Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Samurah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said to me: O Abdur Rahman! Do not seek leadership or responsibility. If leadership is given to you after you have sought it, you will be left to it (without divine help), but if it is given to you without your seeking it, you will be helped in it. And when you swear an oath about something, then later realize that doing otherwise is better, then do what is better and offer expiation for your oath.

Ibn Hujaira says: A man who heard from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to me that he said: I spent a night conversing privately with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until morning. During our conversation, I submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! Appoint me as a leader over some region." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This leadership is a trust, and on the Day of Resurrection, it will be a cause of disgrace and regret, except for the one who takes it with its due right and fulfills the responsibilities that are imposed upon him regarding it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said to him: O Abu Dharr! Do not become a guardian over the wealth of an orphan, and do not become a leader over two men.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Soon you will covet leadership and rulership, but this thing will be a cause of regret and remorse on the Day of Resurrection. It is very good in terms of suckling, but very bad in terms of weaning. In another narration, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Soon you will covet leadership and rulership, but on the Day of Resurrection its outcome will be blame and regret. It seems very good while suckling, and very bad after weaning.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Destruction is for the rulers, ruin is for their subordinate officers and workers, guidance is for those people in the world who were entrusted with trusts considering them trustworthy. On the Day of Judgment, these people will wish that their head hair was tied to the Thurayya star and they remained hanging between the sky and the earth, and they had not accepted this responsibility.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: Woe to the ministers; on the Day of Judgment, they will wish that their hair had been hung with the star Thurayya and that they remained suspended between the sky and the earth, but did not accept this responsibility.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Among you, the best person is the one who dislikes leadership and authority the most, until he is involved in it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: Two men from my tribe came with me, and we went to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Both of them spoke to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and requested a position of responsibility from him. Upon hearing this, the blessed face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed, or signs of displeasure appeared on his face. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The person who seeks leadership is, in my view, the most treacherous among you. You should adopt the fear of Allah Almighty. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not appoint them to any responsibility.

It is narrated from Tharwan bin Milhan, he says: We were sitting in the mosque when Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by us. We said to him: If you have heard anything from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about tribulation (fitnah), then please tell us. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that after me, some people will come who will gain power by killing one another. We said to him: If any other person had narrated this hadith to us, we would not have believed him. He said: This will happen soon.

Yazid bin Abi Sufyan says: When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent me towards Syria, he said to me: O Yazid! There are your relatives there, it is possible that you may give preference to your relatives in assigning responsibilities. Of all things, I fear this most about you, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever is made responsible for any matter among the affairs of the Muslims, then appoints someone as a ruler over them out of his own preference, the curse of Allah will be upon him. Or he said: The protection of Allah will be removed from him.