Yes. The books held in this site’s library teach that obeying the Muslim ruler is a duty, and they teach it together with one fixed limit: there is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator. This page gathers what those books say about the command itself, about who “those in authority” are, about the limit on obeying them, about ordinary matters that are neither commanded nor forbidden, about public matters, about the ruler who treats his people unjustly, and about how a ruler is corrected. What these books say about rising against rulers, and about protests, is a large topic of its own and is not taken up here. This page is about the duty of obedience and where that duty stops.
The Command to Obey Those in Authority
Allah commands obedience to Himself, to His Messenger, and then to those in authority among the Muslims, in a single verse. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen opens a chapter of his explanation of Riyad as-Salihin (a collection of hadith [reports of the Prophet’s ﷺ words and actions]) with this verse, and then explains who the people at the helms of affairs are:
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority.” [An-Nisaa: 59].
The scholars say the people at the helms of affairs (Wulaat ul-Amr) can be classified into two: The rulers and the scholars. The scholars are the leaders of the Muslims with a responsibility to explain and teach the Sharee’ah, educating and guiding people to the truth. So they are leaders in this respect. As for the rulers, they are the ones in charge of ensuring safety and protecting the Sharee’ah and compelling people to follow it. Therefore, both scholars and rulers have specific roles.
So “those in authority” covers the rulers who run people’s affairs and the scholars who teach the Sharee’ah [Islamic law]. Shaykh as-Sa’di explains the verse itself, and the reason people’s affairs depend on this obedience:
Then Allah instructs us to obey Him and to obey His Messenger (ﷺ), by doing that which they command, doing what is obligatory and encouraged, and avoiding that which they prohibit. He also instructs us to obey those in authority, such as rulers, governors and scholars, because people’s religious and worldly affairs cannot be put in order except by obeying those who are in authority, in obedience to Allah and seeking that which is with Him. But that is on condition that they do not enjoin disobedience to Allah; if they do so, then there should not be any obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator. Perhaps this is the reason why the verb (‘obey’) is not repeated with regard to those who are in authority, but it is mentioned with regard to the Messenger (ﷺ). That is because the Messenger (ﷺ) only enjoins obedience to Allah, and whoever obeys him has obeyed Allah; but when it comes to those who are in authority, the command to obey them is stipulated on condition that it does not involve any sin.
The Prophet ﷺ tied obedience to the ruler to obedience to himself:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whosoever obeys me, obeys Allah; and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah; and whosoever obeys the Amir (leader), in fact, obeys me; and he who disobeys the Amir, in fact, disobeys me.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Limit: No Obedience in Disobedience to Allah
The duty is wide, and its limit is stated in the same books that state the duty. The obedience owed to rulers is obedience in ma’ruf [what is good and right], and it never covers a command to sin. The chapter in Riyad as-Salihin begins with this hadith:
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is obligatory upon a Muslim to listen (to the ruler) and obey whether he likes it or not, except when he is ordered to do a sinful thing; in such case, there is no obligation to listen or to obey.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen explains why the verse itself carries this limit inside it:
Allah did not say: ‘and obey the leaders among you’. This is because obeying the leaders is subjective, not independent, whereas obedience to Allah– the Mighty and Sublime – and His Messenger ﷺ are unconditional. For this reason, Allah– the Mighty and Sublime – repeated the word ‘obey’ for the Messenger but not for the people in authority. Thus, obedience to the leaders comes after obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ; so, it is not unconditional.
Because of the foregoing, if those who are in authority order disobedience to Allah, they do not have the right to obedience and followership because they have a Superior Authority above them: Allah– the Mighty and Sublime. Therefore, there is no obligation to obey them whenever they order what opposes His Command.
Ibn Kathir sums the verse up the same way in his tafsir [explanation of the Qur’an]:
(And those of you who are in authority) in the obedience to Allah which they command you, not what constitutes disobedience of Allah, for there is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah, as we mentioned in the authentic Hadith, (Obedience is only in righteousness.)
Obedience in Ordinary Matters
Most of what rulers command is neither worship nor sin. It is the organising of people’s worldly affairs. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen divides the commands of those in authority into three classes, and only one of the three is refused:
One: what Allah commands; it is obligatory to obey such for two reasons: Allah’s command and because they command it.
Two: what Allah has forbidden; it is not permissible to listen or obey them in it even if they command it.
Three: what does not have any command or prohibition from Allah– the Mighty and Sublime. We must listen and obey in this case because the Prophet ﷺ did not prevent obeying them except if they command act of disobedience.
His own example of the third class, in his words on the same pages, is the traffic law: rules set by the authorities that do not entail disobedience to Allah are followed, and breaking them is disobedience, because Allah has commanded obedience to those in authority. That example is his application of the third class, given here in summary rather than as a quotation.
Public Matters Are Referred to Those in Authority
The same surah [chapter of the Qur’an] teaches what to do with news and matters that affect the public. They are not spread by everyone who hears them. They are referred to the Messenger ﷺ and to those in authority. Shaykh as-Sa’di explains the verse about this (4:83):
Here Allah chides His slaves for doing something that is not befitting, and teaches them that when news comes to them of any important matter and any matter that affects the public interest and has to do with reassurance and the joy of the believers, or some disquieting matter that may signal bad news, they must verify it and not hasten to spread that news. Rather they must refer to the Messenger (ﷺ) and to the people in authority, people of wisdom, knowledge, sincerity, reason and maturity, who know about things and what is and is not in the public interest.
