The Khalifah, Many Rulers and the Pledge of Allegiance (Bay'ah) - The Scholars Explain

Question: There are some people who are confused with regards to obeying the authorities. Some say that giving the pledge of allegiance is only to be done to the main leader of all the Muslims in the world. What do you say about this?

Answer by Shaykh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣýliḥ al-ýUthaymýn:

No doubt, this is incorrect. If such a person were to die, he would die in a state of Jýhiliyyah because he would die while not having allegiance to anyone.[2] The general rule in Islamic legislation is that Allýh says:

That is the Book. There is no doubt in it, and it is guidance for the Muttaqýn (those who are constantly fearful of Allaah). [Sýrah al-Baqarah, 2:2]

If no supreme leader over all Muslims in the world exists, then whoever happens to be the leader in oneýs region ý he is the leader. Otherwise, if we were to accept this erroneous opinion, then that would mean there is no legitimate Muslim leader of anyone today, and everyone that dies do so in a state of Jýhiliyyah (according to the ḥadýth) Who says this?

The Islamic nation during the time of the companions was widely spread out. You know that ýAbd Allýh Ibn al-Zubayr was in Mecca, (the leaders of) Baný ýUmayyah were in al- Shým (Syria), some people were in Yemen, and others in Egypt. The Muslims have always held the belief that the pledge of obedience is binding upon them to whoever is in authority over the land in which they reside. They pledge to obey him, calling him the
ýLeader of the Believersý. No one denies that. Rejecting this is a form of inciting dissension and mutiny among the Muslims from the point of one assuming that thereýs no obedience to anyone binding upon him and because it is contradictory to the unanimous opinions of the Muslims since the earliest times.

The messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ýListen and obey even if an Abyssinian slave is put in authority over you.

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