Ibn ‘Adi has narrated from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘In Hell, there is a valley from which the Fire seeks refuge seventy times a day. Allah (swt) has prepared it for the jurists who act to be admired by people. And the most hated of people to Allah (swt) is the scholar of the ruler.’
When Muslims conquered Egypt and advanced to the Fort of Bablion, Muqauqis the ruler of Egypt sent a delegation to speak to Muslims to find out what they wanted. He also expressed a desire to receive a delegation of Muslims. Therefore ‘Amr bin al ‘As [] sent a delegation comprising ten people. This delegation was … Continue reading The Black Man
After the Banu Umayyah were massacred and banished from Syria by the tyrannical Amir of Syria, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali (the first Abbasid caliph's uncle), he summoned al-Awza‘i. After going missing for three days, the latter appeared before the court of the Amir. Al-Awza‘i relates: “I went in to see him and he was reclining on … Continue reading How al-Awza‘i* Spoke the Truth to a Tyrant Ruler
Now, what we have at the moment is - we have no fuqaha’! It is as simple as that. What do I mean by that? I mean we have ‘ulama’, but they are castrated, metaphorically speaking. They are impotised, they are unmanned, politically speaking. Why? Because they have assembled a vast body of knowledge - … Continue reading Shaykh Abdalqadir al-Murabit on Government Scholars
“In 1925, ‘Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq (1888-1966), brother of Mustafa, published a work on Islam and the bases of political authority. Like his brother, he had studied at the Azhar and had then come to Europe, but to Oxford and not Paris...The immediate problem with which ‘Abd al-Raziq is concerned is that of the caliphate. In … Continue reading ‘Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq’s Secular Heresy and the Orthodox Response
Iyas ibn Mu‘awiyah al-Muzani [d. 121H, 739CE] was a man of consummate eloquence and intelligence, proverbial for his reason and quick wit. It is said that once every hundred years a person is born with a perfect mind, and that Iyas was one such person. He narrates how, when still a child at a primary … Continue reading A Brilliant Qadi (Judge)
“I saw people who are negligent in paying their debts and who bequeath, ‘When I die, bury me in the tomb of Ahmad.’ Did they not hear the Messenger ﷺ refrained from praying (the funeral) upon those who died without settling their debts and those who unlawfully took from war booty, saying, ‘My prayer will … Continue reading The Tyrant’s Assistant is a Tyrant as well
“We have seen many scholars who had a bad ending because of their proximity and mixing with rulers. They were after comfort but did not achieve it properly, because the sadness of the heart never goes away with money or food... If we compare the difference between Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s refraining from rulers, and … Continue reading Ibn al-Jawzi on Forbidding from Accompanying the Rulers
It is from the Devil’s deception of scholars to make them intermingle with rulers and sultans. They look away from their faults and never admonish them in spite of their ability to do so. Some of them might even give fatwas allowing them to do things just for worldly gain. Three aspects of harm are … Continue reading Ibn al-Jawzi on the Devil’s Deception of Scholars who Get Close to Rulers
[Professor Muhammad Yusuf Faruqi, Hamdard Islamicus, Volume XIV No. 1 (Spring 1991)] After the demise of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), the Companions decided to choose someone capable of organizing and looking after the affairs of the Ummah, establishing the commandments of the Sharī‘ah and continuing the work of da‘wah which was promulgated by the Messenger … Continue reading Early Fuqahā’ on the Significance and Role of the Khilāfah
The Caliphate 