Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 11

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ النَّهْيِ عَنْ سُؤَالِ الْإِمَارَةِ وَاخْتِيَارِ تَرْكِ الْوِلَايَاتِ إِذَا لَمْ يَتَعَيَّنْ عَلَيْهِ.

Chapter: The prohibition against seeking leadership and the preference for declining positions of authority unless one is personally obligated to serve.

إِلَى عِنَايَةٍ، وَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى رِعَايَةٍ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا.

Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire. And they will be burned in a Blaze.

وَأَبُو ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ضَعِيفٌ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَرْعَى هَذَا الْمَالَ حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهِ؛ فَلِهَذَا قَالَ: وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ يَتِيمٍ، يَعْنِي لَا تَكُنْ وَالِيًا عَلَيْهِ، دَعْهُ لِغَيْرِكَ.

Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, was weak and unable to manage such wealth as it required. For this reason, he said, "Do not take charge of an orphan's wealth," meaning do not act as their guardian; leave that to someone else.

فَفِي هَذَا: دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يُشْتَرَطُ لِلْإِمَامِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْإِنْسَانُ قَوِيًّا وَأَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِينًا؛ لِأَنَّ الرَّسُولَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ قَالَ: إِنَّهَا أَمَانَةٌ، فَإِذَا كَانَ قَوِيًّا أَمِينًا فَهَذِهِ هِيَ الصِّفَاتُ الَّتِي يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِيرًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ قَوِيًّا غَيْرَ أَمِينٍ، أَوْ أَمِينًا غَيْرَ قَوِيٍّ، أَوْ ضَعِيفًا غَيْرَ أَمِينٍ؛ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَقْسَامِ الثَّلَاثَةِ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِيرًا.

This serves as evidence that a leader must be both strong and trustworthy, as the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, declared it a trust. If a man possesses both strength and integrity, he earns the right to lead. However, if he is strong but untrustworthy, or trustworthy but weak, or both weak and untrustworthy, he is unfit for leadership.

وَلَكِنْ يَجِبُ أَنْ نَعْلَمَ أَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ تَتَقَيَّدُ بِقَدْرِ الْحَاجَةِ، فَإِذَا لَمْ نَجِدْ إِلَّا أَمِيرًا ضَعِيفًا، أَوْ إِلَّا أَمِيرًا غَيْرَ أَمِينٍ، وَلَا يُوجَدُ فِي السَّاحَةِ أَحَدٌ تَنْطَبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْأَوْصَافُ كَامِلَةً؛ فَإِنَّهُ يُوَلَّى الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ، وَلَا تُتْرَكُ الْأُمُورُ بِلَا إِمَارَةٍ؛ لِأَنَّ النَّاسَ مُحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى أَمِيرٍ، مُحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى قَاضٍ، مُحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى مَنْ يَتَوَلَّى أُمُورَهُمْ، فَإِنْ أَمْكَنَ وُجُودُ مَنْ تَتِمُّ فِيهِ الشُّرُوطُ، فَهَذَا هُوَ الْوَاجِبُ، وَإِلَّا فَإِنَّهُ يُوَلَّى الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ؛ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ.

We must realize that necessity dictates our choices. If no one perfectly qualified is available, we must appoint the best possible candidate to ensure affairs do not fall into chaos. People require leadership, judges, and someone to manage their interests. While finding a fully qualified leader is the ideal, if that is impossible, we appoint the most suitable person available, in accordance with Allah’s command: "So fear Allah as much as you are able."

وَتَخْتَلِفُ الْأَنْظَارُ فِيمَا إِذَا كَانَ لَدَيْنَا رَجُلَانِ: أَحَدُهُمَا أَمِينٌ غَيْرُ قَوِيٍّ، وَالثَّانِي قَوِيٌّ غَيْرُ أَمِينٍ، كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا مَعِيبٌ، لَكِنْ فِي بَابِ الْإِمَارَةِ يُفَضَّلُ الْقَوِيُّ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ ضَعْفٌ فِي الْأَمَانَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْقَوِيَّ رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ أَمِينًا، لَكِنَّ الضَّعِيفَ الَّذِي طَبِيعَتُهُ الضَّعْفُ، فَإِنَّ الطَّبْعَ لَا يَتَحَوَّلُ وَلَا يَتَغَيَّرُ.

