Thursday, February 22, 2024

It is obligatory to obey the Book of Allāh, the Sunnah of His Messenger, the Rightly-Guided Khalīfahs and the Imāms when they command us to obey Allāh.


إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ۞(51) 

51The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allāh and His Messenger, to judge between them , is that they say: “We hear and we obey”. And such are the successful.

 وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ ۞ (52)  

52. And whosoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger, fears Allāh, and has Taqwā of Him, such are the successful 

... Allātells us about the attributes of the believers who respond to Allāh and His Messenger and who seek no other way apart from the Book of Allāh  and the Sunnah of His Messenger

Allāh says:

 إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ۞ (51) 

The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allāh and His Messenger, to judge between them , is that they say: “We hear and we obey”.

Meaning, to hear  to obey. Allāh describes them as having  attained success, which is achieving what one wants and being saved from what one fears. So Allāh says:

وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

And such are the successful

Concerning the Āyah:

أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا

they say: “We hear and we obey”.

Qatādah said: “We were told  that when  ‘Ubādah bin As-Sāmit, who had been present  at Al-‘Aqabah and at Badr, and was one of the leaders of the Anār, was dying, he said to his nephew Junādah bin Abi Umayyah:  ‘Shall I not tell you what you must do and what is your due?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘You have to listen and obey when times are easy and when they are hard, when you feel energetic and when you do not want to, and when you feel selfish. You have to train your tongue  to speak the truth. Do not go against those who are in authority, unless they openly command you to commit acts of disobedience to Allāh. Whenever you are commanded to do something that goes against the Book of Allāh, then follow the Book of Allāh. “(1)*

Qatādah said: We were told that Abu Ad-Dardā’ said, “There is no Islām except through obedience to Allāh, and no goodness except in Jamā’ah. Sincerity is to Allāh and His Messenger , and to the Khalīfah and all the believers.” He said: “And we were told that ‘Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭab, may Allāh be pleased with him, used to say; ‘The bonds of Islām are Lā ilāha illallāh, establishing prayer, paying Zakāh and obeying those whom Allāh has given authority over the affairs of the Muslims.’” This was recorded by Ibn Abi ātim.(2)*...

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

And whosoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger,

in what he is commanded with, and avoid  what he is forbidden,

وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ 

fears Allāh, means, for his past sins,

وَيَتَّقْهِ

And has Taqwā of Him, regarding sins he may commit in the future.

فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ

Such are the successful. means, those  who will attain all goodness  and be saved  from all evil in this world and the Hereafter.


*(1) Ibn Abi ātim 8: 2623.

*(2) Ibn Abi ātim 8: 2623, 2624

Selected from: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 7, Sūrah 24. An-Nūr (51- 52) (Part-18), page 107-111, Darussalam 


Note: Edited 24/2/2024 @ 7:29 PM