Must the Ummah be one in matters of politics?

Sources

• ✓ 49:9 · Al-Hujuraat

  49:9 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ

  And if two parties of believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them. And if one party of them doeth wrong to the other, fight ye that which doeth wrong till it return unto the ordinance of Allah; then, if it return, make peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable.

• ✓ 4:59 · An-Nisaa

  4:59 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍۢ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

  O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 4:59

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 4:59

  Ibn Kathir explains that this verse was revealed concerning Abdullah ibn Hudhafah ibn Qays ibn Adi when the Prophet ﷺ sent him on a military expedition. It commands obedience to Allah, His Messenger, and those invested with authority among the believers. Several chains of narration confirm this context, including a narration recorded by al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas, who states that "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you" was revealed about this incident. The commentators relate numerous hadiths illustrating the principle of obedience to authority, provided it is in what pleases Allah. For example, Ahmad ibn Hanbal reports from Ali that when the Prophet ﷺ sent a patrol and appointed an Ansari leader over them, this leader commanded his men to obey him and to enter a fire he kindled as a test. The men hesitated, but upon returning to the Prophet ﷺ he said: "If you had entered it, you would not have come out; obedience is only in that which is good." This teaching affirms that obedience is mandated only in lawful matters. Abu Dawud and Muslim transmit from Abdullah ibn Umar that a Muslim is required to listen and obey his Muslim leader in all matters, whether he wishes them or not, so long as he is not commanded to disobey Allah. If commanded to sin, there is no obedience. There are also narrations from various Companions and the Prophet ﷺ emphasizing the necessity of pledging allegiance and obeying rulers, highlighting that abandoning obedience to the group or alliance leads to a pre-Islamic state of ignorance. The phrase "those in authority among you" is interpreted by some scholars, like Ali ibn Abi Talhah quoting Ibn Abbas, as referring to those skilled in jurisprudence and religion—the scholars. Mujahid, Ata, al-Hasan al-Basri, and Abu al-Aliyah have similarly explained it as meaning the scholars, or more broadly, the righteous leaders and learned figures. Obedience to these authorities is tied to commands that align with Allah’s law and not disobedience. This is supported by other Quranic verses commanding reliance on the scholars and divine revelation, as well as authentic prophetic sayings stipulating that obedience to the leader is obedience to the Prophet, and disobedience to the leader equals disobedience to the Prophet. Regarding disagreements or disputes, Mujahid and other early scholars explain that the return to Allah and His Messenger refers to referring back to the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Messenger for judgement. This is a divine ruling encouraging that all disputes on the fundamentals and branches of the religion be settled in this way, as Allah says that all disputes should be referred back to Him. What the Book and Sunna judge to be true must be accepted, and what contradicts it is falsehood. The verse’s phrase, "if you dispute in anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger," thus commands arbitration by revelation, affirming one’s faith in Allah and the Last Day. The return to the Book and Sunna is described as "better" and "best interpretation," meaning it leads to the best outcome, for this is the correct and authorized manner of settling disputes. Ibn Kathir gathers abundant hadiths and narrations relating to this verse, illustrating the centrality of obedience to rightful authority, moderation in obedience only within limits of divine law, and the refutation of rebellion or abandonment of societal unity. He cites numerous companions and reports to confirm the point that ultimate allegiance and obedience are due only as far as they conform to obedience to Allah and His Messenger, with no obedience permitted in sin.

