Iterative post (under live construction) (Last edited : 12th May 2025, 20:45 Pakistan time):
Note that this post is being prepared iteratively and is planned to be improved and changed further. For now, only the evidences are planned to be presented in this post due to shortage of allocatable time. So I am not attempting to translate the evidences again and just presenting the existing translations in most of the cases.
Quran, Hadith and Imposter Rulers
Imposters! because in Islam, ALLAH is The Only Ruler and any Muslim leader or group in a position of authority is a slave of ALLAH, to legislate and judge within the limits Set by ALLAH and with what ALLAH has Sent down, and is responsible to put efforts for defending the life, respect and property of every Muslim. If he doesn't, Muslim masses and specially those given fame and recognition, also fall under the danger zone, unless they put genuine efforts to replace such rulers. Many peaceful options also exist, e.g. mass public protests, civil disobedience, boycott, sit-ins etc.
The Quran:
The kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to ALLAH:
Quran 39:44
Quran 57:2
ALLAH Does not share His Legislation / Judging with any one:
Quran 18:26
Legislation / Judging is for ALLAH:
Quran 6:57
Quran 12:40
Quran 12:67
Quran 28:88
The need to Establish what ALLAH has Sent down:
Quran 5:66
Quran 5:68
Quran 62:5-7
Come to what ALLAH has Sent down and to the messenger ﷺ:
Quran 5:104
Those who do not : judge / legislate : with what ALLAH has Sent down, they are ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُون and they are ٱلظَّـٰلِمُون and they are ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُون and use of logic to prove that they are not to be obeyed:
Quran 5:44-45
Quran 5:46-47
Additional Aayaat for application of logic:
Do not obey ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُون:
Quran 25:52
Quran 33:1
Quran 33:48
and
وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Quran 2:254
Do you understand logic? Here's a hint!
A is the B and do not obey the B = Do not obey A.
In other words, if ruler does not : judge / legislate : by what ALLAH has Sent down, he is not be obeyed. Imagine the audacity of the ruler disobeying ALLAH fearlessly and expecting you to obey him! When he is doing and promoting disobedience to ALLAH at such a massive scale, what is the point of you only checking your direct orders for any signs of disobedience to ALLAH?
Disliking what ALLAH has Sent down or partially obeying those who do so:
Quran 47:8-9
Quran 47:25-26
Would you teach ALLAH with your deen (way of life)?:
Quran 49:16
Those who do not make unlawful what ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ have made unlawful and do not adopt as their deen (way of life) the deen of truth (i.e. Islamic way of life):
Quran 9:29
(Except verbal belief, today's Muslim rulers also violate the remaining indicated issues, and Muslim masses who are satisfied with such rulers and don't put any kind of efforts for replacing such rulers are also in the danger zone.)
And who opposes the messenger ﷺ after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers:
Quran 4:115
Follow the messenger ﷺ who commanded in connection with the مَعۡرُوف and prohibited from the مُنۡكَر and who made the طَيِّبَـٰت lawful and the خَبَـٰۤئِث unlawful:
Quran 7:157
Declaring what is lawful and what is unlawful on your own (you imposter rulers)?:
Quran 10:59
Quran 16:116
For you is whatever you choose / judge?:
Quran 68:35-41
The Book Sent down with Truth to judge between people by what ALLAH has shown:
Quran 4:105
Quran 5:48-50
The need to follow the Sharee'ah of ALLAH:
Quran 42:21
Quran 45:18
Is it other than ALLAH I should seek as judge / legislator, while it is He Who has Sent Down to you the Book [i.e., the Quran] Explained in detail?
Quran 6:114
The need to follow The Quran:
Quran 6:155
Quran 7:3
Quran 7:203
The need to use the Quran to judge between people:
Quran 3:23
The Quran as the source for engagement in and accomplishing the function of : segregation / distinguishing / clarification : for everything:
Quran 16:89
Indeed this Quran guides to that which is established in uprightness:
Quran 17:9
Who turns away from The Quran...:
Quran 20:99-101
The need to accept ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ to judge between people. Those who do not do so, do they think ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ will be unjust to them?:
Quran 24:47-52
(Why do the imposter rulers abandon the judgments and rulings of ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ and choose man made laws or their own fabricated laws?)
