Holding the rulers accountable is a duty upon the Muslims. The obligation of obeying them even if they did wrong and withheld people’s rights does not mean that the Muslims should keep silent, but it means that obeying them is obligatory and holding them accountable for their actions is obligatory as well.

Allah (swt) ordered the Muslims to hold their rulers accountable and strongly commanded them to challenge them if they withheld the citizens’ rights, neglected their duties towards them, ignored any of the citizens affairs, violated the rules of Islam or ruled by other than that which Allah (swt) has revealed. Muslim reported on the authority of Umm Salama that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said;

“‘Ameers will be appointed over you, you recognise some of what they do and you disown some. Whoever recognised He is absolved from blame. Whoever disapproved (of their bad deeds) He is safe, but whoever consented and followed them (he is doomed.)’ They said; ‘Should we not fight against them?’ He (pbuh) replied; ‘No, as long as they prayed.’” In another narration by Muslim,

“Whoever hated He would be absolved (of sin) and whoever disapproved He would be safe, but whoever consented and followed (he would be not).” This narration explains the first narration. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has ordered showing the disapproval toward the ruler and has made this obligatory by any possible means on condition that it is without fighting, i.e.without the use of the sword unless He showed open kufr by the tongue by saying something, or by the heart if one were not able to use the hand or tongue. He (pbuh) considered the one who does not disown the wrong deed as being an accomplice to the ruler in the sin, for He said if anyone approved of their bad deeds and imitated them He would be doomed and would not escape the blame and the sin. The evidences concerning the enjoining of Ma’ruf and the forbidding of Munkar are also evidences for holding the ruler accountable, for they are general evidences that include the ruler as well as others. Allah (swt) has commanded decisively the enjoining of Ma’ruf and the forbidding of Munkar. He (pbuh) says;

“And let there arise from amongst you a band of people inviting to all that is good (Khayr), enjoying what is right (Ma’ruf) and forbidding what is wrong (Munkar).” [TMQ Al-Imran: 104] He (swt) also says;

“You are the best of peoples, brought out for mankind enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 110] Allah (swt) says;

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who they find mentioned in their own scriptures, in the Taurat and Gospel, where He commands them with the right and forbid them of the wrong.” [TMQ Al-Araf: 157] And He (swt) says;

“Those who turn themselves to Allah in repentance, worship Him, praise Him, wander in devotion to the cause of Allah, they bow and prostrate, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and observe the limits put by Allah, so proclaim the glad tidings to the believers.” [TMQ At-Tauba: 112] And He (swt) says;

“There are those who if we establish them in the land, establish regular prayers (the Salah) and give the Zakat, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong.” [TMQ Al-Hajj: 41] In all these verses, Allah (swt) commands the enjoining of Ma’ruf (the right) and the forbidding of Munkar (the wrong). The command is combined with further indicators that confirm that the command is decisive, namely the praise, for He (swt) says;

“And those are the succesful ones.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 104] He (swt) says;

“You were the best nation.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 110] In another verse He (swt) says;

“And give glad tidings to the believers.” [TMQ At-Tauba: 112]

These all serve, as evidences that the command is decisive, which means that it are an obligation. Holding the ruler accountable is in fact enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar, thus it is an obligation.

In addition, there are many Ahadith that indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar. Huzayfah Ibnul Yaman reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said;

“By Whom in Whose hand is my soul, you shall enjoin Ma’ruf and you shall forbid Munkar, or Allah may send His punishment upon you, then you will supplicate to Him and He will not answer your prayers.” [Narrated by Ahmed and al-Tirmithi] Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said;

“Whoever of you sees a Munkar should change it with his hand, and if He was unable then with his tongue, and if He was unable then He should abhor it by his heart and that is the weakest of Iman (belief).” [Narrated by Muslim] Ahmed narrated from Uday ibn Uday ibn Umairah Al-Kindi, who said; “I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:

‘Verily Allah would not punish the common people because of the deeds of some specific people unless they witness the Munkar among them while they are able to deny it but do not do so. If they did this Allah would then punish both the common people and the specific people.’”

All of these Ahadith indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar. They indicate the obligation of enjoining Ma’ruf towards the ruler and forbidding his Munkar. Without doubt, this means holding Him accountable for his actions. Furthermore, there are Ahadith which specifically relate to the ruler, confirming the obligation of holding Him accountable, thus stressing the importance of enjoining Ma’ruf towards the ruler and forbidding his Munkar. Ahmed narrated from Abi Sa’id, who said;

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said; ‘The best of Jihad is a word of truth before the tyrant ruler.’” Abu ‘Amama reported: “‘A man came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) when He was about to throw the first Jamra (pebble), so He said; ‘O Messenger of Allah, which is the best Jihad?’ He  kept silent. When He (pbuh) threw the second Jamra, the man asked Him again. And again He (pbuh) did not answer. When He (pbuh) threw the Jamrat-ul-Aqaba - known also as Al Jamra Al Kubra - (the great Jamra), and put his foot in the stirrup to ride He said; ‘Where is the person who asked?’ The man said; ‘It is me O Messenger of Allah.’ He (pbuh) said; ‘A word of truth said before a tyrant ruler.’” [Narrated by Ibnu Majah and Ahmed] This is an explicit text about the ruler and about the obligation of saying the truth to his face. This includes holding the rulers accountable, struggling against those who withhold the citizens’ rights, neglect their duties towards their subjects, or ignore some of their affairs. It is a duty, for it is Allah’s command and is considered to be like the best of Jihad. It is as if He (pbuh) says; The best Jihad in the sight of Allah is to struggle against the tyrant rulers. This evidence alone is sufficient to prove the obligation of holding the rulers accountable. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has exhorted the struggle against the tyrant rulers, no matter how great the trials, even if it leads to the loss of life. It has been reported by Al-Hakim from Jabir from the Prophet (pbuh):

“The master of martyrs is Hamza, and a man who stood up to a tyrant ruler to advice Him and got killed.” This is of the most eloquent phrases in voicing the truth and exhorting the endurance of trials and harm which could even mean death, in the bid to hold the tyrant rulers accountable and struggle against them.