Allah the Exalted said:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī٧٨ - باب أمر ولاة الأمور بالرفق برعاياهم ونصيحتهم والشفقة عليهم والنهي عن غشهم والتشديد عليهم وإهمال مصالحهم والغفلة عنهم وعن حوائجهم
٧٨ - باب أمر ولاة الأمور بالرفق برعاياهم ونصيحتهم والشفقة عليهم والنهي عن غشهم والتشديد عليهم وإهمال مصالحهم والغفلة عنهم وعن حوائجهم
And lower your wing [i.e., show kindness] to those who follow you of the believers.
And Allah the Exalted said:
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Indeed, Allāh orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
وعن ابن عمر ﵄، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول: «كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ، وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتهِ: الإمَامُ رَاعٍ وَمَسؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ في أهلِهِ وَمَسؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَالمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ في بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَمَسْؤُولَةٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهَا، وَالخَادِمُ رَاعٍ في مال سيِّدِهِ وَمَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَمَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
On the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd over his household and is responsible for his flock; a woman is a shepherd in her husband's house and is responsible for her flock; a servant is a shepherd over his master's property and is responsible for his flock. So each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock." Agreed upon.
وعن أَبي يعلى مَعْقِل بن يَسارٍ - ﵁ - قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول: «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَستَرْعِيهِ اللهُ رَعِيَّةً، يَمُوتُ يَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ غَاشٌّ لِرَعِيَّتِهِ، إِلاَّ حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ الجَنَّة». متفقٌ عليه. وفي رواية: «فَلَمْ يَحُطْهَا بِنُصْحِهِ لَمْ يَجِدْ رَائِحَةَ الجَنَّة». وفي رواية لمسلم: «مَا مِنْ أميرٍ يلي أمور المُسْلِمينَ، ثُمَّ لا يَجْهَدُ لَهُمْ وَيَنْصَحُ لَهُمْ، إِلاَّ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ مَعَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ».
On the authority of Abū Yaʿlā Maʿqil bin Yasār (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "There is no servant whom Allah places in charge of subjects, who dies on the day he dies while he is deceitful towards his subjects, but that Allah forbids Paradise to him." Agreed upon. In another narration: "...and he did not guard them with sincere counsel, he will not find the fragrance of Paradise." And in a narration of Muslim: "There is no commander who takes charge of the affairs of the Muslims and then does not strive for them and counsel them sincerely, but that he will not enter Paradise along with them."
وعن عائشة ﵂، قالت: سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول في بيتي هَذَا: «اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بِهِمْ، فَارْفُقْ بِهِ». رواه مسلم.
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say in this house of mine: "O Allah, whoever takes charge of any of the affairs of my nation and is harsh with them, be harsh with him; and whoever takes charge of any of the affairs of my nation and is gentle with them, be gentle with him." Narrated by Muslim.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله - ﷺ: «كَانَتْ بَنُو إسرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُم الأَنبِيَاء، كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبيٌّ، وَإنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَيكُونُ بَعْدِي خُلفَاءُ فَيَكثرُونَ»، قالوا: يَا رسول الله، فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا؟ قَالَ: «أَوْفُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّل فَالأَوَّل، ثُمَّ أعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوا الله الَّذِي لَكُمْ، فَإنَّ اللهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ». متفقٌ عليه.
On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The Children of Israel were governed by the prophets; whenever a prophet died, another prophet succeeded him. But there will be no prophet after me, and there will be caliphs after me, and they will become numerous." They said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you command us? He said: "Fulfil the pledge of allegiance to the first, then the next; then give them their due, and ask Allah for what is your right, for Allah will question them about that which He entrusted to their care." Agreed upon.
وعن عائِذ بن عمرو - ﵁: أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى عُبَيْد اللهِ بن زيادٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: أيْ بُنَيَّ، إنِّي سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول: «إنَّ شَرَّ الرِّعَاءِ الحُطَمَةُ»، فإيَاكَ أن تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ. متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
On the authority of ʿĀʾidh bin ʿAmr (may Allah be pleased with him): that he entered upon ʿUbayd Allah bin Ziyād and said to him: O my son, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Indeed, the worst of rulers is the harsh oppressor." So beware of being one of them. Agreed upon.
وعن أَبي مريم الأزدِيِّ - ﵁: أنّه قَالَ لِمعاوية - ﵁: سَمِعْتُ رسول الله - ﷺ - يقول: «مَنْ وَلاَّهُ اللهُ شَيْئًا مِنْ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ، فَاحْتَجَبَ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِمْ وَخَلَّتِهِمْ وَفَقْرِهِمْ، احْتَجَبَ اللهُ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِ وَخَلَّتِهِ وَفَقْرِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ» فجعل معاوية رجلًا عَلَى حوائج النَّاسِ. رواه أَبُو داود والترمذي.
On the authority of Abū Maryam al-Azdī (may Allah be pleased with him): that he said to Muʿāwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Whoever Allah places in charge of any of the affairs of the Muslims, then screens himself off from their need, their want, and their poverty, Allah will screen Himself off from his need, his want, and his poverty on the Day of Resurrection." So Muʿāwiyah appointed a man to attend to the needs of the people. Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī.