Next, the crow, representing the elders of Kampong Banyan, were asked to give his sermons. And so, he came forward, then said, "All praises and thanks are due to Allah Whose Favor directed the believers to guidance, and because of His justice, the wicked were misguided. He is never asked about what He does, while they all will be asked. I thank and praise Him and testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah Alone, without partners, and that our beloved Prophet ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be on him ﷺ), his progeny, Companions and all those who followed him.
O Allah’s slaves! Islam came to honor mankind and as a mercy for them. Islam came to organize mankind’s affairs in life, whether material or spiritual, and establish them on firm grounds of reform and on strong foundations. Islam came to explain to people the causes of wickedness and evil, so that they avoid them and the causes of safety, so that they embrace them.
Among the aspects that Islam explained, is one’s relationship with his Rabb, prophet, leaders and commanders. Allah said,
Those in authority, is in reference to those who are responsible for public duty, whether a Grand Imam, scholar of the religion, commander, president of the people and so forth.يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الأمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلا"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result." - [QS. 4:59]
Allah, Owner of the Mighty Power, has ordained great rights for those Muslims who are in authority, in this Ayah. Fulfilling these rights ensures tranquillity, peace and harmony for the Muslim Ummah (Nation). Allah, Who has ordained these rights, is the All-Knower of the secrets of this universe and the nature of mankind, that require the presence of leaders and the absence of disputes and uprisings. Tranquillity ensures a stable social life and protects the nation from disarray that is stirred by the ignorant and the foolishness of the wicked. Allah ordained these rights for Muslim Leaders and made them a part of His worship that should be fulfilled in times of hardship and times of ease, in times of activity and times of relaxation, and even under the rule of tyranny. This is always the case, unless one is ordered to do what he cannot bear or to disobey Allah, in which case, there is no hearing or obedience in the disobedience of Allah.
It was narrated, Ibn 'Umar,رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ , said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
A decision that Allah has ordained and from which He brings great benefits in this life and tremendous rewards in the Hereafter is worthy for the Muslim to embrace and adhere by.لَى الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ فِيمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَإِذَا أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَلاَ سَمْعَ وَلاَ طَاعَةَ"The Muslim must hear and obey whether he likes it or not, unless he is commanded to commit an act of disobedience. If he is commanded to commit an act of disobedience, then he is not required to hear and obey." - [Sunan an-Nasa'i; Sahih]
Referring to what Allah has revealed for judgment, establishing Allah’s Law, directing people to worship Allah Alone and abandoning all other deities are some of the best and most significant duties, ordained on Muslim Leaders. Fulfilling these duties will bring about all that is good and righteous, so that Allah’s blessings will descend on the Muslim Ummah at large.
Fear Allah, O Allah’s slaves, and seek the means of approach to Him by fulfilling His Commandments. Obey your Muslim Leaders, invoke Allah for them, help them in Birr (righteousness) and Taqwa (piety) and practice patience with them, as long as they obey Allah and His Messenger and establish Allah’s religion.
