I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "All of you are Guardians." Yunis said: Ruzaiq bin Hukaim wrote to Ibn Shihab while I was with him at Wadi-al-Qura saying, "Shall I lead the Jumua prayer?" Ruzaiq was working on the land (i.e. farming) and there was a group of Sudanese people and some others with him; Ruzaiq was then the Governor of Aila. Ibn Shihab wrote (to Ruzaiq) ordering him to lead the Jumua prayer and telling him that Salim told him that ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar had said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care. The Imam (i.e. ruler) is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them and a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it. A servant is the guardian of his master's belongings and is responsible for them.' I thought that he also said, 'A man is the guardian of his father's property and is responsible for it. All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَزَادَ اللَّيْثُ قَالَ يُونُسُ كَتَبَ رُزَيْقُ بْنُ حُكَيْمٍ إِلَى ابْنِ شِهَابٍ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِوَادِي الْقُرَى هَلْ تَرَى أَنْ أُجَمِّعَ وَرُزَيْقٌ عَامِلٌ عَلَى أَرْضٍ يَعْمَلُهَا وَفِيهَا جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ السُّودَانِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ وَرُزَيْقٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَى أَيْلَةَ فَكَتَبَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ يَأْمُرُهُ أَنْ يُجَمِّعَ يُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّ سَالِمًا حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ الإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَهْوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ فِي بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَمَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهَا وَالْخَادِمُ رَاعٍ فِي مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ قَالَ وَحَسِبْتُ أَنْ قَدْ قَالَ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ فِي مَالِ أَبِيهِ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What do you order us (to do)?" He said, "Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfil their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship."  

قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَسَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُونَ قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ أَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ  

When I entered upon Mu'awiyah, he said: How good your visit is to us, O father of so-and-so. (This is an idiom used by the Arabs on such occasions). I said: I tell you a tradition which I heard (from the Prophet). I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the affairs of the Muslims, and he secludes himself (from them), not fulfilling their needs, wants, and poverty, Allah will keep Himself away from him, not fulfilling his need, want and poverty. He said: He (Mu'awiyah) appointed a man to fulfil the needs of the people.  

مَا أَنْعَمَنَا بِكَ أَبَا فُلاَنٍ وَهِيَ كَلِمَةٌ تَقُولُهَا الْعَرَبُ فَقُلْتُ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ أُخْبِرُكَ بِهِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ وَلاَّهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاحْتَجَبَ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِمْ وَخَلَّتِهِمْ وَفَقْرِهِمُ احْتَجَبَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِ وَخَلَّتِهِ وَفَقْرِهِ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ رَجُلاً عَلَى حَوَائِجِ النَّاسِ