Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

O Prophet of Allah, what if we are governed by rulers who seek their rights from us and deny us our rights, what do you command us to do? He turned away from him. Then he asked him, and he turned away from him. Then he asked him for the second or third time, so Al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays pulled him, and he said: "Listen and obey, for they are only responsible for their duty, and you are responsible for your duty."

One day, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave us an eloquent admonition that caused hearts to become afraid and eyes to shed tears. Someone then said: O Messenger of Allah, this is the admonition of someone who will soon part; so, advise us. He said: "I advise you to fear Allah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave. You will see after me great discord. So, hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs. Bite onto it with the molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters (in religion), for every newly invented matter is misguidance."

"I advise you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey even if a slave is appointed as your leader. Whosoever among you shall live after me will see much discord. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and cling to them firmly. Beware of new things (in religion) because every religious innovation is a misguidance."

"Religion is sincerity." We said: "To whom?" He said: "To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the Muslim leaders and their common folk."

"There will be rulers who tell lies and oppress; whoever believes their lies and assists them in their oppression does not belong to me, and I do not belong to him, and he will not come to the Hawd (Basin). But whoever does not believe their lies and does not assist them in their oppression belongs to me, and I belong to him, and he will come to the Hawd."