Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 2 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 19

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابٌ فِي النَّصِيحَةِ.

(from previous page) ⟵ If you wish, say: the imams of eloquence, and the imams of advice.

وَهُمُ الْعُلَمَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُبَيِّنُونَ لِلنَّاسِ، وَأَئِمَّةُ السُّلْطَانِ وَهُمُ الْأُمَرَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُنَفِّذُونَ شَرِيعَةَ اللهِ بِقُوَّةِ السُّلْطَانِ.

These include the scholars who clarify matters for the people, as well as the authorities—the rulers who enforce God’s law through the power of their office.

إِذًا، أَئِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ سَوَاءٌ أَئِمَّةُ الْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ، أَوْ أَئِمَّةُ الْقُوَّةِ وَالسُّلْطَانِ يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ تُنَاصِحَهُمْ، وَأَنْ نَحْرِصَ عَلَى بَذْلِ النَّصِيحَةِ لَهُمْ، فِي الدِّفَاعِ عَنْهُمْ وَسَتْرِ مَعَايِبِهِمْ، وَعَلَى أَنْ نَكُونَ مَعَهُمْ إِذَا أَخْطَأُوا فِي بَيَانِ ذَلِكَ الْخَطَأِ لَهُمْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ؛ لِأَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا نَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْعَالِمَ أَخْطَأَ أَوْ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمِيرَ أَخْطَأَ وَإِذَا نَاقَشْنَاهُ تَبَيَّنَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُخْطِئٍ، كَمَا يَقَعُ هَذَا كَثِيرًا.

Whether they are leaders of knowledge or holders of political power, we are obligated to counsel these Muslim leaders. We must strive to offer them sincere advice, defend their reputations, and cover their flaws. If they err, we should address the mistake with them privately. We may perceive a scholar or a ruler to be in the wrong, yet upon discussion, it often becomes clear that they were not mistaken at all.

كَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا رُبَّمَا تُنْقَلُ لَنَا هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءُ عَنِ الْعَالِمِ أَوْ عَنِ الْأَمِيرِ عَلَى غَيْرِ وَجْهِهَا، إِمَّا لِسُوءِ الْقَصْدِ مِنَ النَّاقِلِ؛ لِأَنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللهِ - يُحِبُّ تَشْهِيرَ السُّوءِ بِالْعُلَمَاءِ وَبِالْأُمَرَاءِ، فَيَكُونُ سَيِّئَ الْقَصْدِ يَنْقُلُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا لَمْ يَقُولُوهُ، وَيَنْسِبُ إِلَيْهِمْ مَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوهُ، فَإِذَا سَمِعْنَا عَنْ عَالِمٍ أَوْ عَنْ أَمِيرٍ مَا نَرَى أَنَّهُ خَطَأٌ فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ تَمَامِ النَّصِيحَةِ مُنَاقَشَتُهُ، وَبَيَانُ الْأَمْرِ، وَتَبَيُّنُهُ حَتَّى نَكُونَ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ.

Information about scholars or rulers is sometimes misrepresented. This may stem from the malicious intent of the messenger, as some people—God forbid—delight in tarnishing the reputations of leaders. They attribute words and actions to them that never occurred. If we hear something that seems like a mistake, true counsel requires us to discuss it with them directly and verify the facts so that we may act with clear insight.

