The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 539
XII - First Era of Life in Madīnah Comes to an End and the Islāmic System of Government 539 These are the fundamental principles which Islām has instituted with relation to the Islāmic system of government. However, as mentioned above, except for basic rules, Islām has not interfered in the intricate details of this issue. For example, Islām has not given any specific instruction with regards to questions which relate to the exact manner in which the elections of an Amīr or President should take place; or the principles upon which the consultative body should be formulated; or the method an Amīr should employ in order to ascertain the public opinion with respect to matters of national importance after he has been elected; the kinds of issues which should be put up for consultation and the secondary details relevant to the system of government, etc. These questions and other details of this nature have been left open for every country, nation and era. How was the Khilāfat of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra and Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān ra Established? At this instance the doubt may arise in someone’s heart that if in light of the Islāmic teaching, an Amīr or Khalīfah must be appointed by consultation and election, why then was Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra , the second Khalīfah, not appointed in this manner? As a matter of fact, he was appointed by Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , the first Khalīfah himself. Furthermore, why was the appointment of Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān ra , the third Khalīfah , not done so by public opinion? Instead, Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra limited this right to six or seven Companions. Finally, why is it that the Amīrs of the Banū Umayyah and Banū ‘Abbās, etc. , would always appoint their own successors, who were generally sons, or close relatives? At times, they would even decide that after them, such and such person would be the Amīr , then so and so and then so and so! In their era, why is it that consultation and elections never took place for the appointment of an Amīr ? In order to clarify this doubt, firstly we take up the question which relates to the Khilāfat of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra. It should be known that undoubtedly, in the establishment of Khilāfat and leadership, consultation and elections are necessary. However, as we have already mentioned above, as far as the nature of this method of consultation and election, and its details are concerned, Islām has not imposed any specific conditions or limitations. In fact, Islām has left secondary questions of this nature open to be decided by differing circumstances and it is obvious that consultation and election can take on different forms at various times. On this basis, if one contemplates, in