Don't go near and don't transgress the Limits Set by ALLAH:
Quran 2:187
Quran 2:229-230
Quran 58:4
Quran 65:1
Limits Set by ALLAH, and the consequences of obedience and consequences of disobedience to ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ:
Quran 4:13-14
Because they disobeyed and transgressed:
Quran 5:78
The need to command in connection with the مَعۡرُوف and prohibit from the مُنۡكَر :
Quran 3:104
Quran 3:110
Quran 31:17
Transgressors and those who did nothing to stop the transgressors shared the punishment and only those who prohibited the evil were saved:
Quran 7:163-166
(Compare this to imposter rulers, those who did nothing to prohibit or change the imposter rulers, and those who prohibited or tried to change the imposter rulers).
Religious figures (and celebrity scholars) should prohibit from sinful speech and devouring unlawful (including prohibiting rulers and generals):
Quran 5:63
They disobeyed and happened to transgress. They happened to not prohibit each other from مُنۡكَر
Quran 5:78-79
Prohibiting from the disorder in the earth, and importance of rectifiers:
Quran 11:116-117
What ALLAH has made unlawful, and what He Orders and what He Prohibits:
Quran 7:33
Quran 16:90
The need to obey ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ :
Quran 4:59
Quran 8:1
Quran 8:20-23
Quran 24:54
Quran 47:33
Quran 64:12
No choice left for believers when ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ have decided a matter:
Quran 33:36
Who disobeys ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ :
Quran 72:23
Learning leadership from the perfect role model, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (including leader being soft for the ones he leads and consulting with them and being of great character):
Quran 3:159
Quran 68:4
Their obedience to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and accepting him ﷺ as judge for what cropped up between them:
Quran 4:64-65
Claiming to believe in what ALLAH has Sent down but intending that they refer each other for judgement / legislation to ٱلطَّـٰغُوت / the transgression oriented:
Quran 4:60-61
Their matter is consultation between them as 1 of the traits, (showing the importance of mutual consultation):
Quran 42:36-43
Restore order between 2 groups of mortally fighting Muslims, if 1 group transgresses against the other, mortally fight the transgressing group till it returns to the ordinance of ALLAH ...:
Quran 49:9-10
Importance of building and developing military might as deterrent to terrify enemy of ALLAH and your enemy and others...:
Quran 8:60-62
Mortally fighting in the way of ALLAH and for the men, women and children deemed weak and facing wrongdoing / oppression:
Quran 4:74-77
(The Quran does not mention mortally fighting for oppressed or wronged or deemed weak Muslims only, but for all oppressed or wronged or deemed weak men, women and children. If rulers and generals refuse to fight with full might, and refuse to build strength and even stop their countrymen from leaving their country for the oppressed people (though this disorganized option usually just adds these rescuers to the persecuted count), the only suitable option is the struggle to replace such rulers or make them fully comply to Islam, and then make them launch armies to rescue all persecuted people. Will you present this excuse on the Day of Judgement that rulers didn't do anything, so you also didn't even bother to replace such rulers or do anything?)
