Salman said that a polytheist jestingly remarked, “I see that your friend teaches you even about your excrement,” to which he replied, “Yes, he has commanded us not to face the qibla, or cleanse ourselves with our right hands, or be satisfied with less than three stones among which there is no dung or bone.” Muslim and Ahmad transmitted it, the wording being Ahmad’s.

Ka'b b. ‘Ujra told that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said to him, “I commend you to Allah to protect you from the ruler ship of the foolish.” He asked what that was, and Allah's Messenger ﷺ replied, “After my time governors will arise whose falsehood will be believed and who will be assisted in their oppression by those who enter their presence. They have nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with them, and they will never come down to me at the Pond. But they who do not enter their presence, believe their falsehood and help them in their oppression, those belong to me and I belong to them, and those ones will come down to me at the Pond.”* Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it. * This is the tank or pool at which believers will drink on the day of resurrection.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “He who lives in the desert will become rough, he who follows the chase will become negligent, and he who goes to a ruler will be led astray.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it. Abu Dawud’s version has, “He who attaches himself to a ruler will be led astray, and the nearer a man comes to a ruler the farther he goes from Allah.”

Al-Miqdam b. Ma'dikarib told that Allah's Messenger ﷺ struck him on his shoulders and then said, “You will attain success, Qudaim,* if you die without having been a ruler, a secretary, or a chief.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * This form is used as a diminutive of Miqdam, the diminutive being used as an affectionate form of address.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying, “Sahib maks, meaning one who tithes people, will not enter paradise.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying, “The one who will be dearest to Allah and nearest to Him in station of the day of resurrection will be a just imam, and the one who will be most hateful to Allah on the day of resurrection and will receive the severest punishment (or as a version has, will be farthest from Him in station) will be a tyrannical imam.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

He reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying, “The most excellent jihad is when one speaks a true word in the presence of a tyrannical ruler.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad and Nasa‘i transmitted it on the authority of Tariq b. Shihab.

‘A’isha reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying, “When Allah has a good purpose for a ruler He appoints for him a sincere minister who reminds him if he forgets and helps him if he remembers; but when Allah has a different purpose from that for him He appoints for him an evil minister who does not remind him if he forgets and does not help him if he remembers.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Umama reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, ‘‘When a ruler seeks to make imputations against the people he corrupts them.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Mu'awiya told that he heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ say,” When you look into people’s secrets you corrupt them.”* Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman. * This is a prohibition of delving into other people’s affairs and disclosing things which should not be disclosed, as this makes life difficult for them. It is the same idea as in the previous tradition.