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 4:59

  Shia

  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 4:59

  Recitation variants: None specifically noted for this passage. The meaning: The preceding verse began with a discussion about the authorities—the rulers and leaders—on fulfilling the rights of their subjects, ensuring justice and equality among people. This verse follows that by addressing the subjects themselves, urging their obedience and emulation of these authorities, and instructing them to refer disputes back to God and His Messenger. The verse says: "O you who believe, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you differ about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day; that is better and best in ultimate outcome." The phrase "O you who believe, obey God" means: adhere faithfully to obeying God in what He commands and what He forbids. "And obey the Messenger" refers to strictly obeying the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Although obedience to the Prophet is mentioned in conjunction with God’s obedience, isolating the command to obey the Messenger emphasizes clarity and decisiveness, refuting the misunderstanding that obedience to commands not explicitly found in the Qur’an is not obligatory. This is supported by verses such as, "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God," and "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from." It is also God’s statement that the Messenger does not speak from his own desire. Some, like al-Kalbi, have said the meaning is: obey God in the obligatory duties and obey the Messenger in the recommended acts (sunan). But the first interpretation is stronger since obedience to the Messenger is obedience to God, and carrying out the Messenger’s commands is carrying out God’s commands. Knowing the Messenger essentially entails knowing God’s message; one cannot know the Messenger properly without knowing God, but the reverse is not necessarily true. Obedience to the Messenger is obligatory both during his lifetime and after his passing, as adherence to his legal instructions remains incumbent on all responsible persons. It is well known that he was sent to all people until the Day of Resurrection. Regarding "those in authority among you," commentators differ. One view identifies them as the rulers, supported by narrations from Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Abbas in one report, as well as Maimun ibn Mihran and Al-Suddi, and this view is chosen by Al-Jubba’i, Al-Balakhi, and Al-Tabari. Another view holds that these are scholars, as reported from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, Ibn Abbas in a different report, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ata, and others. Some say they are those to whom disputes must be referred in judgment, whose decisions must be followed when conflicts arise, rather than all leaders generally. Our own scholars have narrated from Al-Baqir and Al-Sadiq (peace be upon them) that "those in authority" specifically refers to the Imams from the family of Muhammad, whom God has obligated the obedience of unconditionally, just as He has obligated obedience to Himself and to His Messenger. God does not mandate obedience absolutely to anyone unless their infallibility is established, their inner disposition matches their outward behavior, they are free from error and evil commands—this is not the case for rulers or scholars other than these Imams. Glory be to God that He does not command obedience to those who disobey Him or to follow those who differ in speech and action, since it is impossible for believers to obey those who do not agree among themselves, and impossible for what they differ on to unify. Supporting this is that God did not link obedience to "those in authority" with obedience to His Messenger in the same absolute way He linked obedience to the Messenger with obedience to Himself, which shows "those in authority" are above all creation except the Messenger, who in turn is above them and all creation. This characterizes the Imams of guidance from the family of Muhammad, whose leadership and infallibility are established and whose rank and justice are unanimously acknowledged. The phrase "if you differ about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger" means: if you dispute something in religion, return the matter to the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Messenger. This was stated by Mujahid, Qatadah, and Al-Suddi. We say: the referral to the Imams who are the successors to the Messenger after his death is akin to referral to the Messenger during his life because they are the preservers of his Shariah and his heirs in the ummah, the ones who carry on his path. God then affirms and magnifies this with the phrase, "if you believe in God and the Last Day," emphasizing how clear and decisive this is. The word "that" refers to the obedience of God, His Messenger, and those in authority, as well as the referral to God and the Messenger. "That is better and best in ultimate outcome:" Al-Qatadah, Al-Suddi, and Ibn Zayd say this means a commendable outcome, as the meaning of "tawil" (rendering) is linked with "to return to a refuge," indicating the ultimate end or outcome. Others say it means the best reward, according to Mujahid. Some say it means it benefits you most in this world and gives the best outcome in the hereafter. The strongest view, attributed to Al-Zajjaj, is that it means better than your own interpretation if you do not return to the original sources of the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet, because referral to God and His Messenger—or those acting in their place from the infallible—is unquestionably better than interpretation unsupported by evidence. Some use the phrase "if you differ about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger" to argue that consensus (ijma') is a valid proof, reasoning that God required referral to the Book and Sunnah only when disagreement exists, implying that if there is no dispute, referral is not obligatory, and that consensus is binding. However, this is only sound if one assumes there is an infallible protector of the law in the community. If not, then the condition does not hold and the proof loses strength, as the condition presupposes the existence of someone to guide correctly. Many scholars do not accept this as proof for consensus. Indeed, the community cannot agree on anything except based on the Book or the Sunnah. How could it be said that if the people agree, referral to the Book and Sunnah is unnecessary, yet they have referred matters to them? Finally, the verse continues: "Have you not seen those who claim they believe in what was revealed to you, and what was revealed before you, yet they wish to judge by Taghut (false deities), though they were commanded to disbelieve in it? Satan wishes to lead them far astray."

• ✓ Sunan Ibn Majah 37:25

  Sunni Very Daif (per Al-Albani)

  Sunan Ibn Majah · Book 37, Hadith 25 · Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

  The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, ‘My nation will never unite upon error; so when you witness dispute, hold fast to the largest group of Muslims.’