Commanded in the Qur’aan
Part 4 – The Command of Allaah to obey Him & Obey His Messenger
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
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Ayaah no. 4
Allaah Ta’ala said
{ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ أَطِیعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِیعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنكُمۡۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِی شَیۡءࣲ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِیلًا }
《O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger, and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.》
[Surah An-Nisāʾ: 59]
Ibn Jareer (d. 310 AH) said:
‘This means, O you who believe! Obey Allaah who is your Lord in that which He has Commanded you with, and that which He has prohibited from.
Obey His Messenger Muhammad -SallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam-, since in you obeying him is actually obeying your Lord, this is because you are obeying the Messenger due to the command of Allaah to you to obey him.
From Atta who said regarding the saying of Allaah:
‘Obey Allaah and obey His Messenger’
He said: obedience to the Messenger is obedience to his Sunnah.’
He also said:
‘Obedience to the Messenger is in following the Book and the Sunnah.’
[Jamia al- Bayan]
Ibn Katheer (d. 774 AH) said: ‘Obey Allaah means follow His Book, and follow the Messenger means take from his Sunnah, and those in authority among you, means obey them in that which they order you with from obedience to Allaah and not to obey them in disobedience to Allaah.
Indeed there is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to Allaah.’
[Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymeeyah (d. 728 AH) rahimahullaah said:
‘Those in authority’ those who are the rulers and their workers, and they are the ones who command the people.
That is why the people of knowledge and discourse are in association with the people who have authority and power and this is why those in authority are of two types, the Scholars and rulers.
Therefore, when the rulers and the Scholars are upright then the people will be upright and if they are corrupt then the people will be corrupt.
Like when Abu Bakr was asked by al-Ahmaseeya when she asked him: ‘How long will we remain upon this matter of goodness?’
He replied:
ما استقامت لكم أئمتكم
‘As long as your rulers are upright.’
Kings, scholars and those in the Royal courts enter into this, as well as everyone who follows on from them is from those in authority, and upon everyone who is obligated to obey the ruler must obey him in obedience to Allaah. And He does not obey him in disobedience to Allaah.’
[From Majmoo al-Fatawa 28/170 & Al Isteeqama 2/295]
Arabic Reference
أمر الله باتباع رسوله
أية رقم 4
قال الله تعالى
{ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ أَطِیعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِیعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنكُمۡۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِی شَیۡءࣲ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِیلًا }
سورة النساء
قال ابن جرير: أي : يا أيها الذين آمنوا أطيعوا الله ربكم فيما أمركم به وفيما نهاكم عنه.
وأطيعوا رسوله محمدا ، فإن في طاعتكم إياه لربكم طاعة، وذلك أنكم تطيعونه لأمر الله إياكم بطاعته.
وعن عطاء في قوله : أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ
قال : طاعة الرسول سنته،
وعنه أيضًا قال : طاعة الرسول اتباع الكتاب والسنة أخرجه الدارمي في السنن باب الاقتداء بالعلماء،
عند هذه الآية.
جامع البيان
قال ابن كثير : أَطِيعُوا الله أي اتبعوا كتابه ، وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ أَي خذوا بسنته،
وأول الأمري منكم أي فيما أمروكم به من طاعة الله لا في معصية الله، فإنه لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الله انتهى .
تفسير ابن كثير
قال شيخ الإسلام
”وأولو الأمر” أصحاب الأمر وذووه ، وهم الذين يأمرون الناس.
وذلك يشترك فيه أهل اليد والقدرة وأهل العلم والكلام، فلهذا كان أولوا الأمر صنفين العلماء، والأمراء.
فإذا صلحوا صلح الناس، وإذا فسدوا فسد الناس.
كما قال أبو بكر الصديق له للأحمسية لما سألته : ما بقاؤنا على هذا الأمر؟
قال: ما استقامت لكم أئمتكم ،
ويدخل فيهم الملوك والمشايخ وأهل الديوان.
وكل من كان متبوعا فإنه من أولي الأمر،
وعلى كل واحد ممن عليه طاعته أن يطيعه في طاعة الله ولا يطيعه في معصية الله
مجموع الفتاوى
28/170