Imam Mawardi's list of ten primary responsibilities that a Muslim ruler must deliver on

There are ten matters relating to public affairs which are binding upon him: 1. To preserve the religion upon its established principles, upon which the early generations of the Ummah are agreed; if an innovator appears or someone of dubious character deviates from this religion, he should make clear to him the legal proof of his error, explain the right way to him, and take the appropriate measures regarding his liability and punishment, in order that the religion is protected from blemish and the Ummah protected from going astray. 2. To execute the legal judgements between contestants and bring to an end any dispute between litigants, so that equity prevails, the tyrant does not transgress, and the weak are not oppressed. 3. To protect the territory of Islam and defend the sanctuaries, so that people may earn their sustenance and journey safe from any threat to their persons or belongings. 4. To establish the hadd punishments in order to protect what Allah, may He be exalted, has made inviolable from being violated, and prevent the rights of His slaves from being abused. 5. To fortify the borders with protective measures and preventative force in order that no enemy may succeed in an unexpected attack thereby violate what is sacred or shed the blood of Muslims or a Non-Muslim protected by a pact. 6. To make Jihad against those who oppose Islam after having been called to it until they submit or enter into a pact of Dhimmah (protection) so that Allah’s rights, may He be exalted, be made uppermost above all (other) religion. 7. To collect the spoils of war and Zakah taxes from those on whom the Shariah and legal judgement has made it an obligation to pay, and this without fear or oppression. 8. To apportion the stipends and whatever is due from the Public Treasury without wastefulness or meanness and make payments punctually, neither before their time nor after it. 9. To ensure the employment of trustworthy persons and the appointment of worthy counsellors capable of undertaking those tasks delegated to them and of safeguarding monies made over to them. 10. To personally take over the surveillance of affairs and the scrutiny of circumstances such that he may execute the policy of the Ummah and defend the nation without becoming overreliant on delegation of authority due to preoccupation with pleasure-seeking or worship – for even the trustworthy may deceive and counsellors behave dishonestly. Allah, may He be exalted, has said: {O David, surely I have made you a khalifah on the earth, so decide equitably between people and do not follow desires lest you be led astray from the way of God. (Saad 38:26)}. So, Allah does not confine the matter to delegating duties to someone who does not participate directly in the affair himself; nor does He grant him an excuse to follow his desires as He has described this as an act of going astray. (Al-Ahkam As-Sultaniyyah)

وَاَلَّذِي يَلْزَمُهُ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْعَامَّةِ عَشَرَةُ أَشْيَاءَ: أَحَدُهَا: حِفْظُ الدِّينِ عَلَى أُصُولِهِ الْمُسْتَقِرَّةِ، وَمَا أَجْمَعَ عَلَيْهِ سَلَفُ الْأُمَّةِ، فَإِنْ نَجَمَ مُبْتَدِعٌ أَوْ زَاغَ ذُو شُبْهَةٍ عَنْهُ، أَوْضَحَ لَهُ الْحُجَّةَ، وَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الصَّوَابَ، وَأَخَذَهُ بِمَا يَلْزَمُهُ مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ وَالْحُدُودِ؛ لِيَكُونَ الدِّينُ مَحْرُوسًا مِنْ خَلَلٍ، وَالْأُمَّةُ مَمْنُوعَةً مِنْ زَلَلٍ. الثَّانِي: تَنْفِيذُ الْأَحْكَامِ بَيْنَ الْمُتَشَاجِرِينَ، وَقَطْعُ الْخِصَامِ بَيْنَ الْمُتَنَازِعِينَ حَتَّى تَعُمَّ النَّصَفَةُ، فَلَا يَتَعَدَّى ظَالِمٌ، وَلَا يَضْعُفُ مَظْلُومٌ. الثَّالِثُ: حِمَايَةُ الْبَيْضَةِ وَالذَّبُّ عَنِ الْحَرِيمِ؛ لِيَتَصَرَّفَ النَّاسُ فِي الْمَعَايِشِ، وَيَنْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَسْفَارِ آمِنِينَ مِنْ تَغْرِيرٍ بِنَفْسٍ أَوْ مَالٍ. وَالرَّابِعُ: إقَامَةُ الْحُدُودِ؛ لِتُصَانَ مَحَارِمُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَن الِانْتِهَاكِ، وَتُحْفَظَ حُقُوقُ عِبَادِهِ مِنْ إتْلَافٍ وَاسْتِهْلَاكٍ. وَالْخَامِسُ: تَحْصِينُ الثُّغُورِ بِالْعُدَّةِ الْمَانِعَةِ وَالْقُوَّةِ الدَّافِعَةِ حَتَّى لَا تَظْفَرَ الْأَعْدَاءُ بِغِرَّةٍ يَنْتَهِكُونَ فِيهَا مُحَرَّمًا، أَوْ يَسْفِكُونَ فِيهَا لِمُسْلِمٍ أَوْ مُعَاهَدٍ دَمًا. وَالسَّادِسُ: جِهَادُ مَنْ عَانَدَ الْإِسْلَامَ بَعْدَ الدَّعْوَةِ حَتَّى يُسْلِمَ أَوْ يَدْخُلَ فِي الذِّمَّةِ؛ لِيُقَامَ بِحَقِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي إظْهَارِهِ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ. وَالسَّابِعُ: جِبَايَةُ الْفَيْءِ وَالصَّدَقَاتِ عَلَى مَا أَوْجَبَهُ الشَّرْعُ نَصًّا وَاجْتِهَادًا مِنْ غَيْرِ خَوْفٍ وَلَا عَسْفٍ. وَالثَّامِنُ: تَقْدِيرُ الْعَطَايَا وَمَا يَسْتَحِقُّ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ مِنْ غَيْرِ سَرَفٍ وَلَا تَقْتِيرٍ، وَدَفْعُهُ فِي وَقْتٍ لَا تَقْدِيمَ فِيهِ وَلَا تَأْخِيرَ. التَّاسِعُ: اسْتِكْفَاءُ الْأُمَنَاءِ وَتَقْلِيدُ النُّصَحَاءِ فِيمَا يُفَوَّضُ إلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ وَيَكِلُهُ إلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ؛ لِتَكُونَ الْأَعْمَالُ بِالْكَفَاءَةِ مَضْبُوطَةً، وَالْأَمْوَالُ بِالْأُمَنَاءِ مَحْفُوظَةً. الْعَاشِرُ: أَنْ يُبَاشِرَ بِنَفْسِهِ مُشَارَفَةَ الْأُمُورِ، وَتَصَفُّحَ الْأَحْوَالِ؛ لِيَنْهَضَ بِسِيَاسَةِ الْأُمَّةِ وَحِرَاسَةِ الْمِلَّةِ، وَلَا يُعَوِّلُ عَلَى التَّفْوِيضِ تَشَاغُلًا بِلَذَّةٍ أَوْ عِبَادَةٍ، فَقَدْ يَخُونُ الْأَمِينُ وَيَغُشُّ النَّاصِحُ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {يَا دَاوُد إنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتْبَعْ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ} فَلَمْ يَقْتَصِرْ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلَى التَّفْوِيضِ دُونَ الْمُبَاشَرَةِ وَلَا عَذَرَهُ فِي الِاتِّبَاعِ حَتَّى وَصَفَهُ بِالضَّلَالِ