ALLAH Has Bought from the believers their selves and their material assets with that indeed for them is the Garden - they do mortal fighting in the Way of ALLAH (Their traits mentioned also include commanding in connection with the مَعۡرُوف and prohibiting from the مُنۡكَر ):
Quran 9:111-112
Those who if ALLAH Firmly Settles them in the earth, establish ٱلصَّلَوٰة and give ٱلزَّكَوٰة and command in connection with the مَعۡرُوف and prohibit from the مُنۡكَر:
Quran 22:39-41
The مَسَـٰجِد of ALLAH are only to be maintained by those who believe in ALLAH and the Last Day and establish ٱلصَّلَوٰة and give ٱلزَّكَوٰة and they definitely don't fear (any), except ALLAH:
Quran 9:18-19
Only take ALLAH and His Messenger ﷺ and the Believers as allies and don't take Jews, Unbelievers, and Christians as allies:
Quran 4:144
Quran 5:51-52
Quran 5:55-57
Quran 5:80-81
Quran 9:16
Quran 58:14-17
Quran 60:1-2
Quran 60:8-9
Quran 60:13
Jews, Associators and Christians:
Quran 5:82
Humble on the believers and dominant on the unbelievers:
Quran 5:54
Muslims don't run away from battle...:
Quran 8:15-16
Quran 8:45-46
The need to establish : rightful / due / just : allocation / allotment. The need to establish : justice / balanced equality:
Quran 4:135
Quran 5:8
Quran 5:42-43
The Book and the Balance sent down with the messengers for the people to establish : rightful / due / just : allocation / allotment:
Quran 57:25
My Maintaining-Lord has Commanded : rightful / due / just : allocation / allotment ... Invoke Him making the deen (way of life) sincere for Him:
Quran 7:29
Justice / balanced equality : between people:
Quran 42:15
A nation guiding with the truth and with it doing : justice / balanced equality:
Quran 7:181
Avoid the ٱلطَّـٰغُوت / the transgression oriented..., listen to what is said and follow the best of it:
Quran 39:17-18
One who has taken his desire as his إِلَـٰه :
Quran 45:23
Imposter rulers like Fir'oun often claim or fool even themselves in thinking they actually own the country:
Quran 43:51
What to cooperate in and what not to cooperate in:
Quran 5:2-3
Vastness in knowledge and body:
Quran 2:247
Qualities of a خَلِيفَة:
Quran 38:26
Worldwide Dominance of Islam:
Quran 2:193
Quran 8:39-40
Quran 9:32-33
Quran 24:55-56
Quran 48:28
Quran 58:20-21
Quran 61:8-9
Hadiths (Type 1):
Apparently compliant to The Quran or with no apparent non-compliance to The Quran (Note: every Hadith was not checked in detail, and there may be partial non-compliance in some of the Hadiths in this set also, and some of the results returned with the search include Hadiths labeled non-sahih by scholars also):
Think and consider honestly, the no obedience to creation in disobedience of the Creator rule. When the imposter ruler sets up a system in which legislation / judgement is not done with What ALLAH has Sent down, it is obviously and clearly disobedience to ALLAH, so this should imply disobedience to such a system established by the imposter ruler, unless the imposter ruler surrenders his imposter system and adopts What ALLAH has Sent down instead.
لا طاعةَ لمخلوقٍ في معصيةِ الخالقِ
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لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللّٰهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ
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لا طاعةَ لبَشَرٍ في معصيةِ اللّٰهِ
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فلا سَمْعَ ولا طاعَةَ
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لَا وَفَاءَ لِنَذْرٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ
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لا نَذْرَ في مَعْصِيَةِ اللّٰهِ
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لا نَذْرَ لابنِ آدَمَ فيما لا يملِكُ ولا في معصيةِ اللّٰهِ
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الْمُؤْمِنُونَ كَرَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ
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مثل المؤمنين في توادهم
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الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ
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أفضلُ الجهادِ كلمةُ عدلٍ عند سلطانٍ جائرٍ
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اللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ
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مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْتَرْعِيهِ اللّٰهُ رَعِيَّةً
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Hadiths (Type 2):
Apparently non-compliant to or going against The Quran or with some apparent or probable non-compliance:
وإنْ ضرَب ظَهْرَكَ وأخَذ مالَكَ فاسمَعْ وأطِعْ
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Another related set of Hadiths in Arabic:
وإن أَكَلوا مالَكَ وضرَبوا ظَهْرَكَ
يأتينا ناسٌ من مصدِّقيكَ يَظلمونَ قالَ أَرْضوا مصدِّقيكُم قالوا وإن ظلمَ قالَ أَرْضوا مصدِّقيكم ثمَّ قالوا وإن ظلمَ قالَ أرضوا مصدِّقيكم
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The Quran does not give unrestricted obedience to the ruler and gives allowance for disputing, and resolving that dispute by referring to ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ i.e. the ruler may be non-compliant to the commands of ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ and in this case ruler will have to comply with the commands of ALLAH and His messenger ﷺ and correct his mistake.
