Islam > Hadiths > Jurisprudence and juristic principles > O ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah, do not ask for a position of authority, for if you were grant…
Authentic hadithUpdated on 24 September 2026 at 12:34 AM
📖 1 min readعن عَبْد الرَّحْمَنِ بْن سَمُرَةَ رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال له: «يا عبد الرحمن بن سَمُرَة، لا تَسْأَلِ الإِمَارَةَ؛ فإنك إن أُعْطِيتَها عن مَسْأَلَةٍ وُكِلْتَ إليها، وإن أُعْطِيتَهَا عن غير مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عليها، وإذا حَلَفْتَ على يمينٍ فرأيتَ غيرها خيرًا منها، فَكَفِّرْ عن يمينك، وَأْتِ الذي هو خير».
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade Muslims from seeking authority because whoever is granted authority based on his request will be let down and left to his desire for this world, which he prefers to the Hereafter. On the other hand, whoever is granted authority without seeking or asking for it, Allah shall grant him support to fulfill his duties. Moreover, making an oath should not prevent goodness. So, if the one who made an oath realized that goodness lies in something different from his oath, he should discard that oath through expiation and go for the better alternative.
Categories : Jurisprudence of Transactions · Oaths and Vows · Shariah-approved Politics · Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles · Da‘wah and Hisbah