Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 9

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

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

81 - Chapter: The Prohibition Against Seeking Leadership and the Preference for Declining Authority Unless Obligated.

فَلَوْ قُلْتَ: وَاللَّهِ - إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ - لَا أَفْعَلُ هَذَا الشَّيْءَ، ثُمَّ فَعَلْتَهُ، فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ شَيْءٌ؛ لِأَنَّ مَنْ قَالَ فِي يَمِينِهِ: إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ؛ فَلَا حِنْثَ عَلَيْهِ.

If you swear by Allah, saying, 'If Allah wills, I will not do such-and-such,' and then you do it, you incur no penalty. Whoever includes 'if Allah wills' in an oath is not held to have broken it.

وَاللَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ. ٦٧٤ -

Allah is the Grantor of success.

وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، إِنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي، لَا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ، وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ يَتِيمٍ، رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ. ٦٧٥ -

674 - Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Abu Dharr, I see you are weak, and I desire for you what I desire for myself. Do not seek leadership over even two people, and do not take charge of an orphan's wealth.' Narrated by Muslim.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلَا تَسْتَعْمِلُنِي؟ فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، إِنَّكَ ضَعِيفٌ، وَإِنَّهَا أَمَانَةٌ، وَإِنَّهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ خِزْيٌ وَنَدَامَةٌ، إِلَّا مَنْ أَخَذَهَا بِحَقِّهَا، وَأَدَّى الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ فِيهَا»، رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ. ٦٧٦ -

675 - He continued: I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to a position?' He tapped my shoulder and said, 'Abu Dharr, you are weak. Leadership is a trust that will bring disgrace and regret on the Day of Resurrection, except for those who accept it rightfully and fulfill their obligations.' Narrated by Muslim.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، قَالَ: «إِنَّكُمْ سَتَحْرِصُونَ عَلَى الْإِمَارَةِ، وَسَتَكُونُ نَدَامَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ الشَّرْحُ

676 - Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'You will be eager for leadership, but it will be a source of regret on the Day of Resurrection.' Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

الشَّرْحُ

Commentary

قَالَ الْحَافِظُ النَّوَوِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ (رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ)، فِي (بَابِ النَّهْيِ عَنْ سُؤَالِ الْإِمَارَةِ) فِيمَا نَقَلَهُ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: «إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ ضَعِيفٌ، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي فَلَا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ، وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ يَتِيمٍ»، هَذِهِ أَرْبَعُ جُمَلٍ بَيَّنَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ مَا بَيَّنَ: (١)

In his book Riyad al-Salihin, under the chapter on the prohibition of seeking leadership, Al-Hafiz Al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, cites the Prophet's words to Abu Dharr: 'You are a weak man, and I desire for you what I desire for myself. Do not seek leadership over two people, and do not take charge of an orphan's wealth.' These four statements clearly explain the Prophet's guidance to Abu Dharr.

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ: كِتَابُ الْإِمَارَةِ، بَابُ كَرَاهَةِ الْإِمَارَةِ بِغَيْرِ ضَرُورَةٍ، رَقْمُ (١٨٢٦). (٢)

(1) Narrated by Muslim: The Book of Leadership, Chapter on the Dislike of Seeking Leadership Without Necessity, no. 1826.

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ كِتَابُ الْإِمَارَةِ، بَابُ كَرَاهَةِ الْإِمَارَةِ بِغَيْرِ ضَرُورَةٍ، رَقْمُ (١٨٢٥). (٣)

(2) Narrated by Muslim: The Book of Leadership, Chapter on the Dislike of Seeking Leadership Without Necessity, no. 1825.

أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ كِتَابُ الْأَحْكَامِ، بَابُ مَا يُكْرَهُ مِنَ الْحِرْصِ عَلَى الْإِمَارَةِ، رَقْمُ (٧١٤٨).

Al-Bukhari extracted it in the Book of Rulings, Chapter: What is disliked about eagerness for leadership, number one: He said to him: "Indeed, you are a weak man," and this statement is a frankness in front of a person, no doubt it is heavy on the soul, and it may affect you for someone like the Prophet (peace be upon him) to say to you: Indeed, you are a weak man, but honesty dictates this, to be frank with a person about his true description; if strong, then strong, and if weak, then weak. ⟶ (sentence continues on next page)

Vocabulary · المفردات (18 verbs · 33 nouns)

• عَيَّنَ — to appoint
• شَاءَ — to will
• فَعَلَ — to do
• قَالَ — to say
• رَأَى — to see
• أَحَبَّ — to love
• تَأَمَّرَ — to seek leadership
• تَوَلَّى — to take charge
• رَوَى — to narrate
• اِسْتَعْمَلَ — to employ
• ضَرَبَ — to strike
• أَخَذَ — to take
• أَدَّى — to perform
• حَرَصَ — to covet
• كَانَ — to be
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• نَقَلَ — to transmit
• بَيَّنَ — to clarify
• بَابٌ — chapter
• نَهْيٌ — prohibition
• سُؤَالٌ — asking
• إِمَارَةٌ — leadership
• اخْتِيَارٌ — choosing
• تَرْكٌ — leaving
• وِلَايَةٌ — governance
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• يَمِينٌ — oath
• حِنْثٌ — breaking of an oath
• مُوَفِّقٌ — the one who grants success
• رَسُولٌ — messenger
• ضَعِيفٌ — the weak
• نَفْسٌ — self
• مَالٌ — wealth
• يَتِيمٌ — orphan
• مَنْكِبٌ — shoulder
• أَمَانَةٌ — trust
• يَوْمٌ — day
• قِيَامَةٌ — resurrection
• خِزْيٌ — disgrace
• نَدَامَةٌ — regret
• حَقٌّ — right
• شَرْحٌ — explanation
• حَافِظٌ — memorizer
• كِتَابٌ — book
• رِيَاضٌ — gardens
• صَالِحٌ — righteous (male)
• نَبِيٌّ — prophet
• امْرُؤٌ — man
• جُمْلَةٌ — sentence
• صَلَاةٌ — prayer
• سَلَامٌ — peace