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Allaah says: ?O you who believe!  Avoid much suspicion.  Verily, some (forms of) suspicion is sinful.? [Surah Al-Hujuraat: 12] In the two Saheeh collections (of Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim), Abu Hurairah RAA reported that Allaah?s Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam said: ?Beware of suspicion, for indeed suspicion is the most false type of speech.? Indeed, holding bad thoughts for the Muslim leaders in their administrative actions and the decisions that they make is truly a door of evil, which leads the one who engages in it to fall into matters forbidden in the Religion.  And its harm spreads to the general masses of people. So when the door to holding bad thoughts about the actions enforced by the Muslim leaders is opened and each person begins to express his thoughts about these actions, the people fall into the suspicion that is condemned in the Religion.  And each person is brought into the talk of that which doesn?t concern him and liking the he said/she said (gossip) which is forbidden in the Religion.  And those who have no say in matters nor bear any position of responsibility (with respect to leadership) will begin to voice themselves.  All of this has a harmful effect upon the people collectively, for it is one of the ways of the Devil in causing catastrophes and warranting rebellion against the leaders. And whatever leads to an evil consequence must be prevented even if it is something that is allowed (mubaah).  So how much more so when the thing that leads to it is forbidden (in itself) and when the thing being led to is the source of evil? Shaikh Muhammad Ibn ?Abdil-Lateef and Shaikh ?Abdullaah Ibn ?Abdil-?Azeez Al-?Anqaree said in a letter written[1] by them to the people during time of the fitnah of the Ikhwaan against the king ?Abdul ?Azeez, may Allaah have mercy on him: ?From the things that the Devil causes to enter into some of the practicing Muslims is: Accusing the Muslim scholars of flattering and kissing up (to the leaders), suspicious thoughts (about them), and not taking (knowledge) from them.  This is all a cause for one?s prevention from beneficial knowledge. Another thing that the Devil enters into them is:  Holding bad thoughts for the leader and failing to obey him.  Indeed, this is from the greatest types of sins and it is from the ways of the people of Jaahiliyyah, those who did not hold hearing and obeying (the leader) as being part of the Religion.  Rather, each of one of them followed his own opinion. The evidences from the Book and the Sunnah clearly demonstrate the obligation of hearing and obeying the (Muslim) leader in times of hardship and times of ease and in things that one likes and things that one hates.  This is such that he sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam said: ?Hear and obey (the leader), even if he takes your money and whips your back.? So it is forbidden to disobey him and oppose him in his authority, in his relations, in his agreements and in his treaties, for he is a representative of the Muslims and looking out for what is in their best interests.  And his looking out for them is better than their looking out for their own selves.  This is since through his leadership, the order of the Religion remains established and the unity of the Muslims remains in tact. And this is especially the case since Allaah has blessed you with a leader whose authority is that of religious authority.[2]  And he has guided the masses of his subjects from the Muslims, especially the practicing ones amongst them, by being kind to them and building masjids for them and sending out callers (du?aat) to them and overlooking their errors and acts of ignorance. And this existing in the last portion of these times is from the greatest bounties that Allaah has bestowed to the people of this (Arab) peninsula. So it is an obligation upon them to be thankful for this bounty and to consider it.  And they should support him and be loyal to him inwardly and outwardly.  So it is not permissible for anyone to betray him, nor to carry out some matter except with his permission. And whoever betrays him with treason then he has strove to sow the seeds of dissension amongst the Muslims against him, and he has split away from the Jamaa?ah (main body of Muslims).  The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam said: ?Whoever disobeys the Ameer (leader) has disobeyed me.  And whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allaah.? What is intended by the word Ameer in this hadeeth is the person whom Allaah has given authority over the affairs of the Muslims, and he is the great Imaam.? Footnotes: [1] Ad-Durur As-Saniyyah fee Al-Ajwibah An-Najdiyyah (9/127, 133, 135) [2] He is referring to the rule of the king (of Saudi Arabia) ?Abdul-?Azeez Ibn ?Abdir-Rahmaan, may Allaah have mercy on him.