The Ephemerality of Power : An Islamic Perspective

 Salām alaykum, 

      Power is transient, it is transitory, it is temporary. It is never permanent. Power does not belong to any mortal that will die any time. It belongs to Allah and to Him alone the Immortal, the Permanent, the Eternal. Allah bestows power on whomever He likes. He snatches it from whomever He likes (Q3:26). All powers belong to Him and Him alone (Q35:10 & 4:139). Whoever covets it should seek it from Allah. It is He alone that can grant it to anyone He likes, and allows it to remain with the individual for a specific period before it is withdrawn from him. 

 When a Muslim realises the transient nature of power, he is at peace with Allah and with himself. He does not plan to remain in power for ever. He is always conscious that it can be taken away from him at any time. He knows that he may even die before the expiration of his official term. A Muslim who knows the nature of power and accepts its reality will not have hypertension, he will not be afraid of leaving office to join the masses and live with them comfortably and peacefully because he did not distance himself from the people while in office. He was not carried away by the glamour of office. He was in office to serve Allah and humanity. He was not there to steal, embezzle, or misappropriate public funds. He as a Muslim, knows that he will render account not only to Allah but also to the people. He knows that he will be judged by the people on the basis of his selfless contributions to humanity, on how he has been able to leave the society better than he met it.

Islam teaches Muslims  never to plan to perpetuate themselves in power for ever. It is a weapon of Shaytan (Satan) that he uses in luring people to his side, and makes them to attempt to clinch to power for ever. Q20:120 makes us understand that Shaytan deceived Adam with everlasting kingdom that may be likened to having eternal tenure, which is an attribute of Allah alone. Q21:34-5 asserts that no one will live for ever, as everyone will taste death, so shall one's tenure terminate. In the Hereafter the question shall be put to those who thought that they would be in power for ever, thus : "... Whose is the power (kingdom) this Day? It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible ! " Q40:16.

 Every Muslim is expected to know that no office is permanent, just as there is no permanent secretary but temporary secretary. No permanent government, rule or empire or kingdom. Every one has its appointed time. It will never exceed it or sacked from office before the expiration of the time allotted to it by Allah (Q7:34). Previous holders of office and their offices have been destroyed by Allah (Q53:50-6). He says, inter alia, in Q3:140 "...And so are the days. We give to men by turns,..." Meaning that no one will occupy a position for ever; it must rotate among men.

 

Time there was the Sumer ( Akkadian) Empire of the 4th Millennium BC, the Babylonian Empire was in power from the  3rd Millennium but overthrown by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, the Roman Empire took the stage between  27 BC - 476 AD, the Napoleonic Empire of much of Continental Europe was there during the early 19th Century, the British Empire ruled or administered territories including the east coast of North America during the 17th and 18th centuries; it was in Asia, the Middle East and Africa after 1800.  The Ottoman Empire controlled parts of southeastern Europe, the Middle East and most of North Africa between 16th & 17th centuries. Today the United States of America has emerged the world's sole super power after the collapse and dissolution of the Soviet Union. USA, we must note,  will not remain in power for ever, just as her colonial Master, Britain. Eternal power belongs to Allah alone. 

 When a president, or a governor, or a chairman completes a term and loses to another person in an election in his bid to serve a second term, he must leave honorably. If the previous occupants did not vacate office, he would not have come in in the first instance. President Donald Trump of USA lost in his bid to continue in office. Though he was the most powerful president in the world, he did not have the power to prevent a sitting  president from being disgraced  out of office. That is a great lesson to all of us. We must remember always as Muslims that power is ephemeral, it is transient, it is temporary. Power does not reside with anyone for ever other than Allah (Q16:96).

 The late Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe ruled for 37 years and was forced out in 2017. Muammar Ghaddafi was in the saddle in Libya for 42 years. Where is he today? Paul Biya of Cameroon ruled for 38 years, while Idris Deby has been in power for 30 years in Chad. Yoweri Moseveni of Uganda used constitutional manipulation, state machinery of oppression and Police brutality against the opposition. He has just won his sixth term as president after 35 years in power. He will never be there for ever. 

 As Muslims, whenever we find ourselves in whichever position of power, we must remember that it is not a permanent position. Therefore, it behoves us to chart a course for our mission in office, identify our goals and struggle to attain them within the time allowed. Let us do whatever we are able to achieve and leave honorably with dignity, while the ovation is loudest. No one can be in power for ever. That is the reality we must all accept and be conscious of the fact that our achievements in office will be the yardstick with which prosperity will judge us eternally.   

       _Jumu'atun Mubārakah_

Prof. Yasir Anjola Quadri

23rd Jumādath Thānī 1442 / 5th February 2021

PS:

This day's Jumu'ah Message centers on the Ephemerality of Power. My teacher examined this topic from the Islamic point of view. No doubt the position of power intoxicates the recipients. The position of my teacher is loud and clear, and I align with his position.

However, albeit my teacher only cite examples of those power drunk leaders that were chased away from power consequent upon the manifestation of the bestower of power(Allah), it behooves us to cite examples of individuals who willingly leave power consequent upon the decision of the people who brought them in or the higher authority that superintend them. They are the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

President Goodluck Jonathan willingly relinquished power power consequent upon his lost of the March, 2015 General Elections to President Buhari while Emir Lamido Sanusi was dethroned in 2020 by the Governor of Kano, Governor Ganduje. Emir Sanusi especially cited Q2:36 in his dethronement letter while the popular quotation of President Jonathan still suffice; "No blood of innocent Nigeria is worth the ambition of an individual"

I believe these leaders are models, their act is worthy of emulation. This is in tandem with my teacher's message for this week. May we celebrate more Jumu'ah on the surface of the earth.

Ma' salām!