The Book on Government

It has been narrated on the authority of Hasan who said: Ubaidullah b Ziyad visited Ma'qil b. Yasir al-Muzani in his last iliness. Ma'qil said (to him): I am narrating to you a tradition I heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). If I knew that I am to survive this illness. I would, not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: If God appointed anyone ruler over a people and he died while he was still treacherous to his people, God would forbid his entry into Paradige.

It has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Hasan who said: Ibn, Ziyad paid a visit to Ma'qil b. Yasir who was seriously ill. Here follows the same tradition as has gone before with the addition that Ibn Ziyad asked: Why didn't you narrate this tradition to me before this day? Ma'qil reprimanded him and said: I did not narrate it to you or I was not going to narrate it to you.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Malik that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Ma'qil b. Yaser in the latter's illness. Ma'qil said to him: I am narrating to you a tradition. If I were not at death's door, I would not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) say: A ruler who, having obtained control over the affairs of the Muslims, does not strive for their betterment and does not serve them sincerely shall not enter Paradise with them.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu al-Aswad who said: My father related to me that Ma'qil b. Yasir fell ill. 'Ubaidullah b. Ziyad called on him to inquire after his health. Here follows the tradition as narrated by Hasan from Ma'qil.

It has been narrated on the authority of Hasan that A'idh b. 'Amr who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called on 'Ubaidullah b. Ziyad and said (to him): O my son, I have heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: The worst of guardians is the cruel ruler. Beware of being one of them. Ubaidullah said (to him out of arrogance): Sit you down. You are from the chaff of the Companions of Muhammad (may peace be upon him). A'idh said: Was there worthless chaff among them? Such worthless chaff appeared after them and among other people.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira who said: One day the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood among us (to deliver a sermon). He talked about the misappropriation of booty, and declared it to be a serious matter and a grave sin. Then he said: I shouldn't find that any of you should come on the Day of Judgment with a growling camel mounted on his neck, and should appeal to me for help saying:" Messenger of Allah, help me." and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I already communicated to you. I shouldn't find that any of you should come on the Day of Judgment with a bleating ewe mounted on his neck, and he should say to me:" Messenger of Allah, help me," and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I conveyed to you. I shouldn't find that one of you should come on the Day of Judgment with a Person crying loudly mounted on his neck, and he should say to me:" Messenger of Allah, help me," and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I conveyed to you. I shouldn't find that any one of you should come on the Day of Judgment with fluttering clothes wrapped round his neck and he should say to me:" Messenger of Allah, help me," and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I conveyed to you. I shouldn't find that any of you should come on the Day of Judgment with a heap of gold and silver placed on his neck and he should say to me:" Messenger of Allah, help me." and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I already conveyed to you (the warning from the Almighty).

The above tradition has been narrated on the same authority through different chains of transmitters.

Abu Huraira has narrated this hadith with a slight variation of words.

Abu Huraira has narrated this hadith similar to the above mentioned hadith.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed a man from the Asad tribe who was called Ibn Lutbiyya in charge of Sadaqa (i. e. authorised hign to receive Sadaqa from the people on behalf of the State. When he returned (with the collictions), he said: This is for you and (this is mine as) it was presented to me as a gift. The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upod him) stood on the pulpit and praised God and extolled Him. Then he said: What about a State official whom I give an assignment and who (comes and) says: This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift? Why didn't he remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother so that he could observe whether gifts were presented to him or not. By the Being in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, any one of you will not take anything from it but will bring it on the Day of Judgment, carrying on his neck a camel that will be growling, or a cow that will be bellowing or an ewe that will be bleating. Then he raised his hands so that we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said twice: O God, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments).

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) appointed Ibn Lutbiyya, a man from the Azd tribe, in charge of Sadaqa (authorising him to receive gifts from the people on behalf of the State). He came with the collectio, gave it to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him). and said: This wealth is for you and this is a gift presented to me. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said to him: Why didn't you remain in the house of your father and your mother to see whether gifts were presented to you or not. Then he stood up to deliver a sermon. Here follows the tradition like the tradition of Sufyan.

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed a man from the Azd tribe. called Ibn al-, Utbiyya, in charge of Sadaqat to be received from Banu Sulaim. When he came (back), the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked him to render his account. He said: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift (presented to me). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: You should have remained in the house of your father and your mother, until your gift came to you if you spoke the truth; then he addressed us. He praised God and extolled Him, and afterwards said: I appoint a man from you to a responsible post sharing with the authority that God has entrusted to me, and he comes to me saying: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift presented to me. Why did he not remain in the house of his father and his mother and his gift came to him, if he was truthful? By God, any one of you will not take anything from (the public funds) without any justification, but will meet his Lord carrying it on himself on the Day of judgment. I will recognise any one of you meeting Allah and carrying a growling camel, or a cow bellowing or a goat bleating. Then he raised his hands so high that whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Then he said: O my Lord, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments). The narrator says: My eyes saw (the Holy Prophet standing in that pose) and my ears heard (what he said).

This tradition has been hanoed down through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Hisham with aslight variation in the wording.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed a man in charge of Sadaqa (authorising him to receive charity from the people on behalf of the State). He came (back to the Holy prophet) with a large number of things and started saying: This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift. Here follows the tradition that has gone before except that 'Urwa (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) asked Abu Humaid: Did you hear it from the Messenger of Allah (himself) (may peace be upon him)? He replied: My ears heard it from his mouth.

It has been reported on the authority of 'Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: Whoso from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment. The narrator says: A dark-complexioned man from the Ansar stood up-I can visualise him still-and said: Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment. He said: What has happened to you? The man said: I have heard you say so and so. He said: I say that (even) now: Whoso from you is appointed by as to a position of authority, he should bring everything, big of small, and whatever he is given therefrom he should take, and he should restrain himself from taking that which is forbidden.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters.

Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying (as) was narrated in the (above-mentioned) hadith.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Juraij that the Qur'anic injunction: " 0 you who believe, obey Allah, His Apostle and those in authority from amongst You" (iv. 59) -was revealed in respect of 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa b. Qais b. Adi al-Sahmi who was despatched by the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) as leader of a military campaign. The narrator said: He was informed of this fact by Ya'la b. Muslim who was informed by Sa'id b. Jubair who in turn was informed by Ibn Abbas.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Holy prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Whoso obeys me obeys God, and whoso disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys the commander (appointed by me) obeys me, and whoso disobeys the commander disobeys me. The same tradition transmitted by different persons omits the portion: And whose disobeys the commander disobeys me.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Whoso obeys me obeys God; and whose disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys my commander obeys me, and whoso disobeys my commander disobeys me.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira by more than one chain of transmitters.

Hammam b. Munabbih has transmitted this hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira.

According to one version of the tradition, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Whoso obeys the commander. He did not say:" My commander."

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr who said: My friend (i. e. the Holy Prophet) advised me to listen (to the man in position of authority) and obey (him) even if he were a slave maimed (and disabled).

In another version of the tradition, we have the wording: " An Abyssinian slave maimed and disabled."

Abu 'Imran narrated this hadith with a slight change of wording.

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. She said that she heard the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) delivering his sermon on the occasion of the Last Pilgrimage. He was saying: If a slave is appointed over you and he conducts your affairs according to the Book of Allah, you should listen to him and obeey (his orders).