Re: Obeying tyrants as a religious duty
Peace Das Reich
I know the reason why you have asked this question. Apologies I have not come often over the past few weeks and hence have missed this thread.
Brother USResident has been a breath of fresh air I must say ...
Yes the reason for the statement is based on Sunni matters of fiqh ... and the justification of it is quite simple ...
1) We do not accept tyrranical rule per se - i.e. impositions which breach our freedom to choose good or bad in private
2) However, we must be foremost unified and that cannot happen if we are attacking our leaders. (Remember all the wars of the past and why nations crumble ... divide and conquer)
3) We must change society gradually so we can influence the type of representative we have on top.
4) If our leader tells us to fight and makes it a law to do so, then we should do this, or else the consequences become far worse, e.g. those who don't fight will be killed and factions will develop and the outside influences will try to pick out weaknesses.
It is true that in a leaders zeal to enforce a dictate of Islam he may end up compromising another aspect of Islam. However, sometimes Islam may not be compromised but the people are not ready for the heavy handed intolerance of the ruling elite in which case it become tyrranical on them.
Let's say that a Muslim leader is appointed in a nation who wants to ban drug use and puts up a law where those associated with drugs are killed for it. This may seem to be tyrranical in some societies but in others it is not. To enforce the most stringent ruling over a people who say need rehabilitation then the dictate becomes tyrranical although for Islam to be upheld in a puritanical way it is not technically wrong to do this.
Anyway, the condition is clear we should not be rebellious to authority as Muslims we should submit our desires to their duties and disobedience to a ruler, parents or Allah (SWT) is a crime. It is better to make your ruler understand your needs and leave the country if he doesn't want it.