Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 6

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَإِمَارَةٌ خَاصَّةٌ دُونَ ذَلِكَ: تَكُونُ إِمَارَةٌ عَلَى مِنْطَقَةٍ مِنَ الْمَنَاطِقِ تَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى قُرًى وَمُدُنٍ، أَوْ إِمَارَةً أَخَصَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ أَوْ مَدِينَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَكُلُّهَا يُنْهَى الْإِنْسَانُ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ فِيهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِيرًا، كَمَا سَيَأْتِي فِي حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.

A more specific emirate below that level involves authority over a region containing villages and cities, or an even narrower scope, such as a single village or town. In all these cases, a person is forbidden from seeking a position of leadership, as will be explained in the hadith of Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him.

ثُمَّ صَدَّرَ الْمُؤَلِّفُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ هَذَا الْبَابَ بِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾، ﴿تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ﴾ يَعْنِي الْجَنَّةَ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ.

The author, may Allah have mercy on him, introduces this chapter with the words of Allah the Exalted: "That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the outcome is for the righteous." By "That home of the Hereafter," He means Paradise, which He assigns to those who do not seek superiority on earth.

وَطَلَبُ الْإِمَارَةِ رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ قَصْدُ الطَّالِبِ أَنْ يَعْلُوَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، وَيَمْلِكَ رِقَابَهُمْ، وَيَأْمُرَ وَيَنْهَى، فَيَكُونُ قَصْدُهُ سَيِّئًا، فَلَا يَكُونُ لَهُ حَظٌّ مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ، وَلِهَذَا نُهِيَ عَنْ طَلَبِ الْإِمَارَةِ.

One who seeks an emirate may intend to rise above others, dominate them, and issue commands and prohibitions. Such an intention is corrupt and leaves the person with no share in the Hereafter—we seek refuge in Allah. This is why seeking such a position is forbidden.

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَا فَسَادًا﴾ أَيْ: فَسَادًا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِقَطْعِ الطَّرِيقِ وَسَرِقَةِ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ، وَالِاعْتِدَاءِ عَلَى أَعْرَاضِهِمْ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفَسَادِ، ﴿وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾ عَاقِبَةُ الْأَمْرِ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ، إِمَّا أَنْ تَظْهَرَ هَذِهِ الْعَاقِبَةُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ.

The phrase "or corruption" refers to causing harm on earth through highway robbery, theft, violating the honor of others, or similar acts. "The outcome is for the righteous" means that the final success belongs to them, whether that success manifests in this world or in the Hereafter.

فَالْمُتَّقُونَ هُمُ الَّذِينَ لَهُمُ الْعَاقِبَةُ، سَوَاءٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا، أَوْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، أَوْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ.

The righteous are those who attain this outcome, whether in this life, the next, or both.

ثُمَّ سَاقَ الْمُؤَلِّفُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حَدِيثَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ: يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ، نَادَاهُ بِاسْمِهِ وَاسْمِ أَبِيهِ؛ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنْ يَنْتَبِهَ لِمَا يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَوْضُوعَ مَوْضُوعٌ لَيْسَ بِالْهَيِّنِ، «لَا تَسْأَلِ الْإِمَارَةَ» لَا تَطْلُبْ أَنْ تَكُونَ أَمِيرًا، «فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ» يَعْنِي بِسَبَبِ سُؤَالِكَ، وُكِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا، وَإِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عَلَيْهَا، وَالْمُعِينُ هُوَ اللَّهُ.

The author, may Allah have mercy on him, then cites the hadith where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) addresses Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah by his full name to ensure his full attention, as the matter is serious. He said, "Do not ask for an emirate," meaning do not seek to be a leader. "If you are granted it because you asked for it, you will be left to manage it on your own; but if you are granted it without asking, you will be helped with it," and the Helper is Allah.

Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 42 nouns)

• كَانَ — to be
• اِشْتَمَلَ — to include
• نَهَى — to forbid
• طَلَبَ — to request
• أَتَى — to come
• صَدَّرَ — to introduce
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• جَعَلَ — to make
• أَرَادَ — to want
• عَلَا — to rise
• مَلَكَ — to own
• أَمَرَ — to command
• قَطَعَ — to cut
• اِعْتَدَى — to assault
• ظَهَرَ — to appear
• سَاقَ — to narrate
• قَالَ — to say
• نَادَى — to call
• اِنْتَبَهَ — to pay attention
• أَلْقَى — to cast
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• أَعْطَى — to give
• وَكَلَ — to entrust
• أَعَانَ — to help
• إِمَارَةٌ — emirate
• مِنْطَقَةٌ — region
• قَرْيَةٌ — village
• مَدِينَةٌ — city
• إِنْسَانٌ — human
• أَمِيرٌ — emir
• حَدِيثٌ — hadith
• مُؤَلِّفٌ — author
• بَابٌ — chapter
• قَوْلٌ — saying
• دَارٌ — abode
• آخِرَةٌ — afterlife
• عُلُوٌّ — arrogance
• أَرْضٌ — earth
• فَسَادٌ — corruption
• عَاقِبَةٌ — outcome
• مُتَّقٍ — pious
• جَنَّةٌ — paradise
• طَلَبٌ — request
• قَصْدٌ — intention
• طَالِبٌ — seeker
• نَاسٌ — people
• رَقَبَةٌ — person
• حَظٌّ — share
• عِيَاذٌ — refuge
• طَرِيقٌ — path
• سَرِقَةٌ — theft
• مَالٌ — wealth
• اعْتِدَاءٌ — aggression
• عَرَضٌ — honor
• غَيْرٌ — other
• دُنْيَا — world
• رَسُولٌ — messenger
• اسْمٌ — name
• أَبٌ — father
• أَجْلٌ — sake
• مَوْضُوعٌ — subject
• هَيِّنٌ — trivial
• مَسْأَلَةٌ — request
• سَبَبٌ — reason
• سُؤَالٌ — question
• مُعِينٌ — helper