Book 33

It has been reported on the authority of 'Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi who said:I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment. The narrator says: A dark-complexioned man from the Ansar stood up - I can visualise him still - and said: Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment. He said: What has happened to you? The man said: I have heard you say so and so. He said: I say that (even) now: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position of authority, he should bring everything, big or small, and whatever he is given therefrom he should take, and he should restrain himself from taking that which is forbidden

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters

Adi b. 'Amira al-Kindi heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying (as) was narrated in the (above-mentioned) hadith

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Juraij that the Qur'anic injunction:" 0 you who believe, obey Allah, His Apostle and those in authority from amongst You" (iv. 59) -was revealed in respect of 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa b. Qais b. Adi al-Sahmi who was despatched by the Prophet (ﷺ) as leader of a military campaign. The narrator said: He was informed of this fact by Ya'la b. Muslim who was informed by Sa'id b. Jubair who in turn was informed by Ibn Abbas

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Whoso obeys me obeys God; and whose disobeys me disobeys God. Whoso obeys my commander obeys me, and whoso disobeys my commander disobeys me

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira by more than one chain of transmitters

Hammam b. Munabbih has transmitted this hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira

According to one version of the tradition, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Whoso obeys the commander. He did not say:" My commander

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr who said:My friend (i. e. the Holy Prophet) advised me to listen (to the man in position of authority) and obey (him) even if he were a slave maimed (and disabled)

In another version of the tradition, we have the wording:" An Abyssinian slave maimed and disabled

Abu 'Imran narrated this hadith with a slight change of wording

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. She said that she heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering his sermon on the occasion of the Last Pilgrimage. He was saying:If a slave is appointed over you and he conducts your affairs according to the Book of Allah, you should listen to him and obeey (his orders)

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters, and he said:"An Abyssinian slave

In other versions of the above tradition, the wordings are" an Abyssinian slave." and" a maimed Abyssinian slave

Another version of the tradition does not qualify the slave with the epithets" maimed,"" an Abyssinian" but makes the addition:" I have heard the Prophet (ﷺ) (say this) at Mina or 'Arafat

It has been narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Husain who learnt the tradition from his grandmother. Umm Husain. He said':I heard her say: I performed Hajjat-ul-Wada' in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said a lot of things (on this occasion). Then I heard him say: If a maimed slave is appointed a commander over you the narrator says: I think she said:" a black stave" who leads you according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey him

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:It is obligatory upon a Muslim that he should listen (to the ruler appointed over him) and obey him whether he likes it or not, except that he is ordered to do a sinful thing. If he is ordered to do a sinful act, a Muslim should neither listen to him nor should he obey his orders

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of 'Ubaidullah