89. This verse is the cornerstone of the entire religious, social and political
structure of Islam, and the very first clause of the constitution of an Islamic
state. It lays down the following principles as permanent guidelines:
(1) In the Islamic order of life, God alone is the focus of loyalty and obedience.
A Muslim is the servant of God before anything else, and obedience and loyalty
to God constitute the centre and axis of both the individual and collective
life of a Muslim. Other claims to loyalty and obedience are acceptable only
insofar as they remain secondary and subservient, and do not compete with those
owed to God. All loyalties which may tend to challenge the primacy of man's
loyalty to God must be rejected. This has been expressed by the Prophet (peace
be on him) in the following words: 'There may be no obedience to any creature
in disobedience to the Creator.' (Muslim, 'Iman', 37; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad,
vol. 3, p. 472 - Ed.)
(2) Another basic principle of the Islamic order of life is obedience to the
Prophet (peace be on him). No Prophet, of course, is entitled to obedience in
his own right. Obedience to Prophets, however, is the only practical way of
obeying God, since they are the only authentic means by which He communicates
His injunctions and ordinances to men. Hence, we can obey God only if we obey
a Prophet. Independent obedience to God is not acceptable, and to turn one's
back on the Prophets amounts to rebellion against God. The following tradition
from the Prophet (peace be on him) explains this: 'Whoever obeyed me, indeed
obeyed God; and whoever disobeyed me, indeed disobeyed God.' (Bukhari, 'Jihad',
109; 'I'tisam', 2; Muslim, 'Amarah', 32, 33; Nasa'i, 'Bay'ah', 27; etc. - Ed.)
We shall see this explained in more detail a little further on in the Qur'an.
(3) In the Islamic order of life Muslims are further required to obey fellow
Muslims in authority. This obedience follows, and is subordinate to, obedience
to God and the Prophet (peace be on him). Those invested with authority (ulu
al-amr) include all those entrusted with directing Muslims in matters of common
concern. Hence, persons 'invested with authority' include the intellectual and
political leaders of the community, as well as administrative officials, judges
of the courts, tribal chiefs and regional representatives. In all these capacities,
those 'invested with authority' are entitled to obedience, and it is improper
for Muslims to cause dislocation in their collective life by engaging in strife
and conflict with them. This obedience is contingent, however, on two conditions:
first, that these men should be believers; and second, that they should themselves
be obedient to God and the Prophet (peace be on him). These two conditions are
not only clearly mentioned in this verse they have also been elucidated at length
by the Prophet (peace be on him) and can be found in the Hadith. Let us consider,
for example, the following traditions: A Muslim is obliged to heed and to obey
an order whether he likes it or not, as long as he is not ordered to carry out
an act of disobedience to God (ma'siyah). When ordered to carry out an act of
disobedience-to God he need neither heed nor obey.
There is no obedience in sin; obedience is only in what is good (ma'ruf). (For
these traditions see Bukhari, 'Ahkam', 4; 'Jihad', 108; Muslim, 'Amarah', 39;
Tirmidhi, 'Jihad', 29; Ibn Majah, 'Jihad', 40; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol.
2, pp. 17 and 142 - Ed.)
There will be rulers over you, some of whose actions you will consider good
and others abominable. Who even disapproves of their abominable acts will be
acquitted of all blame, and whoever resents them he too will remain secure (from
all blame); not so one who approves and follows them in their abominable acts.
They (i.e. the Companions) asked: 'Should we not fight against them?' The Prophet
(peace be on him) said: 'No, not as long as they continue to pray.' (See Bukhari,
'Jihad', 108 - Ed.)
This means that their abandonment of Prayer will be a clear sign of their having
forsaken obedience to God and the Prophet (peace be on him). Thereafter it becomes
proper to fight against them. In another tradition the Prophet (peace be on
him) says:
Your worst leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you; whom you curse
and who curse you. We asked: 'O Messenger of God! Should we not rise against
them?' The Prophet (peace be on him) said: 'No, not as long as they establish
Prayer among you: not as long as they establish Prayer among you.' (See Muslim,
'Amarah', 65, 66; Tirmidhi, 'Fitan', 77; Darimi, 'Riqaq, 78; Ahmad b. Hanbal,
Musnad, vol. 6, pp. 24, 28 - Ed.)
In this tradition the position is further clarified. The earlier tradition could
have created the impression that it was not permissible to revolt against rulers
as long as they observed their Prayers privately. But the latter tradition makes
it clear that what is really meant by 'praying' is the establishment of the
system of congregational Prayers in the collective life of Muslims. This means
that it is by no means sufficient that the rulers merely continue observing
their Prayers: it is also necessary that the system run by them should at least
be concerned with the establishment of Prayer. This concern with Prayer is a
definite indication that a government is essentially an Islamic one. But if
no concern for establishing Prayer is noticed, it shows that the government
has drifted far away from Islam making it permissible to overthrow it. The same
principle is also enunciated by the Prophet (peace be on him) in another tradition,
in which the narrator says: 'The Prophet (peace be on him) also made us pledge
not to rise against our rulers unless we see them involved in open disbelief,
so that we have definite evidence against them to lay before God' (Bukhari and
Muslim).
(4) In an Islamic order the injunctions of God and the way of the Prophet (peace
be on him) constitute the basic law and paramount authority in all matters.
Whenever there is any dispute among Muslims or between the rulers and the ruled
the matter should be referred to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and all concerned
should accept with sincerity whatever judgement results. In fact, willingness
to take the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger as the common point
of reference, and to treat the judgement of the Qur'an and the Sunnah as the
last word on all matters, is a central characteristic which distinguishes an
Islamic system from un-Islamic ones. Some people question the principle that
we should refer everything to the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace be on him). They wonder how we can possibly do so when there are numerous
practical questions involved, for example, rules and regulations relating to
municipal administration, the management of railways and postal services and
so on which are not treated at all in these sources. This doubt arises, however,
from a misapprehension about Islam. The basic difference between a Muslim and
a non-Muslim is that whereas the latter feels free to do as he wishes, the basic
characteristic of a Muslim is that he always looks to God and to His Prophet
for guidance, and where such guidance is available, a Muslim is bound by it.
On the other hand, it is also quite important to remember that when no specific
guidance is available, a Muslim feels free to exercise his discretion because
the silence of the Law indicates that God Himself has deliberately granted man
the freedom to make his decision.
90. Since the Qur'an is not merely a legal code, but also seeks to instruct, educate, admonish and exhort, the earlier sentence which enunciates a legal principle is followed by another which explains its underlying purpose and wisdom. Two things are laid down. First, that faithful adherence to the above four principles is a necessary requirement of faith. Anyone who claims to be a Muslim and yet disregards the principles of Islam involves himself in gross self-contradiction. Second, the well-being of Muslims lies in basing their lives on those principles. This alone can keep them on the straight path in this life, and will lead to their salvation in the Next. It is significant that this admonition follows immediately after the section which embodies comments about the moral and religious condition of the Jews. Thus the Muslims were subtly directed to draw a lesson from the depths to which the Jews had sunk, as a result of their deviation from the fundamental principles of true faith just mentioned. Any community that turns its back upon the Book of God and the guidance of His Prophets, that willingly follows rulers and leaders who are heedless of God and His Prophets, and that obeys its religious and political authorities blindly without seeking authority for their actions either in the Book of God or in the practice of the Prophets, will inevitably fall into the same evil and corruption as the Israelites.