O Allah’s slaves, those who have any type of authority or responsibility! Know that Allah, the Just Ruler of all that exists, has ordained for you rights on those under your responsibility and commanded that these rights be respected. Likewise, Allah has ordained duties on you for those who are under your authority and responsibility. Allah has made you aware of the seriousness and importance of your job by the words of His Messenger (ﷺ). Narrated Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
Fear Allah with regards to the responsibility that Allah has entrusted you. Fulfill your duties towards your subjects and those whom Allah allowed you to be responsible for. This way, you will be among the best Imam (Leaders) and otherwise, you will avoid those. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ , narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,أَلاَ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ بَعْلِهَا وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُ وَالْعَبْدُ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلاَ فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ"Indeed each of you is a shepherd and all of you will be questioned regarding your flock. The commander who is in authority over the Muslims is responsible and he will be questioned regarding his responsibility. The man is responsible over the inhabitants of his house and he is the one who will be questioned about them. The wife is responsible in her husband's house and she will be questioned about it. The slave is responsible regarding his master's property, and he will be questioned about it. Indeed each of you is a shepherd and each of you will be questioned about his flock." - [Jami` at-Tirmidhi; Sahih]
أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخِيَارِ أُمَرَائِكُمْ وَشِرَارِهِمْ خِيَارُهُمُ الَّذِينَ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتَدْعُونَ لَهُمْ وَيَدْعُونَ لَكُمْ وَشِرَارُ أُمَرَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ تُبْغِضُونَهُمْ وَيُبْغِضُونَكُمْ وَتَلْعَنُونَهُمْ وَيَلْعَنُونَكُمْ"Shall I not inform you of the best of your leaders and the worst of them: The best of them are those whom you love and they love you, you supplicate for them, and they supplicate for you. And the evilest of your leaders are those who hate you, and you hate them, and they curse you and you curse them." - [Jami` at-Tirmidhi; Sahih]
Know that ruling Muslims with justice and being compassionate and lenient with them, are among the duties Muslim Leaders have towards their subjects. Allah the Exalted said,
Know that those whom you are responsible for also have the right on you to be sincere with them, to advise them with their benefits and to fend off harm from them. Beware of all actions and statements that might enrage the subjects or cause division and enviousness between them, including preferring yourselves with the delights of ruling, while treating them with harshness and heavy-handedness. Do not require them to perform what is beyond their capabilities and what they cannot bear, for all this will lead them to dislike your rule and dispute with you in this life, thus exposing themselves to painful torment in the Hereafter. Narrated Ma'qil that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الأمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُمْ بِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا"Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing." - [QS.4:58]
Hasan reported that Ubaidullah bin Ziyad went to see Ma'qil bin Yasir and he was ailing. He ('Ubaidullah) inquired (about his health) to which he (Ma'qil) replied, "I am narrating to you a hadith which I avoided narrating to you (before). Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed,مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ اسْتَرْعَاهُ اللَّهُ رَعِيَّةً، فَلَمْ يَحُطْهَا بِنَصِيحَةٍ، إِلاَّ لَمْ يَجِدْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ"Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise." - [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
لاَ يَسْتَرْعِي اللَّهُ عَبْدًا رَعِيَّةً يَمُوتُ حِينَ يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ غَاشٌّ لَهَا إِلاَّ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَThose leaders, who are hard and lack compassion and kindness, should be aware of the Messenger of Allah's (ﷺ) supplication,
"Allah does not entrust to his bondsman the responsibility of managing the affairs of his subjects and he dies as a dishonest (ruler) but Paradise is forbidden by Allah for such a (ruler)." - [Sahih Muslim]
O Muslim Leaders, you are supposed to be protectors of Islam and Muslims, to succeed in bringing about their own religious benefit, as well as the religious benefit of their subjects. Verily, He is the best of those who are sought, Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بِهِمْ فَارْفُقْ بِهِ"O Allah, who (happens to) acquire some kind of control over the affairs of my people and is hard upon them-be Thou hard upon him, and who (happens to) acquire some kind of control over the affairs of my people and is kind to them-be Thou kind to him." - [Sahih Muslim]
And lastly, O servants of Allah! Know that, anything good I have said in my today’s sermon is from Allah the All-Mighty, and any mistakes are my own and we seek refuge in Allah from giving wrong advice and from all forms of calamities and fitnah. And I ask Allah’s forgiveness if I stepped beyond bound in anything I said or I do. With this, my beloved and respected people, I conclude my sermon and ask Allah again, the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful to forgive all our failings and shortcomings. And may the salutation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), his family and his companions."
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ"And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful" - [QS.26:217]
الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ"Who sees you when you arise" - [QS.26:218]
وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ"And your movement among those who prostrate." - [QS.26:219]
إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ"Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing." - [QS.26:220]