Quran 4:59
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ أَطِیعُوا۟ ٱللّٰهَ وَأَطِیعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنكُمۡۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِی شَیۡءࣲ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللّٰهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللّٰهِ وَٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِیلًا ٥٩
Hadith examples:
مَن خَرَجَ مِنَ السُّلْطانِ شِبْرًا ماتَ مِيتَةً جاهِلِيَّةً
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السُّلْطَانَ ظِلُّ اللّٰهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ
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A specific example of a Hadith from this category labeled as Sahih
السلطانُ ظِلُّ اللّٰه في الأرض فمَن أكرَمَه أكرمَه اللّٰهُ ومَن أهانَه أهانه اللّٰهُ
Based on the following sets of Hadiths, apparently the ruler establishing the Salaat among Muslims in 1 set and ruler offering the Salaat in the other set, are sufficient for not attempting to remove the ruler or taking physical action against the ruler. Not removing the ruler or doing anything against the ruler may be considered as going against the Quran, because not removing such a ruler means, ruler is obeyed overall, even if some of his orders are not obeyed by some. When such a ruler offers the Salaat but does not legislate / judge according to What ALLAH has Sent down. Then he comes in the range of the following Aayaat, and thus is not to be obeyed:
Those who do not : judge / legislate : with what ALLAH has Sent down, they are ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُون and they are ٱلظَّـٰلِمُون and they are ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُون and use of logic to prove that they are not to be obeyed:
Quran 5:44-45
Quran 5:46-47
Additional Aayaat for application of logic:
Do not obey ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُون:
Quran 25:52
Quran 33:1
Quran 33:48
and
وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Quran 2:254
Do you understand logic? Here's a hint!
A is the B and do not obey the B = Do not obey A.
Moreover, not doing anything against such rulers, is also apparently against the following evidences quoted again. A ruler who does do not : judge / legislate : with what ALLAH has Sent down, is this act or attitude or way of the ruler and his not : judging / legislating : with what ALLAH has Sent down the مَعۡرُوف or the مُنۡكَر? and now behold the below evidences again for hints regarding what you need to do:
The need to command in connection with the مَعۡرُوف and prohibit from the مُنۡكَر :
Quran 3:104
Quran 3:110
Quran 31:17
Transgressors and those who did nothing to stop the transgressors shared the punishment and only those who prohibited the evil were saved:
Quran 7:163-166
(Compare this to imposter rulers, those who did nothing to prohibit or change the imposter rulers, and those who prohibited or tried to change the imposter rulers).
Also reconsider the following evidences, regarding 2 groups of mortally fighting Muslims, it mentions return to the ordinance of ALLAH, as the criterion and not who was in more authoritative position.
Restore order between 2 groups of mortally fighting Muslims, if 1 group transgresses against the other, mortally fight the transgressing group till it returns to the ordinance of ALLAH ...:
Quran 49:9-10
The Hadith sets follow below:
لا ما أقامُوا فِيكُمُ الصَّلاةَ
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لَا مَا صَلَّوْا
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For the sake of argument, another thing to note is that the imposter rulers of the earliest times established the Salaat and usually led the Muslims as imam in the Salaat, while today's imposter rulers mostly don't even establish the Salaat.
ؤَدُّونَ الحَقَّ الذي علَيْكُم وتَسْأَلُونَ اللّٰهَ الذي لَكُمْ
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Celebrity Scholars' statements or opinions:
(type 1)
The following statements have been selectively copied and pasted from: post on X by Haqiqatjoe:
"
Ibn Taymiyya believed that "law and politics" were an essential part of Islam.
