Here are some hadiths about obeying rulers no matter what:
The Messenger of Allaah said: "Whoever disapproves of something done by his ruler then he should be patient, for whoever disobeys the ruler even a little will die as those who died in the Pre-Islaamic Period of Ignorance (i.e. as rebellious Sinners)." (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
Sahih Muslim Hadith Hadith 4554
Hudhaifah (radhiAllaahu anhu) narrated in a long hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said,
"There will come leaders who will not follow my guidance nor will they follow my Sunnah. There will be amongst them men who will have the hearts of devils in the bodies of humans." He (Hudhaifah) asked, "What should I do O Messenger of Allaah if I reach that?" He replied, "You should hear and obey the ruler. Even if he flogs your back and takes your wealth you should still hear and obey."
Sahih Muslim Hadith
Hadith 4524 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.
Sahih Muslim Hadith
Hadith 4551 Narrated by Alqamah ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami
It has been narrated on the authority of Alqamah ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami who learnt the tradition from his father. The latter said: Salamah ibn Yazid al-Ju'afi asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Prophet of Allah, what do you think if we have rulers who rule over us and demand that we discharge our obligations towards them, but they (themselves) do not discharge their own responsibilities towards us? What do you order us to do? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) avoided giving any answer. Salamah asked him again. He (again) avoided giving any answer. Then he asked again--it was the second time or the third time-- when Ash'ath ibn Qays (find that the Holy Prophet was being unnecessarily pressed for answer) pulled him aside and said: Listen to them and obey them, for on them will be their burden and on you will be your burden.
There is more such hadiths, but that is enough.
Notice these hadiths don't even state you can disobey him when he tells you to disobey God. That is something Sunnis take implied but really they are being commanded to obey without condition.
Instead of Quran and Sunnah providing a way to establish just society, instead of telling them how to make sure to have just rulers ruling over them and have the ruler accountable to the people, they were told to obey whatever ruler will rule them and stay obedient to them no matter how evil they become.
Some other hadiths talk about disobeying them when the command disobedience to God, and other hadiths say as long they establish Prayers, but as you can see, these hadiths don't have such conditions. But even those hadiths are not that great either, basically, you can't overthrow a tyrant or a bad ruler.
This is to me is the ugly side of Sunnism. What distinguishes Sunnism from Shiism is really that Sunnism accepted the rulership of the Caliphs, while Shiism rejected them and held there were divinely appointed leaders to be obeyed instead.
At least in Shia tradition, there is uprising of Imam Hussain, against the ruler, as well as uprising Hussain's grandson, Zaid ibn Ali ibn Hussain.
When you allow tyrant rulers to rule over you, and don't put them in check, your bound to have injustice.
Now back in the day of the sword, it was much easier to rise up and overthrow a government, as people rose up and over threw Uthman for example.
I don't think most Sunnis are aware of these hadiths.
The Messenger of Allaah said: "Whoever disapproves of something done by his ruler then he should be patient, for whoever disobeys the ruler even a little will die as those who died in the Pre-Islaamic Period of Ignorance (i.e. as rebellious Sinners)." (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
Sahih Muslim Hadith Hadith 4554
Hudhaifah (radhiAllaahu anhu) narrated in a long hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said,
"There will come leaders who will not follow my guidance nor will they follow my Sunnah. There will be amongst them men who will have the hearts of devils in the bodies of humans." He (Hudhaifah) asked, "What should I do O Messenger of Allaah if I reach that?" He replied, "You should hear and obey the ruler. Even if he flogs your back and takes your wealth you should still hear and obey."
Sahih Muslim Hadith
Hadith 4524 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.
Sahih Muslim Hadith
Hadith 4551 Narrated by Alqamah ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami
It has been narrated on the authority of Alqamah ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami who learnt the tradition from his father. The latter said: Salamah ibn Yazid al-Ju'afi asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Prophet of Allah, what do you think if we have rulers who rule over us and demand that we discharge our obligations towards them, but they (themselves) do not discharge their own responsibilities towards us? What do you order us to do? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) avoided giving any answer. Salamah asked him again. He (again) avoided giving any answer. Then he asked again--it was the second time or the third time-- when Ash'ath ibn Qays (find that the Holy Prophet was being unnecessarily pressed for answer) pulled him aside and said: Listen to them and obey them, for on them will be their burden and on you will be your burden.
There is more such hadiths, but that is enough.
Notice these hadiths don't even state you can disobey him when he tells you to disobey God. That is something Sunnis take implied but really they are being commanded to obey without condition.
Instead of Quran and Sunnah providing a way to establish just society, instead of telling them how to make sure to have just rulers ruling over them and have the ruler accountable to the people, they were told to obey whatever ruler will rule them and stay obedient to them no matter how evil they become.
Some other hadiths talk about disobeying them when the command disobedience to God, and other hadiths say as long they establish Prayers, but as you can see, these hadiths don't have such conditions. But even those hadiths are not that great either, basically, you can't overthrow a tyrant or a bad ruler.
This is to me is the ugly side of Sunnism. What distinguishes Sunnism from Shiism is really that Sunnism accepted the rulership of the Caliphs, while Shiism rejected them and held there were divinely appointed leaders to be obeyed instead.
At least in Shia tradition, there is uprising of Imam Hussain, against the ruler, as well as uprising Hussain's grandson, Zaid ibn Ali ibn Hussain.
When you allow tyrant rulers to rule over you, and don't put them in check, your bound to have injustice.
Now back in the day of the sword, it was much easier to rise up and overthrow a government, as people rose up and over threw Uthman for example.
I don't think most Sunnis are aware of these hadiths.
