(80) Chapter: Obligation of Obedience to the Ruler in what is Lawful and Prohibition of Obeying them in what is Unlawful

Wa'il bin Hujr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Salamah bin Yazid Al-Ju'f (May Allah be pleased with him) asked Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "O Prophet of Allah! Tell us, what you command us to do if there arises over us rulers who demand of us what is due to them and refuse us what is due to us." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned away from him, but he repeated the same question. Thereupon Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Listen to them and obey them. They are responsible for their obligations and you are accountable for yours."

[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith means that both the ruler and the ruled have their own respective obligations. If any of the two sides fails to play its due role, it will bear the brunt of its deficiency on the Final Day. Yet, people are debarred from disobeying a ruler who neglects to do what is required of him. Negligence is not rectifiable by negligence as it will make matters worse. To endure the high-handedness of a ruler in view of the overall national interest, is therefore, preferable to revolting against him. True, one cannot take the law into one's own hands, yet
there always remains room for improvement and positive criticism. To make use of it within limits and to make efforts for the enforcement of the canonical discipline will not be deemed as an uprising. Indeed, this will be deemed, to some extent, binding on everybody.