Moreover he was far more willing to takfir over law and politics than shirk and the sifat. Hence, he cautioned against takfiring for shirk and the sifat due to the excuse for ignorance.
Nevertheless, he mass takfired the recently converted Mongols for systematically neglecting application of Sharia law and giving precedence to a Mongol law code known as the Yasa.
Ibn Taymiyya's student Ibn Kathir expresses the same view as his teacher.
In al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Ibn Kathir says:
فمن ترك الشرعَ المُحْكَم المُنَزَّلَ على محمد بن عبد اللّٰه خاتم الأنبياء وتحاكم إِلى غيره من الشرائع المنسوخة كفر، فكيف بمن تحاكم إِلى الياسا (٧) وقدمها عليه؟ من فعل ذلك كفر بإِجماع المسلمين. قال اللّٰه تعالى: ﴿أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾ [المائدة: ٥٠]، وقال [اللّٰه] تعالى: ﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾ [النساء: ٦٥] صدق اللّٰه العظيم.
“So whoever abandons the definitive, revealed law that was sent down upon Muhammad ﷺ ibn ʿAbd Allāh, the Seal of the Prophets, and seeks judgment by other abrogated laws has committed disbelief. Then what of the one who seeks judgment by the Yāsā and gives it precedence over it? Whoever does that has committed disbelief by the consensus of the Muslims.
Allah the Exalted said: ‘Is it the judgment of [pagan] ignorance they seek? But who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have certainty?’ [Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:50]
And Allah the Exalted also said: ‘But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge in what they dispute between themselves, then find no discomfort in their hearts from what you have decided and submit in full submission.’ [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ 4:65]”
Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth."
In his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir says:
كما يحكم به التتار من السياسات الملكية المأخوذة عن ملكهم جنكزخان الذي وضع لهم الياسق ، وهو عبارة عن كتاب مجموع من أحكام قد اقتبسها من شرائع شتى: من اليهودية والنصرانية والملة الإسلامية وغيرها، وفيها كثير من الأحكام أخذها من مجرد نظره وهواه، فصارت في بينه شرعا متبعا يقدمونه على الحكم بكتاب اللّٰه وسنة رسول اللّٰه ﷺ، فمن فعل ذلك منهم فهو كافر يجب قتاله حتى يرجع إلى حكم اللّٰه ورسوله، فلا يحكم سواه في قليل ولا كثير
“Just as the Tatars rule by royal policies taken from their king Genghis Khan, who composed for them the Yāsā (Yāsāq), which is a book compiled from various laws drawn from different sources: from Judaism, Christianity, the Islamic religion, and others. It contains many rulings derived solely from his own opinion and desire. This became among them a followed law, which they give precedence over the judgment of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Whoever among them does that is a disbeliever (kāfir), and it is obligatory to fight him until he returns to the judgment of Allah and His Messenger, such that no other law is judged by - in small matters or great.”
"
Celebrity Scholars' statements or opinions:
(type 2 - as an attempt to legitimize the illegitimate rule of the imposter rulers)
The following alleged statement and its translation attempt have been copied from this link:
‘Awf reported: I entered the home of Ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, and I began discussing the sins of the ruler Al-Hajjaj. Ibn Sirin said:
إِن اللّٰه تَعَالَى حكم عدل فكما يأخذ من الْحَجَّاج يأخذ للحجاج وإنك إِذَا لقيت اللّٰه عَزَّ وَجَلَّ غدا كَانَ أصغر ذنب أصبته أشد عليك من أَعْظَم ذنب أصابه الْحَجَّاج
Translation attempt: Verily, Allah Almighty is a Just Judge. Just as He passes judgment against Al-Hajjaj, he will pass judgment in favor of Al-Hajjaj. If you were to meet Allah tomorrow, the smallest sin you committed would be worse for you than the greatest sin Al-Hajjaj committed against you.
