Mohamad, Bachar Bakour and Salhab, Belal Barakat Sulaiman (2026) طاعة السلطة السياسية في الإسلام: قراءة مقاصدية سياقية للأحاديث النبوية = Obedience to political authority in Islam: a maqasid-based contextual analysis of the prophetic ahadith. International Journal of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh Studies, 10 (2). pp. 95-106. E-ISSN 2600-8408
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Abstract
This study examines the concept of obedience to the ruler in the Prophetic traditions through a textual and contextual analysis that engages both classical and contemporary scholarship in Islamic political thought, in light of the higher and subsidiary objectives of Sharīʿah (maqāṣid alSharīʿah). The study seeks to uncover the deeper semantic indicators that contribute to constructing a sound maqāṣidbased understanding of obedience, drawing upon authentic Islamic sources, the historical experiences of the Muslim community, and contemporary realities in the Islamic world. The study argues that obedience should not be understood as absolute submission; rather, it is a conditional and purposive concept linked to the preservation of public order, the protection of the five essential necessities, the establishment of justice, and the prevention of civil strife and violent conflict. Accordingly, obedience in the Prophetic perspective functions as a mechanism for securing social stability and preserving communal unity, rather than legitimising despotism or abolishing accountability. The study further demonstrates that the term ulū al-amr denotes a participatory institutional structure that includes leading scholars, influential representatives, and people of expertise, thereby reflecting a rejection of absolute individual authority. The study also proposes a threefold classification of obedience based on the maqāṣid-oriented balancing of benefits and harms: normative obedience grounded in legitimacy and justice; obedience of necessity arising from the need to avert civil strife while maintaining the duty of reform; and exceptional obedience understood within the framework of the juristic principles of “committing the lesser of two harms” and “warding off harm takes precedence over procuring benefit.” The study concludes that when Sharīʿah affirmed obedience to the ruler under certain difficult circumstances, it did so within a disciplined maqāṣid framework aimed at preserving religion, life, and communal order, and grounded in an ethical political realism that seeks to minimise harm and pave the way for legitimate reform, rather than perpetuating injustice or granting it legitimacy.
| Item Type: | Article (Journal) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Obedience, Ruler, Ummah, Ḥādīth, Authority |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam > BP160 General works on Islam |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies (Effective: 5th Feb 2014) |
| Depositing User: | Bachar Mohamad Bakour |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Aug 2026 16:56 |
| Last Update: | 10 Aug 2026 16:56 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-08-Q4609 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/130640 |
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