Opinions vary when choosing between two flawed candidates: one trustworthy but weak, and the other strong but untrustworthy. In matters of leadership, the strong candidate is preferred, even if his integrity is lacking, because strength can be directed toward trustworthiness. A weak nature, however, is difficult to change.

وَعَلَيْهِ؛ فَإِنَّنَا نُؤَمِّرُ الْقَوِيَّ؛ لِأَنَّ هَذَا أَنْفَعُ لِلنَّاسِ، فَالنَّاسُ يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى سُلْطَةٍ وَإِلَى قُوَّةٍ، وَإِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ قُوَّةٌ - وَلَا سِيَّمَا مَعَ ضَعْفٍ فِي الدِّينِ - ضَاعَتِ الْأُمُورُ.

Therefore, we appoint the strong, as this serves the people better. Society requires authority and strength; without them—especially when combined with a lack of religious commitment—everything falls into ruin.

وَاللَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ.

Allah is the Grantor of success.

Vocabulary · المفردات (27 verbs · 55 nouns)

• تَعَيَّنَ — to be determined
• احْتَاجَ — to need
• أَكَلَ — to eat
• صَلَى — to burn
• اسْتَطَاعَ — to be able
• رَعَى — to tend
• تَوَلَّى — to take charge
• كَانَ — to be
• وَدَعَ — to leave
• اشْتَرَطَ — to stipulate
• اسْتَحَقَّ — to deserve
• اِنْبَغَى — to be appropriate
• عَلِمَ — to know
• تَقَيَّدَ — to be restricted
• وَجَدَ — to find
• انْطَبَقَ — to apply
• وَلَّى — to appoint
• تَرَكَ — to leave
• أَمْكَنَ — to be possible
• تَمَّ — to be complete
• اتَّقَى — to fear
• اخْتَلَفَ — to differ
• فَضَّلَ — to prefer
• تَحَوَّلَ — to transform
• تَغَيَّرَ — to change
• أَمَّرَ — to appoint as leader
• ضَاعَ — to be lost
• بَاب — chapter
• نَهْي — prohibition
• سُؤَال — asking
• إِمَارَة — leadership
• اخْتِيَار — choice
• تَرْك — leaving
• وِلَايَة — governance
• عِنَايَة — care
• رِعَايَة — tending
• مَال — wealth
• يَتِيم — orphan
• ظُلْم — injustice
• بَطْن — stomach
• نَار — fire
• سَعِير — blaze
• ضَعِيف — the weak
• وَالِي — governor
• دَلِيل — evidence
• إِمَام — leader
• إِنْسَان — human
• قَوِيّ — strong person
• أَمِين — trustworthy person
• رَسُول — messenger
• صَلَاة — prayer
• سَلَام — peace
• أَمَانَة — trust
• صِفَة — attribute
• أَمِير — commander
• قِسْم — section
• ثَلَاثَة — three
• شَيْء — thing
• قَدْر — amount
• حَاجَة — need
• سَاحَة — arena
• أَحَد — one
• وَصْف — description
• كَامِل — complete
• أَمْثَل — most suitable
• أَمْر — matter
• نَاس — people
• مُحْتَاج — needy
• قَاضِي — judge
• شَرْط — condition
• وَاجِب — duty
• نَظَر — view
• رَجُل — man
• مَعِيب — flawed
• ضَعْف — weakness
• طَبِيعَة — nature
• طَبْع — disposition
• نَفْع — benefit
• سُلْطَة — authority
• قُوَّة — strength
• دِين — religion
• مُوَفِّق — grantor of success