FORTY CHAPTERS ON LEADERSHIP Commentary

FORTY
CHAPTERS ON LEADERSHIP COMMENTARY

This
is
‘Abdullah ash-Shaybani’s commentary on Abī Ḥafṣ al-Ḥanbalī’s
short
but valuable treatise contain ing
sixty-eight Aḥādīth,
arranged
throughout forty chapters, addressing the topic of leadership.
Although the intended audience of this work are the Mujāhidīn ,
the narrations within it remain relevant to the wider Ummah ,
as indeed the Prophet ﷺ
stated :

أَلاَ
كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ
عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، فَالإِمَامُ الَّذِي
عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ
عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ

“ Indeed
every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his flock: The
ruler of a people is a guardian and will be questioned regarding
those he is responsible for .”

The
original
work
was
compiled in such as fashion, as were many of the classical Islamic
works, to facilitate easy memorization
of its text, and to provide the reader with the understanding of the
author merely by glancing at the chapter headings. The Aḥādīth
and
narrations that follow then provide the necessary evidence from the
words of the Prophet ﷺ
and
his noble Companions – may
Allah be pleased with them all. Additional Quranic verses, authentic
narrations,
statements of the classical
scholars,
and the commentator’s own words, have been added to further clarify
and elaborate on the concepts contained within the author’s chapter
headings. These serve, in a general manner, to
help
readers to practically implement the knowledge and conc