Shaykh ul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said ^[1]

Shaykh ul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah has explained exactly what the Sunnah has come with, which is obedience in only that which is good to those sinful, tyrannical kings who do not judge by the Book and the Sunnah, and who oppress their subjects and confiscate wealth. The Khawārij revile this and call it Irjāʾ and call those who call to this Sunnah as Murjiʾah. However, Ahl al-Sunnah condition this obedience to only what is obedience to Allāh without making this obedience to be absolute, in all affairs.

Had the ignoramuses not had this evil suspicion towards the Sunnah, they would have realised that it is indeed the truth and what contains betterment and good for the Muslims, since having patience under this situation is better then living in chaos, bewilderment and fear when civil strife occurs with widespread bloodshed and the roads cut off. But the Khawārij are an ignorant and foolish people whose fear of Allāh is built upon ignorance and not knowledge, and who lack fiqh in the religion as the Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah have commented about them.

Likewise, making Jihād against the Khawārij, by pen, tongue and sword (when they come out in revolt, and when there is ability), even if they be the most pious, engrossed in worship, remembrance, the night prayer, and speak with the best speech of creation, and claim that the Qurʾān supports them, and other such affairs since the Khawārij cause destruction to the worldly and religious affairs. The Khawārij revile this and call it khurūj against the Callers (meaning, their figureheads who propound these ideological doctrines), and this is a revilement of the Sunnah.

Notes:

1. There are to be found among the people of desires and innovations who opressively label Ahl al-Sunnah, the followers of the Salafī way, “bootlickers” due to their ignorance of the reality of what the Sharīʿah came with, which has been explained above by Shaykh al-Islām.

2. They accuse those Salafīs who affirm and believe in this judgement of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) — which is leniency towards the sinners of Ahl al-Sunnah and patience upon tyranny of rulers alongside severity and harshness upon the people of innovation, despite their apparent piety — of being bootlickers and stooges of governments.

3. The Salafīs are exonerated from this evil slanders by both legislative and creational decree. As for the legislative decree, then it is the judgement of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) as has preceded. And as for creational decree, then sufficient as examples is what has happened in Irāq, Libya and Syria (the leaders of whom had takfīr made of them due to their beliefs and statements) when the people did not show patience. Due to instigations, intrigues and plots from the people of disbelief they fell into the snare of protests, demonstration and the likes which subsequently led, and inevitably so, to the tremendous evil that it led to of the destruction of the servant and the land. There was no benefit in this for Muslims, only ruin and destruction.

4. It is these ends, outcomes and realities that Salafīs are cognisant of when they say what they say and hold what they hold in this particular matter of the rulers.

5. As for those who accuse the Salafīs of being “bootlickers”, they should no be seen except as mental retards, as mere children in their understanding and sophistication, as those who desire to revile the Sunnah, but instead revile those who hold on to it and abide by it. The Salafīs dislike sin, disobedience and tyranny, detesting it in their hearts, but they do not let their emotions get the better of them. Rather, their desires and feelings are reined in by the Sunnah, in which there is intellect and wisdom.

6. On the basis of the verse, Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) explained that such people can not have faith until they submit to the judgment of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in this particular matter.

Footnotes