Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 18

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

(from previous page) ⟵ It was narrated by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Rulings, Chapter: Whoever does not ask for leadership, Allah will help him with it, Hadith No. (7146), and by Muslim in the Book of Oaths, Chapter: It is recommended for one who takes an oath and then sees something better than it, Hadith No. (1650), from the explanation of Riyad al-Salihin from the words of the Master of Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَمَا فِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ لَمَّا سَأَلَهُ الرَّجُلَانِ أَنْ يُؤَمِّرَهُمَا عَلَى بَعْضِ مَا وَلَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ: «إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ - لَا نُوَلِّي هَذَا الْعَمَلَ أَحَدًا سَأَلَهُ، أَوْ أَحَدًا حَرَصَ عَلَيْهِ»؛

As mentioned in the hadith of Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was once asked by two men to appoint them to a position of authority. He replied, "By Allah, we do not appoint anyone to this work who asks for it, nor anyone who is eager for it."

يَعْنِي: لَا نُوَلِّي أَحَدًا شَيْئًا سَأَلَ أَنْ يَتَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِ، أَوْ حَرَصَ عَلَيْهِ؛

This means we do not grant authority to anyone who solicits the position or shows greed for it.

وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الَّذِي يَطْلُبُ أَوْ يَحْرِصُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ غَرَضُهُ بِهَذَا أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لِنَفْسِهِ سُلْطَةً، لَا أَنْ يُصْلِحَ الْخَلْقَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ قَدْ يُتَّهَمُ بِهَذِهِ التُّهْمَةِ؛ مَنَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يُوَلَّى مَنْ طَلَبَ الْإِمَارَةَ.

The reason is that those who seek or covet power may be doing so to establish their own authority rather than to serve the people. Because such individuals are prone to this suspicion, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited appointing anyone who asks for leadership.

وَقَالَ: «إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ - لَا نُوَلِّي هَذَا الْعَمَلَ أَحَدًا سَأَلَهُ، أَوْ أَحَدًا حَرَصَ عَلَيْهِ».

He stated, "By Allah, we do not appoint to this work anyone who asks for it, nor anyone who is eager for it."

وَكَذَلِكَ - أَيْضًا - لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدًا سَأَلَ الْقَضَاءَ؛ فَقَالَ لِوَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ فِي الْقَضَاءِ كَوَزِيرِ الْعَدْلِ مَثَلًا: وَلِّنِي الْقَضَاءَ فِي الْبَلَدِ الْفُلَانِيِّ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُوَلَّى،

Similarly, if someone were to request a judgeship—for instance, by asking the Minister of Justice to appoint him to a specific city—he should not be granted the position.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ طَلَبَ النَّقْلَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلَى بَلَدٍ، أَوْ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ، فَلَا يَدْخُلُ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ تَوَلَّى مِنْ قَبْلُ، وَلَكِنَّهُ طَلَبَ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي مَحَلٍّ آخَرَ، إِلَّا إِذَا عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ بَيْنَهُ وَقَصْدَهُ هِيَ السُّلْطَةُ عَلَى أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ؛ فَإِنَّنَا نَمْنَعُهُ؛ فَالْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ.

However, a request for a transfer from one city to another does not fall under this prohibition, as the individual has already been appointed and is merely seeking a change of location. The exception is if we know their true intent is to gain power over the people of that town, in which case we must refuse; for deeds are judged by intentions.

فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ: كَيْفَ تُجِيبُونَ عَنْ قَوْلِ يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لِلْعَزِيزِ: ﴿اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾.

If someone asks how we reconcile this with the statement of Yusuf, peace and blessings be upon him, to the Aziz: "Appoint me over the storehouses of the land; indeed, I am a knowing guardian."

فَإِنَّنَا نُجِيبُ بِأَحَدِ جَوَابَيْنِ:

We provide one of two answers.

الْأَوَّلُ: إِمَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنَّ شَرْعَ مَنْ قَبْلَنَا إِذَا خَالَفَهُ شَرْعُنَا؛ فَالْعُمْدَةُ عَلَى شَرْعِنَا؛ بِنَاءً عَلَى الْقَاعِدَةِ الْمَعْرُوفَةِ عِنْدَ الْأُصُولِيِّينَ: شَرْعُ مَنْ قَبْلَنَا شَرْعٌ لَنَا مَا لَمْ يَرِدْ شَرْعُنَا بِخِلَافِهِ، وَقَدْ وَرَدَ شَرْعُنَا بِخِلَافِهِ: أَنَّنَا لَا نُوَلِّي الْأَمْرَ أَحَدًا طَلَبَ الْوِلَايَةَ عَلَيْهِ.

The first is that when the laws of those before us contradict our own, our law takes precedence. This follows the well-known principle among legal scholars: the laws of those before us apply to us unless our own law explicitly contradicts them. Here, our law does contradict it, as we are forbidden from appointing those who seek authority.

الثَّانِي: أَوْ يُقَالَ: إِنَّ يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ رَأَى أَنَّ الْمَالَ ضَائِعٌ، وَأَنَّهُ يُفَرَّطُ فِيهِ وَيُلْعَبُ فِيهِ؛ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُنْقِذَ الْبِلَادَ مِنْ هَذَا التَّلَاعُبِ، وَمِثْلُ هَذَا يَكُونُ الْغَرَضُ مِنْهُ.

The second is that Yusuf, peace and blessings be upon him, saw that the wealth was being lost, neglected, and squandered. He sought to save the country from this corruption, and such is the true purpose behind his request.

Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 44 nouns)

• شَرَحَ — to explain
• صَلَّى — to pray
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• أَمَّرَ — to appoint as leader
• وَلَّى — to appoint
• حَرَصَ — to covet
• تَأَمَّرَ — to seek leadership
• طَلَبَ — to request
• كَانَ — to be
• جَعَلَ — to make
• أَصْلَحَ — to reform
• اِتَّهَمَ — to accuse
• مَنَعَ — to prevent
• دَخَلَ — to enter
• تَوَلَّى — to take charge
• عَلِمَ — to know
• أَجَابَ — to answer
• خَالَفَ — to contradict
• وَرَدَ — to arrive
• رَأَى — to see
• فَرَّطَ — to neglect
• لَعِبَ — to play
• أَنْقَذَ — to save
• شَرْح — explanation
• رِيَاض — gardens
• صَالِح — righteous (male)
• كَلَام — speech
• سَيِّد — master
• مُرْسَل — messenger
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• حَدِيث — hadith
• مُصَنِّف — author
• رَجُل — man
• عَمَل — work
• شَيْء — thing
• غَرَض — purpose
• سُلْطَة — authority
• خَلْق — creation
• تُهْمَة — accusation
• إِمَارَة — leadership
• قَضَاء — judgeship
• وَلِيّ — guardian
• أَمْر — matter
• وَزِير — minister
• عَدْل — justice
• مَثَل — example
• بَلَد — country
• نَقْل — transfer
• مَحَلّ — place
• قَصْد — intention
• بَلْدَة — town
• نِيَّة — intention
• قَائِل — speaker
• خَزِينَة — treasury
• أَرْض — earth
• حَفِيظ — guardian
• عَلِيم — knowledgeable
• جَوَاب — answer
• شَرْع — law
• عُمْدَة — basis
• قَاعِدَة — rule
• أُصُولِيّ — legal theorist
• وِلَايَة — governance
• مَال — wealth
• ضَائِع — lost
• بِلَاد — lands
• تَلَاعُب — manipulation