When the title Ameer Al-Mu’mineen was approved by Umar ibn Al-Khattab as appropriate for the overall ruler of the Muslim state, it remained the one in use. At first, it was the title of address. While the ruler may be called caliph, as the official title, it is difficult to use that title when addressing the ruler. It is much easier to use Ameer Al-Mu’mineen, because the term, ‘ameer’, signifies a prince and a person who gives orders. To qualify that with being the one in charge of ‘the believers’, which is the meaning of the second word, adds both prestige and honor. To a Muslim, this title provides a far superior mode of address than whatever is used today in addressing any ruler, king or president. Hence, we find this title still used in some Muslim countries, most notably Morocco, where the king is often addressed as Ameer Al-Mu’mineen.
Some people who have high position in government are sensitive about the way they are addressed. More often their subordinates take issue on this particular point. They may feel that a person who does not address the ruler, governor or president properly may do so deliberately, to imply lack of recognition, respect or loyalty. We find this as early as the days of Mu’awiyah, the fifth caliph, who was one of the Prophet’s companions. The following Hadith amply illustrates the point:
“When Mu’awiyah went on his first pilgrimage after becoming the caliph, he was visited in Madinah by Uthman ibn Haneef, a companion of the Prophet from the Ansar. Uthman offered his greeting, saying: ‘Assalamu Alaik Ayyuha Al-Ameer Wa Rahmatullah,’ which means: ‘Peace be to you, Ameer, and also God’s mercy.’ The people from Syria who were present said: ‘Who is this hypocrite whose greeting falls short of what is due to Ameer Al-Mu’mineen?’ Uthman sat on his knees and said: ‘Ameer Al-Mu’mineen! These people are taking issue with me over something that you know better than them. By God, I have used the same greeting to address Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. None of them raised the slightest objection.’ Mu’awiyah said to the Syrians who made the objection: ‘Cool down! What he says is largely true.’ He also said to Uthman: ‘When these troubles took place, the people from Syria made it clear that the address to the caliph should never be lacking. I think that you, the people of Madinah, use the same word, Ameer, even to an employee collecting zakah’.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and Abd Al-Razzaq in Al-Musannaf).
The first point to be said here is that there was nothing wrong with Uthman’s greeting of the caliph, because he acknowledged him as the ruler or commander. He, however, used the word Ameer on its own, without qualifying it by adding ‘Al-Mu’mineen’. Thus, it can be taken in its more general sense as a person who is in a position of command. But this could be a command over a couple of people, or a limited area, as well as a command over the whole state. Thus, it could be taken as implying non-recognition of Mu’awiyah as the overall ruler of the Muslim state. The sensitivity of the Syrian people in Mu’awiyah’s company immediately surfaced in their impulsive reaction. Yet the man at the center of this was one of the Prophet’s companions, the most honorable people in Islamic history.
Uthman protests that he used the same greeting with the first three caliphs, without encountering any objection. Those were the rulers who least cared for the paraphernalia associated with the post. They wanted to be addressed as men of their people. Mu’awiyah acknowledges this, and explains to Uthman the sensitivity. He also points out to him that the word he used is often mentioned by the people of Madinah when they speak to practically any government official.
Such sensitivity of rulers and people in their company is well known. However, sometimes, it is positive, when the ruler sees himself only as one of the people. He does not want to be distinguished by exaggerated address. We find this in the following Hadith, concerning Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah, a companion of the Prophet, when he was governor of Kufah in Iraq.
Tameem ibn Hithlam says: “I well remember the first one to be addressed as Ameer in Kufah. Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah once went out through Bab Al-Rahbah when a man from Kindah, probably Abu Qurrah, came to him and greeted him saying: ‘Peace be to you, Ameer, and God’s mercy. Peace be to you all.’ Al-Mugheerah was not pleased. He, therefore, repeated the same words: ‘Peace be to you, Ameer, and God’s mercy. Peace be to you all! Am I one of them or not?’” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
The point at issue here is the usage of pronouns in the greeting offered to the governor. The man addresses him in the singular ‘you’ to make the greeting addressed to him personally. He follows that with a greeting to the people present, using a plural form of ‘you’. Al-Mugheerah did not like that, because he wanted to be treated as one of the group, without distinction. Hence, his words as he repeated the form in disapproval: ‘Am I one of them or not?’ This means that a greeting in the plural form, addressed to the group, is sufficient. The one addressed to him personally was unnecessary.
A different aspect of sensitivity is shown by Ruwaifi’ ibn Thabit, an Ansari companion of the Prophet, who was a governor of Antablus, a city between Alexandria in Egypt and Barqah in today’s Libya. Ziyad ibn Ubayd reports that on a visit to Ruwaifi’ “a man came in and offered a greeting saying, ‘Peace be to you, Ameer.’ Ruwaifi’ said to him: ‘Had you offered a greeting to us, we would have certainly replied to you. You are only greeting Maslamah ibn Makhlad (the ruler of Egypt). Go to him and he will reply to your greeting.” Ziyad adds: ‘When we came to visit him in his council room, we would only say: ‘Peace be to you’, using the plural form.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).
This companion of the Prophet was a local governor of an area affiliated to the governor of Egypt. He felt that the title Ameer was too big for his office. Hence, he objected to the man using this title in addressing him. He told him in a polite manner that it was a title more suited to the governor of Egypt, who was his superior, rather than to him. This is yet another example of how the Prophet’s companions looked at positions of authority. They did not feel that it gave them any particular distinction. They showed this in word and deed.
Arab News Islam 21 February 2003