The authority of the self-imposed person in Tarifi's Tafsir and Explanation of the Qur'anic Rules

Abstract

A self-imposed (coup d'état ) is a person who forcibly seizes power without being elected and appointed by the islamic advisory council or influential people council of power, even if that person meets all the conditions and requirements of being a ruler or taking position in authority.

Scholars of Islam have different opinions about the legitimacy of the power and authority of the self-imposed, despotic and coup d'état ruler.

The first groups’ point of view is that the authority of the despotic, self-imposed rulers must not be recognised and forbidden at all. This is the appearance of a narrative from Ahmad, as well as the views of Malik ,Abu Hanifa, the view of some of the Shafi'is . and also, some contemporary scholars and researchers including; Muhammed Ammarah, Abdulqair Awda, have the same opinion as the first group’s opinion. Apart from the first group’s opinion there is a different opinion by the second group of scholars who recognise legitimacy of the authority of the despotic , self-imposed ruler, as  this opinion is the opinion of the four main sects of Islam , Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali, but they have not stated this absolutely, instead of that they have distinguished between the cases and set some difficult conditions to be fulfilled in the despotic and coup d'état ruler.

Sheikh Tarifi prefers the second group’s view, but notes that it is for self-imposed, coup d'état ruler who mentioned by previous scholars, is a type of coup d'état who imposes himself on the authority for the purpose of his mental desire and thirst for rank and position, not to take power aiming to implement the Shari'ah of other than God’s Shari'ah. and not for making laws against the Islamic Shari'ah laws, not ruling by the God’s Shari'ah, and allowing what God has forbidden it or prohibiting and rejecting what has made it lawful and permissible. In this research, I will address one of the issues that Sheikh Al-Tarifi discussed in his book, Interpretation and Explanation of the Rulings of the Qur’an, in which he mentioned the opinions of the jurists and preferred one of the two approaches. This is the issue of the authority of the usurper in the lands of the Muslims. The discussion of it will be within three sections. The first section will be to explain the meaning of the terms in the title, the second section will be to present the opinions of the jurists and their evidence on the issue, and the third section will be to indicate Sheikh Al-Tarifi’s preference from among those opinions that will be presented.