The Book on Government

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upoh him) said: One who dislikes a thing done by his Amir should be patient over it, for anyone from the people who withdraws (his obedience) from the government, even to the extent of a handspan and died in that conditions, would die the death of one belonging to the days of jahilliyya.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: One who is killed under the banner of a man who is blind (to his just cause), who raises the slogan of family or supports his own tribe, dies the death of one belonging to the days of Jahiliyya.

It has been reported on the authority of Nafi, that 'Abdullah b. Umar paid a visit to Abdullah b. Muti' in the days (when atrocities were perpetrated on the People Of Medina) at Harra in the time of Yazid b. Mu'awiya. Ibn Muti' said: Place a pillow for Abu 'Abd al-Rahman (family name of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar). But the latter said: I have not come to sit with you. I have come to you to tell you a tradition I heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I heard him say: One who withdraws his band from obedience (to the Amir) will find no argument (in his defence) when he stands before Allah on the Day of Judgment, and one who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to an Amir) will die the death of one belonging to the days of Jahillyya.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that he visited Ibn Muti', and related from the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) the tradition that has gone before.

The same tradition has been transmitted by a different chain of narrators.

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Arfaja who said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: Different evils will make their appearance in the near future. Anyone who tries to disrupt the affairs of this Umma while they are united you should strike him with the sword whoever he be. (If remonstrance does not prevail with him and he does not desist from his disruptive activities, he is to be killed.)

In another version of the tradition narrated on the same authority through a different chains of transmitters we have the words: " Kill him."

It has been narrated (through a still different chain of transmitters) on the Same authority (i. e. 'Arfaja) who said similarly-but adding: " Kill all of them." I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: When you are holding to one single man as your leader, you should kill who seeks to undermine your solidarity or disrupt your unity.

It has been narrated on the authority of Aba Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When oath of allegiance has been taken for two caliphs, kill the one for whom the oath was taken later.

It has been narrated on the authority of Umm Salama that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: In the near future there will be Amirs and you will like their good deeds and dislike their bad deeds. One who sees through their bad deeds (and tries to prevent their repetition by his band or through his speech), is absolved from blame, but one who hates their bad deeds (in the heart of his heart, being unable to prevent their recurrence by his hand or his tongue), is (also) fafe ( so far as God's wrath is concerned). But one who approves of their bad deeds and imitates them is spiritually ruined. People asked (the Holy Prophet): Shouldn't we fight against them? He replied: No, as long as they say their prayers.

It has been narrated (through a different chain of tmnamitters) on the authority of Umm Salama (wife of the Holy Prophet) that he said: Amirs will be appointed over you, and you will find them doing good as well as bad deeds. One who hates their bad deeds is absolved from blame. One who disapproves of their bad deeds is (also) safe (so far as Divine wrath is concerned). But one who approves of their bad deeds and imitates them (is doomed). People asked: Messenger of Allah, shouldn't we fight against them? He replied: No, as long as they say their prayer. (" Hating and disapproving" refers to liking and disliking from the heart.)

Another version of the tradition narrated on the same authority attributes the same words to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) except that it replaces kariha with ankhara and vice versa.

Another version omits a portion at the end of the tradition-a portion which begins with man radiya wa taba and ends with the last word of the tradition.

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Auf b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, who invoke God's blessings upon you and you invoke His blessings upon them. And the worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and who hate you and whom you curse and who curse you. It was asked (by those present): Shouldn't we overthrow them with the help of the sword? He said: No, as long as they establish prayer among you. If you then find anything detestable in them. You should hate their administration, but do not withdraw yourselves from their obedience.

