Basic Terminology
Before
proceeding further, let me explain two key phrases or terms in relation to the
Islamic concept of party formation. The first term is that of ameer. What does
it mean? There is a related word in Arabic, aamir, which is used in Urdu in
place of the English expression “dictator.” Now, as you know, the word
“dictator” is used in a pejorative or derogatory sense. It is certainly not
considered to be a polite or respectful thing to say about a leader that he
acts in a “dictatorial” manner or that he
is a “dictator.” This is because we live in an era of democracy and people’s rule, and
therefore anything considered contrary to the high ideals of democracy is to be
shunned at all cost. But please note that the word ameer is more intense and
stronger than simple aamir.
Anyone
who is familiar with the technical nuances of Arabic language will appreciate
this point: when a person is performing a certain act, he is faa‘il, e.g.,
qadir, ‘alim, aamir, etc., but when
the capacity and
the characteristic of performing that act
becomes an integral and permanent part of his
personality, then he will be called fa‘eel, e.g., qadeer, ‘aleem, and, similarly,
ameer. So, please note again that the term used in the ahadith to describe a
leader is ameer, which is much stronger and more profound than aamir.
Let
me quote a hadith here. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said that whoever obeys me,
he actually obeys Almighty Allah (SWT), and whoever disobeys me, he is guilty
of disobeying Almighty
Allah (SWT); moreover, a person who obeys the ameer appointed by me actually
obeys me, and he who disobeys the ameer appointed by me, disobeys me.
Of
course, when the Prophet (SAW) was alive, he himself was the ameer of Muslims,
commander in-chief of the army, and head of the state. But even at that time
there was a chain of leaders who were appointed by him, and these leaders were
in charge at different levels of authority. For instance, in a ghazwa or
battle, the chief commander was, of course, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself, but
there were numerous subordinates under him: there would be a commander of the
right wing, a commander of the left wing, and so on. Then each wing was
composed of various smaller units, and these smaller units would have their own
commanders. Thus, there was a chain of local leaders or commanders or umara,
and that chain had to be kept intact and unbroken at all times. Any breach in
this sequence of authority would have, inevitably, resulted in chaos and
disorder. And this is exactly what happened during the battle of Uhad.
In
the battle of Uhad, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had appointed a group of fifty
archers — under Abdullah Ibn Jubayr (RAA)— on a hilly pass a little to the left
of his main force, and had told them not to leave that place even if they see
that the rest of the Muslims have been killed. But when, during the course of
the battle, the archers saw that the enemy was defeated, they did exactly what
they were prohibited from doing: they left their post. The local commander,
Abdullah Ibn Jubayr (RAA), warned them not to leave their place, ordering them
to stay. But it seems that the
archers argued, saying that
the order of
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was
binding in case of defeat, and now we have won. The battle is finished and the
disbelievers are routed, so there is no point in staying here.
Thirty-five
archers disobeyed their local commander. The enemy horsemen saw their opportunity to attack from the rear,
and played havoc in the unprotected and exposed ranks of the Muslim army.
Seventy Muslims were martyred due to this mistake. Almighty Allah (SWT)
punished the entire Muslim force for this show of indiscipline and disobedience
of the local ameer.
Think
about the extreme importance that our Deen attaches to discipline. Abdullah Ibn
Jubayr (RAA) was directly appointed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and after the
death of the Prophet, the Muslims elected their own khalifah or ameer with
mutual consultation. But there is a hadith, reported by Irbad Ibn Saaria (RAA),
according to which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said that it is obligatory upon
you to listen and obey even if a slave establishes himself as your ameer (i.e.,
without your consent), provided he doesn’t give any order that is contrary to
the Shari‘ah.
♦
This tradition as quoted by Imam Nawawi (RA) in his Arba‘ain includes the
following words: “I counsel you to fear Allah (may He be glorified) and to
listen and obey even if a slave establishes himself as your leader.” Imam Nawawi
(RA) has quoted this tradition on the authority of Imam Tirmidhi (RA) and Imam
Abu Daud (RA). But the wording of this tradition, as it appears in the
collection of ahadith by Imam Tirmidhi (RA) and Imam Abu Daud (RA), as well as
those by Imam Ibn Majah (RA) and Imam Ahmad (RA), does not include the words
“establishes himself as your leader.” In his Sharah of Sahih Muslim, however,
Imam Nawawi (RA) writes under another hadith: “If a slave establishes himself
as an ameer (through force) and runs the affairs of the government in
accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah, then it is obligatory (for the Muslims)
to obey him. However, under normal circumstances when the leaders are being
elected by the free choice of the Muslims, it would not be right to elect a
slave.”
