A Critical Analytical Study of the Concept of Obedience to Authority in the Context of Political Turmoil in Authentic Hadith Literature

Abstract

This study critically examines the concept of obedience to authority as articulated in authentic Hadith literature, particularly in the context of political turmoil, civil strife, and governance crises. Drawing upon rigorously authenticated narrations from the Ṣiḥāḥ collections, the research explores the normative framework established by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding obedience (ṭāʿah), disobedience, patience, and resistance. The study argues that prophetic guidance does not advocate unconditional or absolute obedience; rather, it establishes a morally conditioned obedience bound by adherence to divine commandments and justice. Through an analytical reading of key aḥādīth addressing rulers, rebellion, fitnah, and public order, the paper highlights the balance maintained in the Prophetic Sunnah between preserving social stability and upholding ethical accountability. Special attention is given to narrations that emphasize obedience “in what is right” (fī al-maʿrūf), the prohibition of obedience in sin, and the prioritization of preventing greater chaos and bloodshed during periods of political unrest. The study further critiques modern misappropriations of these aḥādīth by authoritarian regimes and extremist movements alike, demonstrating how selective readings distort the holistic Prophetic methodology. By situating Hadith discourse within its ethical, legal, and maqāṣid-based framework, this research contributes to contemporary debates on Islamic political thought, legitimacy of authority, and the ethics of dissent in times of political crisis.