Sahih
Muslim
صحيح مسلم
The Book on Government
كتاب الإمارة
Chapter 12: Obeying Rulers even if they withhold the people's rights
باب فِي طَاعَةِ الأُمَرَاءِ وَإِنْ مَنَعُوا الْحُقُوقَ
Sahih Muslim 1846 a
It has been narrated on the authority of Alqama b. Wai'l al-Hadrami who learnt the tradition from his father. The latter said
Salama b. Yazid al-ju'afi asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Prophet of Allah, what do you think if we have rulers who rule over us and demand that we discharge our obligations towards them, but they (themselves) do not discharge their own responsibilities towards us? What do you order us to do? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) avoided giving any answer. Salama asked him again. He (again) avoided giving any answer. Then he asked again-it was the second time or the third time-when Ash'ath b. Qais (finding that the Prophet (ﷺ) was unnecessarily being pressed for answer) pulled him aside and said: Listen to them and obey them, for on them shall he their burden and on you shall be your burden.حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ وَائِلٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَأَلَ سَلَمَةُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْجُعْفِيُّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ قَامَتْ عَلَيْنَا أُمَرَاءُ يَسْأَلُونَا حَقَّهُمْ وَيَمْنَعُونَا حَقَّنَا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ أَوْ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ فَجَذَبَهُ الأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ وَقَالَ " اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا حُمِّلُوا وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا حُمِّلْتُمْ " .
