Tajdeed

Justice of the Imam – Is it permissible to obey a tyrannical Muslim?

We say that it is not only permissible to remove a tyrannical Muslim leader, but it is a collective obligation. We also hold that it is not permissible or obligatory to obey such a ruler.

We support our statement by the Book of Allah; the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny; the statements and actions of the salaf, as well as the statements and actions of the imams of the Ahl al Bayt, upon them be peace.

Outside of the explicit verses that order us to command the good and prohibit the bad, there are other verses that call for the disobedience to an unjust ruler. The first of these proofs that we bring is from the Book of Allah where the Exalted says: {[Allah] said: “Verily, I will make you a leader (imām) for the people.” Abraham asked: “And from my offspring?” He said: “My covenant will not reach the unjust”} (Q. 2:124).

This verse is a proof that the concept of leadership in Islam is based upon the Abrahamic covenant of being just. Once it becomes clear that an imam is unjust, the covenant of leadership no longer applies to him. If the covenant of leadership no longer applies to him, it is not obligatory to follow him.

Our opponents have suggested that our interpretation is incorrect because {the unjust} refers to disbelievers, not to tyrannical Muslim rulers. They say that the intent of the exception is disbelief or idolatry. So, the verse is actually saying that Allah’s covenant of leadership only applies to Muslims—just or tyrannical.

We reply by saying that although the term {unjust} could refer to idolatry, it also refers to oppression. This is because “injustice” is general and it could refer to either disbelief or defiant disobedience. The Exalted has used this term to refer to both in the Qur’ān. Since the context of the verse does not indicate which of the two meanings is specified, we assume that it could refer to either.

Therefore, it could be said that the covenant of leadership will not reach the idolater or the defiantly disobedient.
In another verse, the Almighty says regarding the {unjust}: {Whoever does
not judge based upon what Allah has revealed, they are the unjust} (Q. 5:45).

This verse shows that those who do not rule and act based upon the revealed laws of Islam are considered unjust. If they are {unjust}, the Abrahamic covenant of leadership does not apply to them. Therefore, their leadership is invalidated.

The second proof from the Book of Allah that it is obligatory for the hands of the oppressor to be removed, is the statement of the Exalted: {Their Lord revealed to them: “We will destroy the unjust, and We will cause you to remain in the land after them. That is for the one that fears My position and fears the threat [of punishment]”} (Q. 14:13-14).

This serves as a proof because the context of the verse demonstrates that Allah revealed to His Messengers, upon them be peace, that He will destroy the unjust and replace them with the righteous.

This is a proof from multiple perspectives: first, the unjust’s destruction is in this world not only in the Afterlife; second, this destruction is by the hands of others as in the Exalted’s statement: {Fight them. Allah will punish them by your hands} (Q. 9:14); third, the phrase {remain in the land after them} refers to the righteous inheriting the land from the hand of the oppressor; and last, this “inheriting” is a result of their victory over the oppressors, according to exegeses such as Tafsīr al-Jalalayn.

Reference: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CLEAR EXPOSITION: A COMMENTARY ON AL-HĀDI’S “THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE RELIGION”, P.206-207, by Imam Rassi Society