Obeying the director of an Islamic organization Fatwa No: 120663
- Fatwa Date:22-4-2009
Q.1.Is it compulsory/needed for Muslim women to work for an islamic organization?
Question.2. Around 200 Muslim brothers and sisters are running an Islamic organization in Australia. Different posts such as Amir,Naibe Amir, Secretary etc have been selected among the qualified members of this organization. And in relation to the question of "obedience",they refer to or emphasise on Sura Nisa,verse 59 and claim that people who got higher posts or positions are "Ulil Amr"of those who are junior (on the basis of posts)to them in this organization.They claim that as Australia is not a Muslim country,we do not have Ulil Amr/government/king.But as long as we cannot make it an Islamic country,we have to consider the Amir/leaders(senior) of this Islamic organization as "Ulil Amr" as Farz(compulsory).It is mentioned that there is no Islamic scholars or Ulamah in this organization or advisor(scholar) who can provide any "Fatwa" for them.Should anyone(junior leaders) obey the Senior leaders in this organization as "Ulil Amr" from Sura Nisa ,v 59 point of view?
Please answear these questions with the authentic references,including the source/book name with page/vol no.Thanks
Or,
Does "Ulil Amr" mean just a practising Muslim who is not a Muslim Scholar/Sheikh/Ulama and selected as an Amir/leader in an Islamic organization?Pl explain from Sura nisa,v 59 point of view.
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.
A Muslim woman is not obliged to work in an Islamic organization, but if there is a need for her to work in such an organization, then this is permissible if she observes the conditions that should be met for a Muslim woman to work; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 89181.
It is also permissible for the members of this organization to appoint an administration which will run its affairs. The director in such an organization is like a leader and everyone who joins this organization should obey him in what is permissible and within the limits that achieve the benefit of this organization, because the benefit cannot be achieved otherwise. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 88048, 88076 and 2556.
The people in authority whom one is obliged to obey and who were mentioned in Chapter An-Nisaa’ [Quran 4] are the scholars and rulers.
However, it is not a condition for a person who runs such an organization to be knowledgeable in religion; it is enough for him to be religious and have a good moral conduct, and is experienced to an extent to run his work and has Islamic consultants who may help him in fulfilling his task.
Allaah Knows best.