By Ishola Balogun

All ultimate authority rests in Allah. The prophets of Allah undoubtedly derive their authority from Allah and without any sharp division between sacred and secular affairs, government and those who are charged with authority and decision making are the next in the process as far as the larger institution is concerned.

Obedience to constituted authority cannot be overemphasised in Islam, for it ramifies the basis for orderliness and peaceful co-existence in the society as well as project self righteousness and obedience to Allah.  If you don’t obey Allah and the prophets, then, there is no basis for achieving righteousness in the first place.  Obedience to Allah translates into righteousness.  Now, obedience to constituted authority is one important part of our lives if we must achieve the divine ordained peace.

Those who are charged with responsibility, authority and bestowed the power of decision making are those who we must obey. Let me say at this juncture that the obedience excludes matters of personal relationship with Allah.  The states having recognised this fact, also gives room for freedom of religion and expression of faith.

But the workings of the society and peaceful co-existence largely depends on the leaders or those in authority to make good decisions and dispense authority that are fair, just and progressive on the one hand and the readiness of the followers to obey at all times.   That is why Islam expects Muslims to respect the authority of governments for peace, orderliness and development to reign.

Allah says: “O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those charged with authority among you.  If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best, and most suitable for final determination.” Qur’an 4: vrs 59.

This verse is straightforward, as in numerous other verses, the command is to obey God and obey the messenger. Obeying God and the messenger is one and the same thing since the messenger’s sole duty is to deliver God’s message (5:92), hence we do not need to elaborate on this issue here.

Suffice to say obedience to God is well attained by complying with the matters He ordered and avoiding the matters He forbade. The Prophet (s.a.w) is the most familiar with the essentialities of matters to be pursued and those neglected. Practically, obedience to the Prophet is obedience to God and defiance to the Prophet is defiance to God. This fact is repeated nine times in the Holy Quran.

This leaves us with the task of understanding the words “those with authority among you”.
This however covers a wide variety of people.  From parents, to employers and the rulers, the courts, the police governments and its agencies etc.

Now, disobedience to constituted authority brings anarchy and chaotic environment which translate to absence of peace.  Most of the insurgencies we have witnessed as a nation even if we rationalise them as a result of failure of government in carrying out its own part of responsibilities to the people; are as a result   some group of people taking laws into their hands.

As muslims, we have been warned against act of disobedience and we have a duty to be peaceful.  Islamic approach to peace and conflict resolution includes the obedience to constituted authority with a robust way to conflict resolution, one which accentuates an absence of war, a presence of justice,  peace and development of the society.

This is what Islam as a way of life is all about. Unfortunately, the various uprisings the parts of the country and the recent insurgence of the Boko Haram which is un-Islamic have given a bad name to Muslims. In spite of comments by religious leaders coming out to condemn the act and disassociating from Islam, some wicked souls who are bent on exterminating Islam and extending the frontiers of their faith thought they have found an alibi to do that.

We have heard different overtones on Islam as being synonymous with terrorism, many have interpreted peace primarily as ‘kill them all’, some would say they use violence to preach Islam or employing coercive power or force to compel other people to Islam; but a sound Muslim should not be deterred by all these balderdash, once you know your faith, and you know the Creator whom you’re serving by keeping to his ordinances, what the non-Muslims say about you or your faith should not move you. In fact the best answer to a fool is silent.  No matter what they do, Islam will continue to thrive.  It is a divine promise and Allah that has guided Islam from its day of beginning to this day will forever protect the faith till the day of reckoning.

Without much digression, Islam is an interesting way of life which offers solution to all human problems without going against the ordinances of God.  However, Obedience to constituted authority does not preclude nonviolent solidarity movement against oppression, the promotion of dialogue, and mobilisation for nonviolent action.

In the verse above, Allah states “….If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best…”, it clearly does not say you should go to war, rather, it encourages supplication in such matters by referring it to HIM. If disobedience to the prophet is disobedience to God, we may run the risk of indirectly disobeying God if we transgress the bounds of law by disobeying our various constituted authorities.