The Essence of Obedience

Requirements of Worship Jurjani, Vol. 8, p. 376). That is, it is obligatory for Muslims to appoint a ruler over themselves. La budda lil-ummah min imamin (Sharh al-Maqasid, al-Taftazani, Vol. 5, p. 233). That is, the Muslim community must have a ruler. Al-muslimuna la budda lahum min imamin (al- ‘Aqa’id al-Nasafiyyah with commentary by alTaftazani, p. 467). That is, Muslims necessarily need a ruler. The importance of this matter is such that no book of fiqh (jurisprudence) or ‘aqa’id (creed) omits mentioning it. Aside from a now-extinct sect among the Khawarij called the “Najdat,” no one has disagreed on this point. Ibn Hazm, Abu Muhammad ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Andalusi, a well-known Muslim scholar of the 11th century, writes: Ittafaqa jami‘ ahl al-sunnah wa jami‘ al-murji’ah wa jami‘ al-shi‘ah wa jami’ al-khawarij ‘ala wujub al-imamah, hasha al-najdat mina al-khawarij (alFasl fi al-Milal by Ibn Hazm, Vol. 4, p. 72). That is, all the Sunnis, the Murji’ah, the Shi‘ah, and all the Khawarij except the Najdat, a subgroup of the Khawarij, among them agree that the institution of leadership (imamah, i.e., rulership) is obligatory.