It has been narrated on the authority of Auf b. Malik al-Ashja'i who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, upon whom you invoke God's blessings and who invoke His blessing upon you. And the worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and who hate you, who curse you and whom you curse. (Those present) said: Shouldn't we overthrow them at this? He said: No, as long as they establish prayer among you. No, as long as they establish prayer among you. Mind you! One who has a governor appointed over him and he finds that the governor indulges in an act of disobedience to God, he should condemn the governor's act, in disobedience to God, but should not withdraw himself from his obedience. Ibn Jabir said: Ruzaiq narrated to me this hadith. I asked him: Abu Miqdam, have you heard it from Muslim b. Qaraza or did he describe it to you and he heard it from 'Auf (b. Malik) and he transmitted this tradition of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? Upon this Ruzaiq sat upon his knees and facing the Qibla said: By Allah, besides Whom there is no other God, I heard it from Muslim b. Qaraza and he said that te had heard it from Auf (b. Malik) and he said that he had heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

The above tradition has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir who said: We were one thousand and four hundred on the Day of Hudaibiya. We swore fealty to hiin (the Holy Prophet) and 'Umar was holding the latter's hand (when he was sitting) under the tree (called) Samura (to administer the oath to the Companions). The narrator added: We took oath to the effect that we would not flee (from the battlefield if there was an encounter with the Meccans), but we did not take oath to fight to death.

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) on the authority of Jabir who said: While swearing fealty to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) we did not take the oath to death but that we would not run away (from the battlefield).

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Zubair who heard Jabir being questioned as to how many people were there on the Day of Hudaibiya He replied: We wore fourteen hundred. We swore fealty to him, and Umar was holding his hand while he was sitting Under the tree (to administer the oath). The tree was Samura (a wild tree found in desers). All of as took tha oath of fealty at his hands except Jadd b. Qais al-Ansari who hid himself under the belly of his camel.

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) on the authority of Abu Zubair who heard Jabir being questioned as to whether the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) took the oath of fealty at Dhu'l-Hulaifa. He said: No! But he offered his prayers at that place, and he administered the oath of fealty nowhere except near the tree in (the plain oo Hudaibiya. Ibn Juraij said that he was informed by Abu Zabair who heard Jabir b. Abdullah say: The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) prayed over the well at Hudaibiya (as a result of which its scanty water rose up and increased so as to be sufficient for the 1400 or 1500 men who had encamped at the place).

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) on the authority of Jabir who said: We were one thousand and four hundred on the Day of Hudaibiya when the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said to us: Today you are the best people on the earth. And Jabir said: If I had the eyesight, I could show you the place of the tree.

It has been narrated on the authority of Salim b. Abu al-Ja'd who said: I asked Jabir b. 'Abdullah about the number of the Companions (of the Holy Prophet who took the oath of fealty under) the tree. He said: If we were a hundred thousand, it (i. e. the water in the well at Hudaibiya) would have sufficed us, but actually we were one thousand and five hundred.

It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir who said: If we had been a hundred thousand in number, it (the water) would have sufficed us, but actually we were fifteen hundred.

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) on the authority of Salim b. al-Ja'd who said: I asked Jabir: How many were you on the Day of Hudaibiya? He said: One thousand and four hundred.

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Abu Aufa who said: The Companions of the Tree (i e. those who swore fealty under the tree) were one thousand and three hundred, and the people of Aslam tribe were one-eighth of the Muhajirs.

The same tradition has been handed down through a different chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ma'qil b. Yasar who aaid: I remember being present on the Day of the Tree, and the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) was taking the oath of the people and I was holding a twig of the tree over his head. We were fourteen hundred (in number). We did not take oath to the death, but to the effect that we would not run away from the battlefield.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yunus with the same chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the authority of Sa'id b. Musayyab who said: My father was one of those who swore fealty to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) near the tree. When we passed that way next year intending to perform the Hajj, the place of the tree was hidden to us. If you could point out clearly, you would (certainly) be knowing better. It has also been narrated on the authority of Sa'id b. Musayyib who learnt from his father that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in the year of the Tree (i. e. in the year of the fealty of God's pleasure sworn under the tree at Hudaibiya), but next year they forgot the spot of the tree.