أَمَّا آخِرُ الْحَدِيثِ فَيَقُولُ: «وَعَامَّتِهِمْ» يَعْنِي: النُّصْحَ لِعَامَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَقَدَّمَ الْأَئِمَّةَ عَلَى الْعَامَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْأَئِمَّةَ إِذَا صَلُحُوا صَلُحَتِ الْعَامَّةُ؛ فَإِذَا صَلُحَ الْأُمَرَاءُ صَلُحَتِ الْعَامَّةُ، وَإِذَا صَلُحَ الْعُلَمَاءُ صَلُحَتِ الْعَامَّةُ؛ لِذَلِكَ بَدَأَ بِهِمْ، وَلِيُعْلَمَ أَنَّ أَئِمَّةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لَا يُرَادُ بِهِمُ الْأَئِمَّةُ الَّذِينَ لَهُمُ الْإِمَامَةُ الْعُظْمَى، وَلَكِنْ يُرَادُ بِهِ مَنْ هُوَ أَعَمُّ، فَكُلُّ مَنْ لَهُ إِمْرَةٌ وَلَوْ فِي مَدْرَسَةٍ فَإِنَّهُ يُعْتَبَرُ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، إِذَا نُوصِحَ وَصَلُحَ، صَلُحَ مَنْ تَحْتَ يَدِهِ.

The end of the hadith mentions 'and their general public,' referring to counsel for all Muslims. The leaders are mentioned first because when they are righteous, the public follows suit. Whether they are rulers or scholars, their integrity shapes the community. Note that 'Muslim leaders' does not refer only to those in supreme authority; it is a broader term. Anyone in a position of responsibility, even a school administrator, is considered a leader. When they are properly advised and act with integrity, those under their care benefit.

وَالنَّصِيحَةُ لِعَامَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِأَنْ تُحِبَّ لَهُمْ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ، وَأَنْ تُرْشِدَهُمْ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ، وَأَنْ تَهْدِيَهُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ إِذَا ضَلُّوا عَنْهُ، وَأَنْ تُذَكِّرَهُمْ بِهِ إِذَا نَسُوهُ، وَأَنْ تَجْعَلَهُمْ.

Counsel for the general public means desiring for them what you desire for yourself, guiding them toward good, directing them back to the truth when they stray, and reminding them when they forget.

Vocabulary · المفردات (31 verbs · 35 nouns)

• بَيَّنَ — to clarify
• نَفَّذَ — to execute
• وَجَبَ — to be necessary
• نَاصَحَ — to advise
• حَرَصَ — to be keen
• بَذَلَ — to offer
• كَانَ — to be
• أَخْطَأَ — to err
• اِعْتَقَدَ — to believe
• نَاقَشَ — to discuss
• تَبَيَّنَ — to become clear
• وَقَعَ — to happen
• نَقَلَ — to transfer
• أَحَبَّ — to love
• قَالَ — to say
• نَسَبَ — to attribute
• فَعَلَ — to do
• سَمِعَ — to hear
• رَأَى — to see
• قَدَّمَ — to prioritize
• صَلَحَ — to be righteous
• بَدَأَ — to begin
• عَلِمَ — to know
• أَرَادَ — to want
• اِعْتَبَرَ — to consider
• أَرْشَدَ — to guide
• هَدَى — to lead
• ضَلَّ — to go astray
• ذَكَّرَ — to remind
• نَسِيَ — to forget
• جَعَلَ — to make
• بَابٌ — chapter
• نَصِيحَةٌ — advice
• عَالِمٌ — scholar
• نَاسٌ — people
• إِمَامٌ — leader
• سُلْطَانٌ — authority
• أَمِيرٌ — prince
• شَرِيعَةٌ — law
• قُوَّةٌ — power
• مُسْلِمٌ — Muslim
• عِلْمٌ — knowledge
• بَيَانٌ — clarification
• دِفَاعٌ — defense
• سِتْرٌ — covering
• مَعِيبَةٌ — fault
• خَطَأٌ — mistake
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• وَجْهٌ — aspect
• سُوءٌ — evil
• قَصْدٌ — intention
• نَاقِلٌ — transmitter
• عِيَاذٌ — refuge
• تَشْهِيرٌ — defamation
• تَمَامٌ — completion
• أَمْرٌ — matter
• بَصِيرَةٌ — insight
• حَدِيثٌ — hadith
• عَامَّةٌ — general public
• إِمَامَةٌ — leadership
• عُظْمَى — greatest
• مَدْرَسَةٌ — school
• إِمْرَةٌ — command
• يَدٌ — hand
• خَيْرٌ — good
• حَقٌّ — truth