This
is the value of discipline and collectivity, that even if someone gets hold of
the power without the approval of the Ummah, we are still required to obey him
within the limits of the Shari‘ah, in order to avoid unnecessary chaos and
disarray. Disobedience is permissible only when there is clear and flagrant
violation of the Shari‘ah, and armed rebellion is advisable only if there is
enough strength available to bring about a permanent and stable change.
But
there is another type of self-proclaimed ameer, an ameer like myself. What kind
of ameer am I? I want to launch a revolutionary struggle in Pakistan in order
to establish the Islamic System of Social Justice, or, in other words, to
establish the system of Khilafah. But I cannot achieve this on my own. I need
associates and colleagues and comrades. So what did I do? I made my ideas known
to the general public, and I made this call: Who would help me in this noble endeavor?
Who would join hands with me? Who would support me in establishing the
sovereignty of Almighty Allah (SWT) in the world?
Nobody
has elected me an ameer. I started my mission, I gave my program, I charted a
methodology. Whoever agrees with all this can come and join hands with me and
become my associate. This type of organization grows from top down. Since
people responded to my call, I became their ameer. No election is needed here.
So,
now you can appreciate that there are four different types of umara:
• First, an ameer who is appointed as a leader
of a local community or unit by some higher authority, i.e., by a higher ameer.
The umara nominated by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were of this variety.
• Second, an ameer who is elected or selected
by the Muslims as their ruler through mutual consultation. The four Rightly
Guided Caliphs belonged to this variety.
• Third, an ameer who becomes ruler of the
Muslims by taking control of the power with force and without their consent.
Most of the kings and emperors of the Muslim history, as well as the military
rulers of today, belong to this variety.
• And, finally, the person who wants to
undertake some mission for the cause of Islam and needs the help and assistance
of other Muslims; he is initially a da’ee (one who calls or invites people)
because he starts by calling people to join hands with him, and when people do
join him, he naturally becomes their ameer.
So
far, we have been trying to understand the meaning and implications of the word
ameer, as used by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The second term that is noteworthy in
this regard, and this too belongs to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, is
sam‘-o-ta‘ah, that is, listening and obeying. Please note that, just like
“enjoining the good and forbidding the evil” is an expression of great
significance made immortal by the Holy Qur’an, the words “listening and
obeying” have also become a permanent part of the Qur’anic terminology and
idiom. Moreover, just like “enjoining the good” cannot be separated from its mate
“forbidding the evil,” we see that “listening” cannot be severed from its twin
“obeying.”
All
of you know that listening and obeying is actually the proverbial slogan or
catch phrase of the military. All that an ordinary soldier is supposed to do is
to listen and obey, i.e., to receive orders from his superiors and to carry
them out. He is simply not allowed to argue with his commander. He cannot
demand the reason or the strategy behind each and every move that is being made
in the battle front. It is obvious that a soldier would be most effective if he
does as he is told by the higher authority in command.
This
great discipline of the military is vividly depicted in the poem Charge of the
Light Brigade by Tennyson, describing an event that took place in 1854 during
the Crimean War. What happened was that the brigade was given the order to
charge and advance towards the enemy lines. But there were cannons everywhere,
right, left, and front. It was obvious to every man that someone has made a
blunder in issuing such a suicidal order. But nobody argued, no one demanded an
explanation, no one questioned the rationality of the order. They all charged
forward, just as they were told, and perished:
Theirs
not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.
Let
me quote three verses of the Holy Qur’an, and I hope that they would
sufficiently illustrate the importance of listening and obeying in the context
of the Islamic way of life.
The
Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord, and so do the
faithful. Each one believes in Allah and His angels, and His Books, and His
messengers, and (say that) we make no distinction between the messengers. And
(in addition) they say: “We listen and we obey, and we seek Your forgiveness, O
Lord, for to You we shall return in the end.” (Al- Baqarah 2:258)
Remember
the favors He bestowed on you, and the covenant He cemented you with, when you
said: “We (agree to) listen and obey.” Heed Allah for he knows the secrets of
your hearts. (Al- Ma’ida 5:7)
So
heed Allah as much as you can, and listen and obey.... (Al-Taghabun 64:16)
