This is How a Scholar Should Be in the Face of Tyrannical and Power-Greedy Leaders

In the 8th century Hijri, Tajuddin Abdul Wahhab bin Ali as-Subki, a jurist under the Mamluk military rule, exemplified the courage required to confront unjust and power-hungry rulers.

As-Subki boldly asserted that public wealth belonged to the people, not the rulers, who were merely representatives. He maintained that a scholar's duty was to stand against tyranny. His unwavering stance cost him dearly, resulting in his dismissal from office, imprisonment, and relentless pursuit. Despite these hardships, he bequeathed a profound intellectual legacy concerning the critique of power and the ethics of governance.

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History has been filled with stories of people who gave thousands to poets, thousands to mamluks, and thousands for entertainment. All of that ultimately became a disaster for its perpetrator.

In his seminal work, Mui'd al-Ni’am wa Mubid as-Saqam, As-Subki highlighted what he perceived as the "crimes" of contemporary and past sultans, particularly concerning the mismanagement and squandering of state funds. He condemned the practice of bestowing vast riches upon sycophants and poets while the majority of Muslims endured poverty and hardship.

As-Subki cited historical examples of rulers who lavished wealth on poets and entertainers, warning that such actions ultimately led to ruin. He drew a stark contrast with the financial stewardship of Umar bin Khattab, the second caliph, who lived with minimal possessions and even refused to allocate state funds for poetry recitals. As-Subki directly criticized the sultans of his era, urging them to return to righteous governance or at least curb their excesses, acknowledging that his contemporaries might not reach the high standards set by earlier figures.

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This is the way of life of the owners of truth and religion. We do not demand the people of our time to reach this position, because they will not be able to achieve it. However, we remind them of it, so that they may return to the right path or at least reduce what they have been doing.