This points to a basic principle of manners and attitude, which is that if there is to be a discussion concerning any matter, it should be referred to those who are qualified to discuss it, and no one should try to pre-empt them, because this is more likely to develop the right understanding of the issue and to lead to sound decision-making and avoidance of error.
When the Ruler Treats His People Unjustly
The books do not make obedience wait for a ruler the people approve of. The Prophet ﷺ commanded hearing and obeying whoever is placed in authority:
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Hear and obey even if an Abyssinian slave whose head is like a raisin is placed in authority over you.” [Al-Bukhari]
‘Hear and obey’, who are you meant to obey? The rulers, even if an Abyssinian slave is made a ruler over you.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen gives the reason the books give for this. A community that will not listen to the one in authority loses its order and its safety:
Let us assume that a ruler, who is not an Arab but an Abyssinian slave, comes to power forcefully and establishes his authority, we must listen and obey him. This is for a reason; if we do not listen to him or obey him, anarchy will ensue, there will be break down of law and order, security will cease and insecurity will take over. The important point is that we must listen to and obey our rulers except if they command with disobedience.
The duty also stands in hardship, and when others are put before you. In the same chapter, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen quotes the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘It is obligatory upon you to listen and obey the orders of the ruler in prosperity and adversity, whether you are willing or unwilling, and when someone is given preference over you’.
And it stands even when the rulers take the common wealth for themselves:
Listen and obey in all circumstances, even if the people in authority take exclusive possession of the common wealth, it is still necessary to listen and obey in what does not constitute disobedience to Allah.
‘Verily you will experience the leader’s aggrandising the wealth to themselves after me, so be patient until you meet me by the Pond’.
Those words about the Pond are the Prophet’s ﷺ own words to the Ansaar [his helpers in Madinah], quoted by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen on the same page: the rulers’ taking of the wealth was foretold, and the instruction given for it was patience, not refusal of obedience. Ibn Kathir records the pledge the Companions gave on this very point:
‘Ubadah bin As-Samit said, “We gave our pledge to Allah’s Messenger to hear and obey (our leaders), while active and otherwise, in times of ease and times of difficulty, even if we were deprived of our due shares, and to not dispute this matter (leadership) with its rightful people. The Prophet said, (Except when you witness clear Kufr about which you have clear proof from Allah.)” This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Kufr is disbelief. The pledge is quoted whole, as Ibn Kathir records it, including its exception. What is to be done when clear disbelief is witnessed is a large topic of its own, and the books treat it with its own conditions. It is not taken up on this page, which is about the duty of obedience and its limits.
Correcting a Ruler Is Done in Private
Obedience does not mean a ruler’s mistakes are hidden from him. It means they are taken to him, not spread among the people. Shaykh al-Fawzan explains the hadith “The religion is Nasihah [sincere advice]”, and what is owed to the leaders of the Muslims under it:
what “the leaders of the Muslims” means is: those at the helms of affairs; giving Nasihah to them is by affirming their leadership, listening to and obeying them in what is good, and actively discharging the duties they assign to you.
Therefore, it is not from Nasihah to the leaders to criticize them in gatherings or in other places because this is from disloyalty to them. Even if they have a shortcoming, it is not from giving Nasihah to spread them amongst the people because this will instigate evil. Conversely, it is Nasihah to inform them if you are able to do that or get in touch with them through an intermediary. If you are unable to get in touch with them directly or through an intermediary, then that which is obligatory is that you keep silent owing to your inability.
The Creed of Ahlus Sunnah on This Question
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen closes his treatment by naming this position for what it is, the creed of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah [the people of the Sunnah and the community], and by repeating the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction for the one who sees in his ruler what he dislikes:
Listening and obeying the rulers, not defying them in what necessitate obedience or stoking flame of rancour and malice against them, is the creed of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah.
‘Whoever notices in his ruler what he dislikes, he should show patience’ – he should remain patient.
So the answer the books give is yes, with its limit held firm in the same breath. The Muslim obeys the ruler in what is good, in what he likes and in what he dislikes, in ease and in hardship, and under rulers who fall short. He does not obey any command to disobey Allah, because obedience to Allah comes first and is unconditional. Correction of a ruler is real, and it is done by sincere advice given to the ruler himself. I have gathered these quotations from the books listed below so that readers can return to them and check them for themselves.
References
Tafsir as-Sa’di, Vol. 2: Shaykh Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di; IIPH English Edition 1 (2018), translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab.
Abridged Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Ibn Kathir; Darussalam abridged edition.
Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen; Maktaba Dar-us-Salam (2018).
Commentary on the Forty Hadith of An-Nawawi: Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan.
Further Reading
- What Is Sharia?: the verse of obedience, and referring disputes back to Allah and His Messenger, treated on the Sharia page.
- Does Islam Promote Violence?: what the books say about fighting, order, and the authority over such matters.
- The Khawarij: the sect that made rebellion against rulers its mark, and what the books say about them.
- Returning Matters to the Scholars: why matters of religion are taken back to the people of knowledge.
- The Saved Sect (Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama’ah): who Ahlus Sunnah are, and the creed this page names.
Verified on 2026-10-24 against the books listed above.