Source: al-Risaalah al-Qushayriiyah 1/291
"
The following statements have been selectively copied and pasted from: Obedience to unjust Muslim rulers:
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Imam al-Nawawi commented:
وَأَمَّا الْخُرُوجُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقِتَالُهُمْ فَحَرَامٌ بِإِجْمَاعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا فَسَقَةً ظَالِمِينَ وَقَدْ تَظَاهَرَتِ الْأَحَادِيثُ بِمَعْنَى مَا ذَكَرْتُهُ وَأَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْعَزِلُ السُّلْطَانُ بِالْفِسْقِ … وَسَبَبُ عَدَمِ انْعِزَالِهِ وَتَحْرِيمِ الْخُرُوجِ عَلَيْهِ مَا يَتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ وَإِرَاقَةِ الدِّمَاءِ وَفَسَادِ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ فَتَكُونُ الْمَفْسَدَةُ فِي عَزْلِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهَا فِي بَقَائِهِ
As for rebelling against the ruler and fighting him, it is forbidden by consensus of the Muslims, even if he is sinful and oppressive. I have mentioned the traditions that demonstrate this meaning. The people of the Sunnah have agreed that the ruler should not be removed due to his sinfulness… His removal and rebellion against him is forbidden because of what that entails of tribulations, bloodshed, and corruption, for the harm in removing the ruler is greater than letting him remain.
Source: Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 12/229
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
وَمَنْ خَرَجَ عَلَى إِمَامِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقَدْ كَانَ النَّاسُ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَيْهِ وَأَقَرُّوا لَهُ بِالْخِلَافَةِ بِأَيِّ وَجْهٍ كَانَ بِالرِّضَا أَوْ بِالْغَلَبَةِ فَقَدْ شَقَّ هَذَا الْخَارِجُ عَصَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَخَالَفَ الْآثَارَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِنْ مَاتَ الْخَارِجُ عَلَيْهِ مَاتَ مِيتَةَ جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلَا يَحِلُّ قِتَالُ السُّلْطَانِ وَلَا الْخُرُوجُ عَلَيْهِ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ مُبْتَدِعٌ عَلَى غَيْرِ السُّنَّةِ وَالطَّرِيقِ
Whoever rebels against the leader of the Muslims, while the people have gathered around him and acknowledged his Caliphate by any means, whether by consent or by force, then this rebel has split the unity of the Muslims and opposed the reports of the Messenger of Allah. If the rebel dies, he dies a death of ignorance. It is not lawful for anyone to fight the ruler or to rebel. Whoever does that is a heretical innovator who is not following the Sunnah and the path.
Source: Sharḥ Uṣul I’tiqād Ahl al-Sunnah lil-Lālakā’ī 1/175
And Imam Ahmad said:
وَلَا يحل قتال السُّلْطَان وَلَا الْخُرُوج عَلَيْهِ لأحد من النَّاس فَمن فعل ذَلِك فَهُوَ مُبْتَدع على غير السّنة
It is not lawful for anyone to fight the ruler or rebel against him. Whoever does so is a heretical innovator who is not upon the Sunnah.
Source: Uṣūl al-Sunnah 1/46
This matter is so important that the righteous predecessors included it in their treatises on sound creed and Islamic theology, such as what was written by Imam al-Tahawi:
وَلَا نَرَى الْخُرُوجَ عَلَى أَئِمَّتِنَا وَوُلَاةِ أُمُورِنَا وَإِنْ جَارُوا وَلَا نَدْعُو عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا نَنْزِعُ يَدًا مِنْ طَاعَتِهِمْ وَنَرَى طَاعَتَهُمْ مِنْ طَاعَةِ اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَرِيضَةً مَا لَمْ يَأْمُرُوا بِمَعْصِيَةٍ وَنَدْعُو لَهُمْ بِالصَّلَاحِ وَالْمُعَافَاةِ
We do not rebel against our leaders or those in charge of our affairs, even if they are tyrannical. We do not supplicate against them, nor withdraw from obedience to them. We view obedience to them as obedience to Allah Almighty, an obligation, as long as they do not order disobedience to Allah. We supplicate on their behalf for righteousness and wellness.
Source: al-ʻAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwīyah 1/68
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