قال الله تعالىٰ: {تِلكَ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلأٓخِرَةُ نَجعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوّا فِي ٱلأَرضِ وَلَا فَسَادا وَٱلعَٰقِبَةُ لِلمُتَّقِينَ} [القصص: 83].
Allah Almighty says: {That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire supremacy upon the earth or corruption. And the best outcome is for the righteous.} [Al-Qasas: 83]
1) النهي عن طلب الإمارة إذا قَصَدَ طالب الإمارة قصداً سيئاً، كأن يعلو علىٰ الناس، ويملك رقابهم، فيأمر وينهىٰ بالباطل.
1) It is prohibited to ask for a leadership post if it is intended for a bad purpose, like attaining superiority and control over people and issuing evil commands and prohibitions.
2) المتقون هم الذين لهم العاقبة الحسنة في الدنيا والآخرة.
2) It is the pious who will attain the good outcome in this world and in the Hereafter.
1/674 ــ وعن أبي سعيدٍ عبدِ الرحمن بن سَمُرَةَ رضي الله عنه قال: قال لي رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يَا عَبدَ الرَّحمن بن سَمُرَةَ، لا تَسأَلِ الإمارَةَ؛ فَإنَّكَ إن أُعْطِيتَهَا عَن غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةِ أُعِنتَ عَلَيْها، وإن أْعطِيتَها عَن مَسأَلَة وُكِلْتَ إلَيها، وإذَا حَلَفتَ عَلىٰ يَمِينٍ، فَرَأَيْتَ غَيرها خَيراً مِنهَا، فَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيرٌ، وَكَفِّر عَن يَمينِكَ». متفقٌ عليه.
674/1 - Abu Sa‘īd ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “O ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah, do not seek a leadership post, because if it is given to you without you asking for it, you will be helped by Allah, but if it is given to you after you have asked for it, you will be held responsible for it. Whenever you take an oath to do something and then find that something else is better than the former, then do what is better and make expiation for your oath.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) إنَّ من الورع والدِّين ألا يطلب الإنسان شيئاً من الوظائف والمناصب، لأن مَن طلبها يوكل إلىٰ نفسه، لا إلىٰ عون ربه.
1) It is part of piety and religiousness not to ask for a leadership position, for when a person does so and he is given the position, he is left to his himself, not to the support from Allah.
2) من جاءه المنصب من غير مسألة، ولا استشراف نفس، أعانه الله علىٰ أداء المسؤولية.
2) If a person is given a position without him asking for it or aspiring to it, Allah will help him in the discharge of his responsibility.
2/675ــ وعن أبي ذرٍّ رضي الله عنه قال: قال لي رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، إنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفاً، وَإنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفسي، لا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلىٰ اثْنَيْنِ، وَلا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مالَ يَتِيمٍ». رواه مسلم.
675/2 - Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak and I love for you what I love for myself. Do not rule over two persons and do not manage an orphan’s property.” [Narrated by Muslim]
3/676ــ وعنه قال: قلت: يا رسولَ الله، أَلا تَستَعمِلُني؟ فَضَرَبَ بِيَدهِ عَلىٰ مَنْكِبي ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إنَّكَ ضَعِيف، وَإنَّها أمانَةٌ، وإنَّها يَومَ القِيامَةِ خِزْيٌ وَنَدَامَةٌ، إلَّا مَن أَخَذَهَا بِحَقِّها، وَأَدَّىٰ الذي عَلَيه فِيها». رواه مسلم.
676/3 - He also reported: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, why do you not appoint me (to an official position)?” He patted me on my shoulder and said: “O Abu Dharr, you are weak and it is a trust. 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.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) يُشترط للإمارة أن يكون القائم فيها قويّاً وأميناً، {إِنَّ خَيرَ مَنِ ٱستَٔجَرتَ ٱلقَوِيُّ ٱلأَمِينُ} وإذا لم يتحقق كمال الأوصاف، فإنه يُولّىٰ الأمثل فالأمثل.
1) It is required for any leadership post that the person be strong and trustworthy; {Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy.} In case of failure to find a person possessing these two attributes perfectly, then the best should be appointed.
2) عظم مسؤولية الإمارة، فهي أمانة عظيمة ومسؤولية خطيرة، فعلىٰ من ولِيَها أن يرعاها حقّ رعايتها، ولا يخُونَ عهد الله فيها.
2) Authority is a great responsibility and tremendous trust. So, whoever assumes it should undertake it properly and not breach the trust that Allah assigned to him.
3) علىٰ المسلم أن ينصح أخاه إذا رأىٰ فيه نقصاً، أو ضعفاً عن المسؤولية، فانظر وصيّة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأبي ذرّ رضي الله عنه ونصحه إياه بالابتعاد عن الإمارة؟!.
3) A Muslim should advise his fellow Muslim not to assume a leadership position if he sees certain incompetence or weakness in him. A case in point is the Prophet’s advice to Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) to keep away from leadership.
4/677 ــ وعن أبي هُريرةَ رضي الله عنه أنَّ رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «إنَّـكُم سَتَحرِصُونَ عَلىٰ الإمارَة، وَسَتكُونُ نَدَامَةً يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ». رواه البخاري.
677/4 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You will be keen on leadership positions, and it will be a source of regret on the Day of Judgment.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) إن الحرص علىٰ الإمارة وحبّ الشرف والجاه يُفسد دين المرء.
1) Pursuit of leadership positions and the love for high status corrupts one’s religiosity.
2) العاقل من نظر إلىٰ عواقب الأمور في الدار الآخرة، فترك كل ما يضرّ بآخرته.
2) A wise person would consider the consequences of matters in the Hereafter and thus abandon anything that would negatively affect his afterlife.