The Rights Of The Caliph
Selections from the Book Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (21)
The Caliph has rights over the Ummah which are meant to assist him in fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to him. The scholars of Islam have outlined these rights, the most important of which are:
1- Obedience and submission to him in all that he commands and prohibits, as long as these commands and prohibitions are within what is right and do not contradict the rulings established by Islamic law. As long as the Caliph or head of state adheres to the Shari‘a in his directives and does not deviate from its limits, he has the right to the full loyalty of all citizens—both those of authority and influence who pledged allegiance to him as leader of the Ummah, and the rest of the citizens who are obliged to obey him once the allegiance is complete.
2- Supporting him when needed. As long as he governs according to the truth, it becomes obligatory on the entire Ummah to support him against rebels and anyone who takes up arms against him... because supporting the rightful imam is in reality supporting the Muslims and aiding him in ensuring that the religion is upheld and aggressors are restrained from committing crimes.
3- Granting him a salary with appropriate allocations sufficient for him and those he supports, since the head of state will be occupied with the duties of leadership, which will consume his time and prevent him from seeking his own livelihood. Therefore, he must be given a salary that is sufficient and befitting of his position—without being miserly or excessive—since the salaries of governors and judges come from the wealth of the Muslims, which must be spent with care and prudence.
4- Informing him of the conditions of those he has appointed to public positions, such as governors and judges, if they deviate from the path they were assigned to follow. This is because the imam is legally obligated to monitor their actions, correct their wrongs, and alert them to neglected matters of public interest. He is accountable before Allah for any wrongs they commit against Allah or the Ummah if he fails to prevent them, and he cannot effectively monitor their actions unless the Ummah assists him in this.
5- Offering him all necessary assistance if he needs help in fulfilling the burdens of serving the interests of the Ummah, based on Allah’s command: {And cooperate in righteousness and piety}.
The Ummah, generally speaking, did not withhold these rights from Commander of the Faithful Muawiya, nor from the caliphs who came after him. Nevertheless, there were some revolts against the caliphs, which we will address in their proper place, by the will of Allah Almighty.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State, pp. 402-403.
- The Presidency of the State in Islamic Fiqh, pp. 370-374.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of “Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (His Character And Era) And The Sufyanid State” on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
