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Fatwa CenterThe destruction of my followers will be through the hands of young men from Quraysh
Question
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Dear Shaykh, I' would like to know about a hadith from Abu Huraira, may Allaah be pleased with him, in Saheeh Bukhari, in which the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "The destruction of my followers will be through the hands of young men from Quraish." My question: is it only applicable to rulers from Quraish, or does it also apply to rulers from other than Quraish? Based on the above hadith, if the destruction of this ummah (community) derives from the ruler, then how do we compromise it with Al-An'am: 129, which is frequently cited by a group of Muslim scholars here to support their opinion that 'The destruction of a ruler reflects the destruction of his people.' Can this verse be applied in the discussion of rulership? Lajnah Daimah used this verse to explain about 'seeking the help of jinn.' May Allaah reward you. Wassalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
ʻAmr ibn Yahya ibn Saʻeed Al-Umawiyy narrated on the authority of his grandfather that he said, "I was with Marwaan and Abu Hurayrah and I heard Abu Hurayrah say, 'I heard the truthful one (i.e. the Prophet ) say, 'The destruction of my followers will be brought about by the hands of young men from Quraysh.''" [Al-Bukhari]
This hadeeth is about Quraysh, and some scholars interpreted it to refer to Yazeed (Ibn Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan) and some of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers who came after him. Others interpreted it to refer to those who caused the killing of ʻUthmaan 
.
Al-Mulla ʻAli Qaari' 
wrote, "The predominant opinion is that it refers to the fitnah (temptation, tribulation) between ʻUthmaan and his killers and between ʻAli and Al-Husayn and their killers. Al-Muth-hir said, 'Perhaps the hadeeth refers to the rulers who followed the Rightly-Guided Caliphs like Yazeed, ʻAbd Al-Malik ibn Marwaan, and others." [Mirqaat Al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishkaat Al-Masaabeeh, 8/3386]
As for other unjust and oppressive rulers, they are not included in the hadeeth. However, they may be included in the verse from Soorah Al-An'aam. The fact that the verse is in the context of speaking about the jinn does not mean that its indication is not general and cannot be interpreted to refer to mankind as well. Some scholars of Tafseer brought it forth as evidence on empowering the tyrants and oppressive rulers over the evildoers and wrongdoers. Ibn Katheer wrote that the verse means, "We appoint the wrongdoers over one another, destroy them by the hands of one another, and take revenge from them with one another. This is the just recompense for their injustice and transgression." [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Al-Fakhr Ar-Raazi wrote, "The verse indicates that if the subjects are wrongdoers, Allaah would empower a tyrant like them over them. Hence, if they wish to get rid of that oppressive ruler, they should stop being oppressive among themselves." [At-Tafseer Al-Kabeer 13/194]
Al-Aloosi commented on the verse, "If the subjects are wrongdoers, Allaah empowers a wrongdoer like themselves over them..."
Shaykh Ibn ʻUthaymeen said, "Allaah, The Exalted, is Wise; He empowers the evildoers over each other. He causes rulers to wrong and oppress their peoples for a great divine wisdom; He says (what means): {And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.} [Quran 6:129] Oppressive rulers do not act tyrannically except because of their peoples. In fact, rulers are mere mirrors in which the citizens can view their own deeds; as you are, so will your rulers be." [Liqaa' Al-Baab Al-Maftooh]
Allaah knows best.
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