#1073: Is It True That Allah Appoints To Lead A People Someone Like Them?
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakaatuh sirs. Pls I need the authenticity of this saying. “Allah would select a leader of people based on their behaviors” pls help me verify the statement.
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuh.
Alhamdulillah.
The statement to which you refer is the Hadith that was recorded by Ad-Daylami in Musnad Al-Firdaws from Abi Bakrah and Al-Bayhaqi:
كما تكونوا يولى عليكم
“Just as you are, leaders shall be upon you”
Know, may Allah bless you and your family, that this Hadith has been referred to as Weak by the Ulamaa of Hadith.
Of those who refer to it as Weak is the Muhaddith Imaam Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalaani rahimahullah. The reason for this weakness is that in the Narration of Ad-Daylami, its Isnaad is Yahya bn Haashim who is known to be a liar that fabricates Hadith. And in the Riwaayah of others, in the Asaanid are very weak Narrators of Hadith. Ibn Hajar mentioned this in Al-Kaafi Ash-Shaafi.
It is therefore not a sound attribution to the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam. But it is surely attributed correctly to some Fuqahaa and Ulamaa in our past. And it is a matter that has become evident in the affairs of people that some times Allah punishes a people based on their deeds and you see a reflection of the society and the kind of people they are in the people that become their leaders. However, in this Era of ours, there has arisen a band of people that misguide the Ummah by calling them to be callous and complacent in the face of bad and evil leaders using this statement to confuse them. They have forgotten that there are other rules and Precepts that subject on the same matter such as the statement:
الناس على دين ملوكهم
“The People emulate the Way of Life of their Kings (Leaders) ”
Imam Abu Mansur Ath-Tha’aalabi rahimahullah (passed 429 AH) in his book Lataa’ifu Al-Ma’aarif referred to examples in our history when the people reflected the way of life, likes and dislikes of their Leaders in accordance with the way they change.
It follows therefore that though these statements are true, they have little or no bearing on the commands of Allah with respect to Commanding that which is right and Forbidding that which is wrong.
And Allah knows best.
Barakallahu fikum
