Requirements of the Supreme Imamate (Leadership)

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had said to him: “I see that you are weak and I love for you what I love for myself. Do not rule over two persons and do not manage an orphan's property." These are four sentences the Prophet addressed Abu Dharr with: 1. “I see that you are weak.” This description, which accords with the reality, is given as advice. And there is no harm if a person tells someone else that he has such and such trait, as an advice, not as an insult or exposing one’s faults; as the Prophet himself said: “I see that you are weak.” 2. “I love for you what I love for myself.” This is part of the Prophet’s noble character. When the first sentence contained some criticism, he made this statement, which means: I only told you this because I love for you what I love for myself. 3. “Do not rule over two persons.” In other words, do not be the leader of two persons, rather than more than two. The meaning here is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from being a leader, because he was weak, and leadership requires a strong and trustworthy person. A strong person would exercise authority and have a firm say; and when he says something, he fulfills it. He should not be weak before people, for when people see someone weak, they will show him no respect or regard, and the fools will treat him boldly. However, if a leader is strong and does not exceed the limits set by Allah, the Almighty, or neglect his authority in which Allah has put him, then he is a true leader. 4. “Do not manage an orphan’s property.” An orphan is one whose father had died before reaching puberty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from managing the wealth of orphans, for it needs care and protection, whereas Abu Dharr was weak and would not be able to take proper care of such property. That is why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not manage an orphan’s property.” That is, do not be responsible for it; leave it to someone else. This is not degradation of Abu Dharr, for he was a man who used to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and led an austere and ascetic life. However, he was weak in a particular area, namely guardianship and leadership.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. رياض الصالحين للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ.

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a specific piece of advice concerning leadership and assuming it, after he had asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to appoint him to a position of authority. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You are weak." This statement is a bit strong; however, integrity entails being frank with a person about their character. If a person is strong, he should be told that he is strong, and if a person is weak, he should be told that he is weak. This Hadīth provides evidence that leadership is conditional on the person assuming it being strong and trustworthy, because the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "…and it is a trust." So if a person is strong and trustworthy, then these characteristics make him qualified for leadership and authority. If someone is strong but not trustworthy, trustworthy but not strong, or neither strong nor trustworthy; these three types of people are not suited for leadership. Based on this, leadership should be entrusted to a strong person, as this is more beneficial to the people who are in need of authority and strength. If there is no strength, especially if there is weakness in the religion; people's rights will be lost. So this Hadīth gives strong evidence to avoid assuming leadership, especially by those who have a weakness in discharging the duties of authority. The disgrace and remorse mentioned in the Hadīth in this statement "It will be a cause of disgrace and remorse on the Day of Resurrection" apply to those who are not qualified to assume a post of authority or are qualified, but do not discharge their responsibility justly. In these cases, Allah, the Exalted, will disgrace and humiliate him on the Day of Resurrection and he will regret what he neglected. This threat does not apply to someone who is qualified for leadership and acts justly. That is why the noble Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made an exception when he said: "except for the one who takes it up with a full sense of responsibility and fulfills what is entrusted to him," because there is a great credit for the person who takes it up rightfully. This is indicated in a number of authentic Hadīths, such as the one where he said: "Allah will shade seven types of people under His shade... " and the Hadīth where he said: "Those who are just will be on pulpits of light..." and so on.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. رياض الصالحين، للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428 هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، للنووي، ط2، دار إحياء التراث العربي - بيروت، 1392ه. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ. تطريز رياض الصالحين، تأليف فيصل آل مبارك، تحقيق د. عبد العزيز آل حمد، دار العاصمة، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1423هـ.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated against anyone who takes charge of some affairs of the Muslims, be they little or significant, and whether his authority is public or a private and specific one, and he puts them into difficulty and does not treat them gently, that Allah Almighty give him recompense of the same type of his action: putting him into difficulty. And he supplicated for anyone who takes charge over the Muslims and treats them gently and makes things easy for them that Allah treat him gently and make things easy for him.

1. Whoever assumes any authority over the Muslims should treat them as gently as he can.
2. Recompense is of the same type as the deed.
3. The criterion governing whether something is considered to be harsh or gentle is that it should not contradict the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1458) (1828). فتح ذي الجلال والاكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 367). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 224). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، للبسام (7/ 419).

The Prophet (ﷺ) clarified that a people will never succeed in achieving what they seek if they appoint a woman to be in charge of their affairs—such as in matters of judiciary, public authority, or ministry.

1. Women should not be appointed to positions of leadership or judicial authority over people, or to similar public offices. However, in private matters—such as overseeing a Waqf (endowment), managing the affairs of orphans, or administering a school—there is no harm in that.
2. Highlighting the limited capacity and natural weakness of women, and that they are not to share with men in public positions of authority, as appointing them to such roles is a cause of lack of success.
3. Allah created woman with a nature different from that of man. Some matters are not suitable for a woman to undertake due to her particular nature, just as there are matters that are not suitable for a man to undertake due to his own distinct nature.
4. The "negated success" here refers to success in the sense used in Shariah—attaining the good of both this world and the Hereafter. The prosperity of a nation's worldly affairs does not necessarily mean that it enjoys Allah's approval, for whoever is not obedient to Allah is not truly successful, even if outwardly he appears to be in the best of worldly conditions.
5. This Hadīth does not belittle women; rather, it provides proper guidance that directs their abilities in a manner suitable to their nature and strengths.

صحيح البخاري (6/ 8) (4425). عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، لبدر الدين العيني (14/ 210). أعلام الحديث (شرح صحيح البخاري) لأبي سليمان الخطابي (3/ 1787). توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (7/ 183). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، لابن عثيمين (2/ 268). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (3/ 441). ذخيرة العقبى في شرح المجتبى، للولوي (1/ 82). كشف المشكل من حديث الصحيحين، لابن الجوزي (2/ 16).