The Imam’s Duties The Imam should do the following...

The Imam’s Duties The Imam should do the following: He should keep the religion, guard Islam, and protect it from those who make light of good manners and values. He should carry out the religious precepts, put an end to disputes, and take the right of the oppressed from the oppressive.

He should protect the Muslim countries from the outside invasion, whether the invasion is military or cultural like that which is in these times when some destructive doctrines have invaded our countries and tried to destroy the foundations Islam has established. He should administer the prescribed punishments and put an end to all the crimes that bring about unhappiness to man. He should fortify the borderline cities. He should wage the holy jihad.

He should collect properties such as zakat, land taxes, and other affairs the Islamic law has determined. He should employ trustworthy persons in the government. He should not employ them out of favoritism or preference. He should supervise the subjects’ affairs.

He should not depend on others to supervise them, for that is among the subjects’ rights on him.[^1] He should put an end to unemployment, spread inclusive welfare throughout the regions of the community, and save them from poverty and deprivation. These are some affairs the Imam should put into effect. We have in detail explained these duties in our book The Administrative Regulations in Islam [^1] Al-Siyasa al-Shar‘iya, p. 7.

His Qualities The Imam should have the following qualities: Justice in all its exclusive conditions such as refraining from committing great sins and insisting on small ones. Knowledge of what the community needs in all fields, the reasons of the revelation and the religious precepts. Sound senses such as the ears, the eyes, and the tongue, that he may through them undertake what he realizes. The other senses should have no defect.

The opinion leading to ruling the subjects and managing the general interests. Courage, help, ability to protect the entity of Islam, and waging holy jihad against enemies. Lineage; it is that the Imam should belong to Quraysh.