Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to the Questions of the Visitors to his Facebook Page "Fiqhi"
Answer to a Question
Pronouncing the Word of Truth
To: Mustafa Ali Ibrahim
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,
I have a question:
In Surah Yunus, Ayah 90:
فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ
"And Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them." (Surah Yunus [10]: 90)
And in Surah Taha, Ayah 78:
فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ
"Then Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers." (Surah Taha [20]: 78)
Does this mean that the ruler's command and the ruler's action are one and the same, such that we can say that standing against his orders is like standing against his actions? Meaning, is speaking a word of truth before his police or his aides the same as saying it before him, according to the Hadith:
أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ
"The best Jihad is a word of truth before a tyrant ruler."
Thank you. You have the right to edit the wording of the question. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh,
First: Regarding the two verses mentioned in the question, which are the words of Allah (swt) in Surah Yunus, Ayah 90:
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْياً وَعَدْواً
"And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity." (Surah Yunus [10]: 90)
And the words of Allah (swt) in Surah Taha, Ayah 78:
فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُمْ مِنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ
"Then Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, and there covered them from the sea that which covered them." (Surah Taha [20]: 78)
It seems you are pointing to the difference in meaning derived from the use of the letter Waw (and) and the letter Ba (with) in the terms regarding "his soldiers." In the first verse, He (swt) says: "Pharaoh and his soldiers" (فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ), while in the second verse, He (swt) says: "Pharaoh with his soldiers" (فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ). The meaning of "pursued them" (atba’ahum) is that he followed them and caught up with them, according to what is mentioned in the books of Tafsir.
The first verse (فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ) is understood linguistically to mean that Pharaoh was among those who pursued them. That is, Pharaoh (may Allah curse him) participated in the pursuit of Musa (as) and the Children of Israel; he was among those who followed and caught up with them. This is because the Waw in the phrase (وَجُنُودُهُ) here indicates participation (al-musharaka), i.e., the participation of Pharaoh and his soldiers in the pursuit of the Children of Israel.
As for the second verse (فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ), it can be understood linguistically that Pharaoh participated with his soldiers and accompanied them in the pursuit. However, it can also be understood linguistically that Pharaoh did not participate with his soldiers and did not go out with them, but rather only sought their assistance in the pursuit. This is because the Ba in the language can imply accompaniment (al-musahaba) or seeking assistance (al-isti’ana). Thus, the word (بِجُنُودِهِ) in the verse could linguistically carry the meaning of accompaniment, meaning Pharaoh was an associate of his soldiers in the pursuit, or it could carry the meaning of seeking assistance. Meaning, he could have been with them, or he could have used his soldiers to pursue them without participating himself, i.e., those who pursued them were Pharaoh’s soldiers without Pharaoh himself.
Determining one of the two meanings (accompaniment or seeking assistance) becomes clear by combining the two verses:
The first verse has only one linguistic meaning: that Pharaoh (may Allah curse him) participated with them, i.e., accompanied them in the pursuit of Musa (as). The second verse linguistically allows for accompaniment—that he accompanied them—and also allows for seeking assistance—that he used his soldiers to pursue Musa (as) without Pharaoh (may Allah curse him) accompanying them. Since the meanings of the two verses do not contradict, the meaning derived from combining them is that Pharaoh was with his army in the pursuit of Musa (as). Thus, the Ba in "with his soldiers" (بِجُنُودِهِ) here carries the meaning of accompaniment. This is regarding the meaning of the two verses.
Second: As for the noble Hadith mentioned in the question, it was narrated by At-Tirmidhi in his Sunan from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that the Prophet (saw) said:
إِنَّ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةَ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ
"Indeed, among the greatest Jihad is a word of justice before a tyrant ruler."
Abu Isa (At-Tirmidhi) said: In this chapter, there is also a narration from Abu Umamah, and this is a Hasan Gharib Hadith from this chain. It also appears in Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir by At-Tabarani from Abu Umamah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
أَحَبُّ الْجِهَادِ إِلَى اللهِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ تُقَالُ لإِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ
"The most beloved Jihad to Allah is a word of truth spoken to a tyrant Imam."
In another narration by At-Tabarani from Abu Umamah, a man asked at the Jamrah: "O Messenger of Allah, which Jihad is best?" He (saw) said:
أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ
"The best Jihad is a word of truth before a tyrant ruler."
In the book ’Awn al-Ma’bud (an explanation of Sunan Abi Dawud), it says regarding this Hadith:
"(The best Jihad): Meaning among the best, based on the narration of At-Tirmidhi 'Indeed, among the greatest Jihad'. In a narration by Ibn Majah, 'a word of truth'. What is meant by 'word' is what provides an enjoining of good or a forbidding of evil, whether by speech or what is in its meaning, such as writing and the like."
"(Before a tyrant Sultan): Meaning an oppressor. It became the best Jihad because the one who fights the enemy oscillates between hope and fear, not knowing if he will prevail or be defeated, while the associate of the Sultan is overpowered in his hand. If he speaks the truth and enjoins him with good, he has exposed himself to destruction and aimed himself toward death. Thus, it became the best type of Jihad because of the dominance of fear. This was stated by Al-Khattabi and others."
"(Or a tyrant Emir): It appears this is a doubt from the narrator."
From this noble Hadith, it is understood that the best Jihad is saying the word of truth in front of the tyrant Sultan, not in front of his followers. What is meant by the tyrant Sultan is the tyrant Emir, whether he is a president, a king, a prime minister, or a governor. He must be a person of authority (sultan) and a person of leadership (imara) of rule, for this superiority in speaking the truth before him to apply.
However, this does not mean there is no virtue in speaking the word of truth before the followers of the oppressive ruler. Proclaiming the word of truth always contains goodness and virtue. But the specific superiority mentioned by the Prophet (saw) in this Hadith is a superiority related to the possessor of authority, i.e., the ruler himself. This is due to the importance of speaking the word of truth before him and the risk, courage, and strength involved, as mentioned by some commentators of the Hadith:
"...Al-Khattabi said: It only became the best Jihad because the one who fights the enemy oscillates between hope and fear, not knowing if he will prevail or be defeated. The associate of the Sultan is overpowered in his hand; so if he speaks the truth and enjoins him with good, he has exposed himself to destruction and aimed himself toward death. Thus, it became the best type of Jihad because of the dominance of fear. Al-Mazhar said: It was the best because the oppression of the Sultan spreads to everyone under his administration, and they are a massive multitude. If he forbids him from oppression, he has brought benefit to a great many creatures, unlike the killing of a disbeliever..."
Therefore, the entire discussion is about the possessor of the tyrant authority himself, not about his followers, aides, or soldiers.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
17 Rajab 1445 AH Corresponding to 29/01/2024 CE
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