Is It Haram to Overthrow a Corrupt Ruler?
Question:
Assalamualykum,
Is it haram to overthrow a ruler who violates the rights of his people? I have read a few articles online that state that it is haram, but why would a group of people have to tolerate mistreatment. Why can't they fight back. This doesn't seem to be fair. Also a corrupt ruler can use this ruling against his people to stay in power and even commit more injustices against his people.
Is it haram to reject a rulers authority under theses circumstances?
Answer:
Assalamu Alaykum,
I fully sympathise with what you have written. Not only the oppressing governments misuse the narrations that are advising against rebellion, it is not unlikely that some of these narrations themselves are the product of such governments in the earlier history of Islam.
We need to have a rational view on this and to understand the narrations that are against rebellion rationally:
In general, a corrupted but united state is much better than anarchy. While in a corrupted state there can be unfair rules or unfair treatments of some citizens, the anarchy system does not have any rules and fairness is not even relevant to such system.
Any healthy society is looking to appoint a unified system of government in order to survive and prosper. The verse of the Qur’an (4:59) that advises to follow those in charge is due to this very common sense rule, so are the narrations ascribed to the prophet (pbuh) that advise against rebellion.
There however seems to be a degree of exaggeration about this where this common sense instruction is taken out of the proportion. I do not see the above verse or relevant hadiths to imply that rising against corrupted government is haram.
The point however that needs consideration is whether there are enough potentials and appropriate conditions that such rise results in a better government and not a worse one or anarchy. A quick look at the history of countries, including what is going on just now in some Muslim countries, show that in many cases (if not most) rising against a corrupted government has resulted in either a worse condition or anarchy.
In worse case scenarios the rebellious groups have ended up becoming another problem for ordinary citizens and have been involved in killing innocent people. This, we should pay attention, amounts to fesad fi al-ardh (creating anarchy in the land) and based on 5:33 deserves sever punishment by the state of Muslims.
Most of the democratic systems that are firmly established at our time are the result of gradual correction of a corrupted system using civil tools rather than a one off aggressive rebellion.
--------
Farhad Shafti
July 2014
Assalamualykum,
Is it haram to overthrow a ruler who violates the rights of his people? I have read a few articles online that state that it is haram, but why would a group of people have to tolerate mistreatment. Why can't they fight back. This doesn't seem to be fair. Also a corrupt ruler can use this ruling against his people to stay in power and even commit more injustices against his people.
Is it haram to reject a rulers authority under theses circumstances?
Answer:
Assalamu Alaykum,
I fully sympathise with what you have written. Not only the oppressing governments misuse the narrations that are advising against rebellion, it is not unlikely that some of these narrations themselves are the product of such governments in the earlier history of Islam.
We need to have a rational view on this and to understand the narrations that are against rebellion rationally:
In general, a corrupted but united state is much better than anarchy. While in a corrupted state there can be unfair rules or unfair treatments of some citizens, the anarchy system does not have any rules and fairness is not even relevant to such system.
Any healthy society is looking to appoint a unified system of government in order to survive and prosper. The verse of the Qur’an (4:59) that advises to follow those in charge is due to this very common sense rule, so are the narrations ascribed to the prophet (pbuh) that advise against rebellion.
There however seems to be a degree of exaggeration about this where this common sense instruction is taken out of the proportion. I do not see the above verse or relevant hadiths to imply that rising against corrupted government is haram.
The point however that needs consideration is whether there are enough potentials and appropriate conditions that such rise results in a better government and not a worse one or anarchy. A quick look at the history of countries, including what is going on just now in some Muslim countries, show that in many cases (if not most) rising against a corrupted government has resulted in either a worse condition or anarchy.
In worse case scenarios the rebellious groups have ended up becoming another problem for ordinary citizens and have been involved in killing innocent people. This, we should pay attention, amounts to fesad fi al-ardh (creating anarchy in the land) and based on 5:33 deserves sever punishment by the state of Muslims.
Most of the democratic systems that are firmly established at our time are the result of gradual correction of a corrupted system using civil tools rather than a one off aggressive rebellion.
--------
Farhad Shafti
July 2014