[Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem]
Unless issues are first placed in the right perspective, not much would be achieved from these rejoinders requested by our brother, AMS; so I start by asking: What ought to be the prime focus of reformers in any human society?
Across history, many reformers have aimed primarily at the seizure of political power as the fastest way of improving human conditions in their societies and to achieve this, the faults of rulers are first spread, magnified and echoed to agitate the people against them. Not so the prophets of Allah whose focus and prime concern has always been to first call all, leaders and followers alike, to pure Tawheed (pure and sincere devotion in the worship of Allah alone); but why?
The first approach is the product of human intellect, but the prophets follow revelation which states that nothing invites the wrath of Allah upon any society like devoting worship to other than Him (Shirk) in any form. They also know that bad leaders don't emerge in isolation but from their societies and often as a product of their failings. Evil societies are wont to be punished when Allah is displeased with them by the emergence of evil leaders over them. Bad leaders are like whips in the hand of Allah for a bad people. The Qur,aan says:
(وَإِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا الْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَاهَا تَدْمِيرًا)
((And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who are given the good things of this life. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it)) [Surat Al-Isra' 16].
(وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ)
((And thus We do make the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.) Auliya' (supporters and helpers) one to another (in committing crimes etc.), because of that which they used earn)) [Surat Al-An'am 129].
To change Muslim socities positively therefore, it was not the way of our predecessors to focus first on pulling down Muslim leaders by magnifying their faults in the eyes of the people, or even worse, blaming all the woes of the Ummah on them alone when the followers themselves are far, far away from being good Muslims within the capacity given them by Allah.
What then should be our attitude to evil rulers? We will discuss texts related to that soon inshaAllah as part of the prelude.
