Rising Up Against Tyranny

If in every discord between two factions, one has the duty to flee, stay at home, and withhold one’s sword, then no single law would ever be upheld and no injustice would ever be negated. Moreover, every hypocrite and transgressor would find a way to unlawfully seize what Allah made unlawful from the wealth of the people, their women and spilling their blood, by joining forces with one another, while the Muslims would withdraw their hands by claiming this is a discord that they have been prohibited from getting involved in and have been ordered to flee, which is in contradiction to the Prophetic teaching “Seize the hands of the foolish ones” (i.e. stop them).


—Muḥammad b. Jarīr Al-Ṭabarī [d 310/923], from Tafsīr al-Qurtubi