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Chapter 81
ةرﺎﻣﻹا لاﺆﺳ ﻦﻋ ﻲﻬﻨﻟا بﺎﺑ
Undesirability of Aspiring for Office
Allah, the Exalted, says:
"That home of the Hereafter (i.e., Jannah), We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with
pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the
Muttaqun (the pious and righteous persons).''
(28:83)
674
لﺎﻗ ، ﻪﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ﻲﺿر َةﺮُﻤَﺳ ﻦﺑ ِﻦﻤﺣﺮﻟا ﺪﺒﻋ ﺪﻴﻌﺳ ﻲﺑأ ﻦﻋو
:
ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا لﻮﺳر ﻲﻟ لﺎﻗ
:
»
َةَﺮُﻤﺳ ﻦﺑ ﻦﻤﺣﱠﺮﻟا َﺪﺒَﻋ ﺎَﻳ
:
ﻹا لَﺄﺴَﺗ ﻻ
نإو ، ﺎﻬﻴَﻠﻋ َﺖﻨﻋُأ ٍﺔَﻟَﺄﺴﻣ ِﺮْﻴَﻏ ﻦَﻋ ﺎﻬَﺘﻴِﻄْﻋُأ نإ َﻚﱠﻧﺈَﻓ ، َةَرﺎﻣ
، ٌﺮﻴﺧ ﻮُه يﺬﻟا ِتْﺄَﻓ ، ﺎَﻬﻨِﻣ ًاﺮﻴَﺧ ﺎهﺮﻴَﻏ ﺖﻳَأَﺮَﻓ ، ﻦﻴِﻤَﻳ ﻰﻠَﻋ َﺖْﻔَﻠَﺣ اَذإو ، ﺎﻬْﻴَﻟإ َﺖﻠِآُو ٍﺔﻟَﺄﺴﻣ ﻦَﻋ ﺎﻬَﺘﻴِﻄﻋُأ
َﻚِﻨﻴﻤَﻳ ﻦَﻋ ﺮﱢﻔآو
«
ﻪﻴﻠﻋ ٌﻖﻔﺘﻣ
.
674.
`Abdur-Rahman bin Samurah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said
to me,
"Do not ask for position of authority. If you are granted this position without asking for it, you will be helped
(by Allah) in discharging its responsibilities; but if you are given it as a result of your request, you will be left alone
as its captive. If you take an oath to do something and then find a better alternative, you should adopt the latter and
expiate for your oath.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
By rulership is meant caliphate or any other rank affiliated to its hierarchy. Yet, it is undesirable to
be eager or to strive for such an extraordinary position as it entails a heavy responsibility and one may face a
sufficient difficulty in being absolved from it. However, if a man gets it without solicitation, he should accept it. The
other part of the Hadith concerns swearing. Somebody takes an oath to do something but he finds another work
more rewarding and righteous. In such a situation he is advised to dissolve his oath and make expiation for it.
Thereafter, he will be free to avail the advantageous option. As for the expiation of breaking an oath, there are four
options: to set free a slave, or to feed an average-quality food to ten needy persons, or to provide clothes to them;
and the expiator who cannot afford all that, should observe fasting for three days.
675
لﺎﻗ ﻪﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ﻲﺿر ٍرذ ﻲﺑأ ﻦﻋو
:
ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا لﻮﺳر ﻲﻟ لﺎﻗ
:
»
،ًﺎﻔﻴِﻌﺿ كاَرَأ رَذ ﺎﺑأ ﺎﻳ
ِﻢﻴِﺘﻳ لﺎﻣ ﱠﻦَﻴﱢﻟﻮﺗ ﻻو ﻦْﻴﻨْﺛا ﻰﻠﻋ ﱠنﺮﱠﻣَﺄَﺗ ﻻ ،ﻲﺴﻔَﻨِﻟ ﱡﺐِﺣُأ ﺎﻣ َﻚﻟ ﱡﺐِﺣُأ ﻲﻧإو
«
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ ﻩاور
.
675.
Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me,
"O Abu Dharr, I
see that you are weak and I like for you what I like for myself. Do not rule over (even) two persons, and do not
manage an orphan's property.''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (May Allah be pleased with him) was one of the most ascetic Companions
who was little interested in mundane affairs. Finding him weak to do responsible jobs, Messenger of Allah (PBUH)
gave him this advice. In fact, the one who takes interest in worldly affairs and understands them well can discharge
the responsibilities appropriately. But a person who has aversion to worldly pursuits and keeps clear of them will be
considered unfit in this regard.
676
لﺎﻗ ﻪﻨﻋو
:
ﺖﻠﻗ :
ﻲﻨُﻠِﻤﻌﺘﺴَﺗ ﻻأ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا لﻮﺳر ﺎﻳ
لﺎﻗ ﱠﻢُﺛ ﻲِﺒﻜْﻨﻣ ﻰﻠﻋ ِﻩِﺪﻴِﺑ بﺮَﻀﻓ ؟
:
»
َﻚﱠﻧإ ﱟرَذ ﺎﺑأ ﺎﻳ
ﺎﻬﻴِﻓ ِﻪﻴﻠﻋ يﺬﻟا ىدأو ، ﺎﻬﱢﻘﺤِﺑ ﺎهﺬَﺧأ ﻦﻣ ﱠﻻإ ، ٌﺔﻣاَﺪَﻧو ٌيْﺰِﺧ ﺔَﻣﺎﻴﻘﻟا مﻮﻳ ﺎﻬﱠﻧإو ، ﺔﻧﺎﻣَأ ﺎَﻬﱠﻧإو ، ﻒﻴِﻌَﺿ
«
ﻩاور
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ .
676.
Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "Why do you not
appoint me to an (official) position?'' He (PBUH) patted me on the shoulder with his hand and said,
"O Abu Dharr,
you are a weak man and it is a trust and it will be a cause of disgrace and remorse on the Day of Resurrection except
for the one who takes it up with a full sense of responsibility and fulfills what is entrusted to him (discharges its
obligations efficiently).''
[Muslim].
Commentary:
There are, according to this Hadith, two conditions for putting people in official positions. The first
is the relevant talent for the job, a man is put in charge of; and the second is his capacity for discharging
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