Part 15
Khyber Jalal
15. Moderation in the Exercise of Authority and Responsibility
Power, authority and responsibility are among the great blessings that Allah (SWT) grants to some of His servants, but from the Islamic perspective, power is a trust and a responsibility before it is a privilege. Everyone who holds authority and discretion at any level of society is answerable to Allah (SWT) and to His servants, and on the Day of Judgment will be asked how they used their power. From its very beginning, Islam moved the concept of power away from a despotic and self-centered outlook and defined it within the framework of justice, service and responsibility.
For this reason, rulers, judges, scholars, chiefs, commanders, managers, teachers, parents and heads of families, and everyone who carries any responsibility are bound to use their authority to secure the people’s interests and to uphold justice. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran:
إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ.
(Surah An-Nisa: 58)
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice.”
This blessed verse states one of the important principles of Islam concerning responsibility and management, because power is legitimate and valuable only when it goes together with justice and trustworthiness.
On the other hand, Islam has strongly opposed every kind of abuse of power, oppression, discrimination, ethnic favoritism, despotism and arbitrary rule. History shows that societies have faced crises, discontent and collapse when their rulers strayed from the path of justice and made power a means of considering themselves superior and securing their personal interests.
The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) said:
كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ
(Bukhari and Muslim)
“Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.”
This Hadith shows that responsibility does not belong to rulers and those in power alone. Every human being will be questioned within the limits of their own responsibility.
At the same time, Islam does not accept weakness, indifference and negligence in carrying out responsibilities. Unfortunately, today some people, under the pretext of gentleness and leniency, avoid upholding justice and carrying out their duties, and this too is counted as a kind of deviation from moderation. Just as harshness and despotism are bad deeds, weakness and incompetence are harmful too.
Islamic moderation requires those in authority to be firm in carrying out their duties, but this firmness must go together with justice, mercy, wisdom and respect for the people’s rights. It must be neither so harsh that it causes oppression and hatred, nor so indifferent that people’s rights are lost and the order of society is harmed.
Likewise, one of the signs of moderation in the use of power is that consultation takes place with scholars, experienced people and those with sound judgment. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran, describing the believers:
وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ
(Surah Ash-Shura: 38)
“…and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves.”
Consultation guards against self-will and despotism, and creates the conditions for sounder and fairer decisions. For this reason, Islam regards power as a divine trust that must be used in serving the people, establishing justice, protecting the rights of individuals and securing the interests of society, and never as a means of domination and superiority. Whenever officials observe this principle, society will move toward security, stability and progress, and whenever they move away from it, conditions will be created for oppression, corruption and injustice.
