A reflection on Surah Ali 'Imran 3:26 - every earthly authority is borrowed and temporary, while Allah's sovereignty alone is eternal.
Empires rise and crumble, and every position of power a person holds in this life is, in the end, borrowed. Worldly authority can be measured against a simple standard: Allah (SWT) alone gives it, and Allah (SWT) alone takes it away.
Sovereignty Belongs to Allah Alone
Allah (SWT) teaches us to say:
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ
"Say, 'O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will.'" (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:26)
In a hadith qudsi, the Prophet (SAW) relayed Allah's (SWT) words: "O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another." Even those given authority remain accountable to the One who lent it to them.
A Lesson in Humility
The Prophet (SAW), despite leading the young Muslim community of Madinah, lived simply and sat among his companions as an equal. We encourage our students, whatever position or responsibility they are later entrusted with, to carry it the same way: as something borrowed, held in trust, and answerable to Allah (SWT) alone.
May Allah (SWT) keep our students humble in whatever He entrusts them with, and grant them the wisdom to use it well. Ameen.