“Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, And whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah. Whoever obeys the ruler, obeys me, and whoever disobeys the ruler, disobeys me.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ عَصَى اللَّهَ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ الإِمَامَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَنِي وَمَنْ عَصَى الإِمَامَ فَقَدْ عَصَانِي  

“Listen and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian slave with a head like a raisin.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ  

“Even if the one appointed over you is a mutilated Ethiopian slave whose nose and ears have been cut off, listen to him and obey, so long as he leads you according to the Book of Allah.”  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنْ أُمِّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ مُجَدَّعٌ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا مَا قَادَكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ  

“This is Abu Dharr,” so he (the slave) started to move back. But Abu Dharr said: “My close friend (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) told me to listen and obey, even if (the leader was) an Ethiopian slave with amputated limbs.”  

أَنَّهُ انْتَهَى إِلَى الرَّبَذَةِ وَقَدْ أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَإِذَا عَبْدٌ يَؤُمُّهُمْ فَقِيلَ هَذَا أَبُو ذَرٍّ فَذَهَبَ يَتَأَخَّرُ فَقَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي ﷺ أَنْ أَسْمَعَ وَأُطِيعَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَبْدًا حَبَشِيًّا مُجَدَّعَ الأَطْرَافِ