“Scholars” that Befriend Tyrants?These are some narrations that should help the wise differentiate between the true scholar and the faker Murji'ah of the Era.
"I entered upon al-Ma`moon, so he said: 'How have you awoken oh Nidr?' So I said: 'In goodness, oh Ameer al-Mu`mineen' He asked: 'What is irjaa`?' I replied: 'A religion that agrees with the Kings, they gain from the dunya with it, and lose from their religion' So he said: 'You have spoken the truth'" [al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah of al-Haafith Ibn Katheer, vol. 10/276]
‘ Abdullaah Ibn ‘ Abbaas said that Allaah’s Messenger ( sallallaahu ‘ alayhi wa sallam ) said, “There shall be rulers whom you will recognize from them good and evil. Whoever opposes them is saved. Whoever abandons them is freed. And whoever intermingles with them is destroyed.” (Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah and at- Tabaraanee
Abul-A’war as- Sulamee said that Allaah’s Messenger ( sallallaahu ‘ alayhi wa sallam ) said, “Be wary of the ruler’s gates; for there, there is difficulty and humiliation.” (Collected by ad- Daylamee and at- Tabaraanee).
Aboo Hurayrah said that Allaah’s Messenger ( sallallaahu ‘ alayhi wa sallam ) said, “Whoever approaches the ruler’s gates becomes afflicted. Whenever a slave draws closer to the ruler, he only gains distance from Allaah .” (Collected by Ahmad; A similar narration, save the last sentence, is reported from Ibn ‘ Abbaas ; at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb ”).
Jaabir Ibn ‘ Abdillaah said that Allaah’s Messenger ( sallallaahu ‘ alayhi wa sallam ) said to Ka’b Ibn ‘ Ujrah , “O Ka’b Ibn ‘ Ujrah , I seek Allaah’s protection for you from the leadership of fools. There shall be rulers, whoever enters upon them, then aids them in their oppression and validates their lies, then he is not from me nor I from him, and he shall not be admitted to the Hawd . Whoever does not enter upon them, and does not aid them in their oppression, nor validates their lies, then he is from me and I from him, and he shall be admitted to the Hawd .” (Collected by Ahmad, al- Bazzaar , and Ibn Hibbaan ; Similar narrations are reported from an- Nu’man Ibn Basheer , ‘ Abdillaah Ibn Khabbaab (from his father), Abee Sa’eed al- Khudree , and Ka’b Ibn ‘ Ujrah ; at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb ”).
As for narrations from the words of the Companions, then as- Suyootee has collected from ‘Alee Ibn Abee Taalib, Ibn Mas’ood, Hudhayfah Ibn al- Yamaan , and Abee Dharr , narrations of general warning against approaching the rulers or their gates. See “ Maa Rawaahul-Asaateen Fee ‘Adam al- Majee ’ Ilas-Salaateen ”.
Allâh’s Messenger, sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : “He who comes to to the ruler is put to trial.” Reported by Abû Dâwûd (no.2859), at-Tirmidhî (no.2256), an-Nasâ‘î (7/195-196), Ahmad (l/357) and others from Abû Mûsâ al-Ash’arî.
There are too many with similar meanings, so here are some examples:
Ibn Mas’ood said, “Whoever wishes to honor his religion, then he should not enter upon the ruler.” (Collected by ad- Daarimee ).
Ibn Mas’ood also said, “A man enters upon the ruler, carrying his religion with him, then exits without anything with him.” (Collected by al- Bukhaaree in his “ Taareekh ” and Ibn Sa’d in “at- Tabaqaat ”).
Hudhayfah Ibn al- Yamaan said, “O indeed! Never should any of you walk even a hand-span in the direction of the ruler.” (Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah ).
He collects from the later scholars of the Salaf , similar narrations from Sufyaan ath-Thawree , Sa’eed Ibn al- Musayyib , Hammaad Ibn Salamah , al- Hasan al- Basree , Ibn al- Mubaarak , Abee Haazim , al- Awzaa’ee , and al- Fudayl Ibn al-‘ Iyaad .
Here are some examples from these scholars of the Salaf :
Sufyaan at- Thawree said, “Don’t go, even if they ask you to visit them just to recite ‘ qul huwallaahu ahad ’.” (Collected by al- Bayhaqee ).
Maalik Ibn Anas said, “I met more than ten and some Taabi’een , all of them saying, do not go to them, do not admonish them, meaning the ruler.” (Collected by al- Khateeb al- Baghdaadee in “ Ruwaah Maalik ”).
Sufyaan ath-Thawree said, “Looking at the ruler is a sin.” (Collected by Abee ‘Alee al- Aamudee in his “ Ta’leeq ”).
Bishr al- Haafee said, “How disgusting is it to request to see a scholar, but then to get the response that he is at the ruler’s gate.” (Collected by al- Bayhaqee in “ Shu’ab al-Eemaan”).
Ibn al-Jawzî (d.597H) - rahimahullâh - says in Talbîs Iblîs (p.121-122):
“From the deception of Iblîs upon the Scholars, is their mixing with the Rulers and flattering them and abandon censuring them when able to do so. And perhaps they find allowance for them where really there is no allowance, in order to attain a worldly goal - and threefold corruption comes about through this:
Firstly: The Ruler - he says: If it were not correct, then the Scholar would have censured me - and how can I not be correct - and he eats from my wealth?
Secondly: The common person says: There is no harm with this Ruler, nor his wealth, nor his actions, because the Scholar does not criticise him.
Thirdly: The Scholar - because he corrupts his Dîn through that. Iblîs may deceive them into entering upon the Ruler saying: We enter in order to intercede for a Muslim. This deception is uncovered by the fact that if a different person entered to intercede - the Scholar would not be pleased with that; and perhaps speak ill of him - since he wishes to be alone in the Rulers attention.
So entering upon the Ruler involves great danger, since the intention may be good when you first enter, but then may be changed by their honouring you, or bestowing things upon you, or by having ambitions and by not being able to avoid flattering them and leaving-off censuring them. Sufyân ath-Thawrî used to say: “I do not fear from their debasing me, but I fear from their being generous towards me so that my heart inclines towards them.” ”
And al-Hâfidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalî (d.795H) says in Sharh Hadîth Mâ Dhi’bân (p.53):
“Many of the Salaf used to forbid entering upon the Kings in order to command them with what is good and forbid them from what is evil also. From those that forbade them were: ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-’Azîz, Ibn al-Mubârak, ath-Thawrî and others. Ibn al-Mubârak said: “And with us, the one who orders and forbids is not the one who enters upon them and orders and forbids, but rather the one who orders and forbids is the one who keeps away from them.” And that is for fear of trials for the one who enters upon them since a person when far away maybe deceived into thinking that he will order and forbid them and be stern with them - but when he sees them face to face, his soul inclines towards them, since love of nobility is hidden in the soul. Therefore he flatters them and is lenient with them and perhaps he inclines towards them and comes to love them, especially if they treat him kindly and generously and he accepts that from them. And this happened to ‘Abdullâh ibn Tâwûs with a certain ruler, in the presence of his father Tâwûs, so Tâwûs rebuked him for that. And Sufyân ath-Thawrî wrote to ‘Abbâd ibn ‘Abbâd and in his letter was: And beware of the rulers...”
Ibn ‘Abdul Barr (d.463H) - the Scholar of Andulus - says in Jâmi’ Bayannil-‘Ilm (l/185-186), ending the chapter in which he mentioned the Salaf’s hatred of entering upon the kings and rulers:
“And the meaning of this chapter is with regard to the wicked oppressive ruler. However, as for the just and noble of them, then entering upon him, seeing him and helping him to do good is one of the best of good deeds. Do you not see that ‘Umar ibn ’Abdul-’Azîz was accompanied by the great Scholar such as ’Urwah ibn az-Zubair and his level; and Ibn Shihâb az-Zuhrî and his level. And Ibn Shihâb used to enter upon the ruler ‘Abdul-Mâlik and his sons after him. And from those who used to enter upon the ruler were:- ash-Sha’bî, Qabîsah, Ibn Dhu’aib, Rajâ‘ ibn Haywat al-Kindî, Abûl-Miqdâm - who was a noble scholar, al-Hasan, Abûz-Zinâd, Mâlik ibn Anas, al-Awzâ’î, ash-Shâfi’î and others too many to mention. So if the Scholar enters upon the ruler - now and again when there is a need - and he says what is good and speaks with his knowledge, then that is good and a means of Allâh’s pleasure until the Day he meets Him. But these sittings are usually a trial; and being safe therefrom is abandoning what is in them.”
Last of all; Sufyân ath-Thawrî on his famous naseeha to ’Abbâd ibn ’Abbâd al-Khawwâs al-Arsûfî says:
Beware of the Rulers. Beware of coming near to them and of mixing with them in any of the affairs. Beware of being deceived, so that it said to you: Intercede [for me], so that you help one oppressed, or repel an act of oppression - because that is from the deception of Iblîs, which the wicked reciters have taken as a means to attain a favorable position. It used to be said: Beware of the fitnah (trial) of the ignorant worshipper and the wicked scholar, because the trial of these two is indeed a trial for everyone put to trial.
What remains is the matter that: isn’t speaking the truth in the face of a tyrant the greatest Jihad? The answer: Yes, but other similar narrations mention why it is the greatest Jihad and martyrdom, because after he commands the good and denounces evil, the ruler kills him. This is the real speaking of the truth, not the following of desires and visiting the ruler daily until the scholar is one of his personal advisors and henchmen. The Salaf were afraid that most people were too weak to stay firm in the face of the tyrant, but instead would be affected by his power and wealth, thereby justifying religious compromise with the ruler, which is exactly what we see these days from our “scholars.” How wise were the Salaf , and how foolish are the Khalaf .
Allaah knows best.
Important Point:
These narrations warn against approaching tyrannical, MUSLIM rulers, so what of those rulers who apostate by aiding the infidels against the Muslims, or by legislating manmade laws, or ruling by manmade laws, etc.Source:
Darultawhid.com.
Subject: “Scholars” that Befriend Tyrants? 
Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:42 pm