Children’s Own Page: Divine Dictators
by Muhammad Yaqub Khan
The Light (Pakistan), 1st February 1937 Issue (Vol. 16, No. 5, p. 5)
Dear Children,
We live in an age of dictators. You must have heard about the mushroom growth of dictators in many countries of the world. Russia has her Statin; Italy, her Mussolini, and their word is law unto their people. Germany has her Hitler and a law was recently enacted in that country making any criticism of his person an offence punishable with a long term of imprisonment. His word is law unto his people. According to an English saying, the king can do no wrong. That, however, is a mere platitude, so far as the king is concerned. If this adage is true of anyone, it is the modern dictator. Anyone who dares challenge the will of any of the half a dozen dictators in the various countries had better prepare himself for the gallows or the firing squad. These dictators are a great danger to the peace of mankind. Anytime the whim for war may seize any one of them and he may plunge the whole world into bloodshed and carnage. You may well ask,
“What about dictators in Islam? Were not the caliphs of the early days of Islam virtually dictators?”
The caliph in Islam was no doubt the sole head of the Muslim State and he had the entire control and direction of the State machinery into his hands. His authority was, however, based on and derived from a yet higher authority — the authority of the law of Islam. So long as he acted in conformity with the law of Islam, his authority was binding on Muslims. The moment he deviated from that law, he forfeited his right to the people’s submission to his authority.
Abu Bakr was the first caliph who succeeded the Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)]. On taking the reins of government into his hands, he delivered an address to his people in which he said:
“I am in no way superior to you. If I go wrong, put me right. If, however, I do the right thing, help me.”
Umar, the second caliph, was a more thorough-going man. He was not content with mere theoretical enunciation of his position. One day as he was addressing the congregation in the Prophet’s Mosque, he put to his audience the question:
“Muslims! What will you do if I become lax in observing the principles of Islam and incline to worldliness?”
Thereupon one man rose from amidst the congregation, and unsheathing his sword, said:
“With this shall your head go off.”
Umar, in order to test how far he was in earnest, said:
“Do you know what you say and to whom you say it?”
“Indeed I do,”
said the man undaunted.
“I mean what I say and I know whom I am addressing.”
“Thank God,”
said Umar,
“that among Muslims there are men who would even set Umar right at the point of the sword, if he were to go wrong.”
Such, dear children, were these divine dictators in Islam. They did not consider themselves a bit superior to the meanest of their people, for this fundamental equality of all men is the bedrock of Islamic teachings. These dictators were the living embodiments of this essence of the message of Islam. History records numerous events from their lives how they looked upon themselves as much of common human beings and as much subject to the law as the commonest of men in the state of Islam.
Once, it is related, a certain man had a cause for complaint against Umar. He forthwith sued the Caliph in the court of the Qazi, Zaid-bin-Thabit. The Qazi summoned the Caliph to appear before him and answer the charge against him. The Caliph came. But as he entered the court the Qazi stood up to receive him and offered his own seat to him.
“This is your first act of injustice,”
said Umar, and humbly took his seat by the side of the complainant.
Editor [Muhammad Yaqub Khan]