Download PDF: [S] Leaders Hide themselves from the People (Islamic story)

Imam Raaghib Isfahani – may Allah be pleased with him – in his book “Muhaadi raatul Adibbah” narrates that once Maymun bin Mehraan was sitting in the company of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him. Suddenly, they heard noises outside. Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – then asked his door keeper to go and see who it was.

 

He was told that the person who had just arrived with this camel was the son of Hadrat Sayyiduna Bilal – may Allah be pleased with him, the world famous Mu’azzin. The door keeper was told to allow him to come inside. When this person entered, he was told to narrate to them a hadith Shareef.

 

The son of Hadrat Sayyiduna Bilal – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated, “My father had informed me and he heard these words from the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – who had declared that, ‘When a person is in charge of the affairs of people and yet, he hides himself, then on the Day of Judgement, Allah Almighty will also not appear in front of that person. (In other words, on the Day of Judgement, that person will not be able to see Allah Almighty). (At Talkheesul Khayr. Abu Daud, Tirmid Shareef, Imam Ahmed)

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – heard these words, he looked at his door keeper and said, “From today, I have no need for your services. You may return to your home.” From that day onwards, he never kept a door keeper.

 

There is no doubt that there is nothing more detrimental to a person in power than to have a door keeper or a guard. When this happens, the subjects also have immense fear in approaching the person in power. At the same time, when a person in power realises that his subject can approach him at any time, he also becomes more cautious in his duties and realises that he can be held to account at any moment. When he realises that ordinary people cannot reach him then in most cases, he becomes irresponsible and also becomes guilty of oppression and unjust behaviour.

 

The ‘Ulama say that when leaders of governments hide themselves from their subjects. There are only two reasons for this – one is because of his own personal weakness and the second is because of his miserly behaviour.