The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 547
XII - First Era of Life in Madīnah Comes to an End and the Islāmic System of Government 547 ُ عَن ْ عَائِشَة َ قَالت ْ قَال َ لِی ْ رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ فِی ْ مَرَضِه ٖ لَقَد ْ ھَمَمْت َ اَو ْ اَرَدْت ُ اَن ْ اُرْسِل َ اِلی ٰ اَبِی ْ بَكْر ٍ وَابْنِه ٖ حَتّٰی اَكْتُب َ كِتَابًا فَاَعْھَد َ اَن ْ یَتَمَنَّی الْمُتَمَنَّوْن َ وَیَقُوْل َ قَائِل ٌ اَنَا اَوْلی ٰ ثُم َّ قُلْت ُ یَاٴْبَی اللّٰه ُ وَیَدْفَع ُ الْمُوٴْمِنُوْن َ اَو ْ یَدْفَع ُ اللّٰه ُ وَیَاٴْبَی الْمُوٴْمِنُوْن “Ḥaḍrat ‘ Ā ’ishah ra relates that in the start of his terminal illness, the Holy Prophet sa said to me, ‘I had intended to call upon your father and brother, and leave behind a will with regards to the Khilāfat of Abū Bakr, so that someone else does not stand up in the desire for Khilāfat and does not claim that he is more worthy of Khilāfat than Abū Bakr. However, then I abandoned this intention with the thought that the community of the believers would never agree upon the Khilāfat of another person, nor would God allow for the Khilāfat of another person to be established. ” 1 This Ḥadīth evidently establishes that although the election of religious Khulafā’ apparently takes place through the consultation of people, in actuality, it is the hidden hand of God that guides the election process, and this is the true philosophy of the Islāmic Khilāfat. Apparently, the believers hold an election, but in truth, it is the Power of God which manifests itself. In other words, just as in the case of a Messenger or divinely appointed individual, although God does not physically reveal Himself, His hidden cords pull the hearts of people to the individual who is most worthy of Khilāfat. 2 In these circumstances, with relation to religious Khulafā’ , even though their election apparently takes place through a system of consultation, an appointment for a fixed term, or deposition after an election is absolutely out of the question. It is for this reason that Allāh has declared those people who do not render obedience to such Khulafā’ or disobey them after having sworn allegiance to them as being rebellious. Even if a person contemplates in terms of rationality, the appointment of a religious Khalīfah cannot be limited to a fixed-term, nor should the question of his deposition arise after an election, because the foundation of a religious relationship is based on faith and loyalty. A 1 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Aḥkām, Bābul-Istikhlāf, Ḥadīth No. 7217 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābu Faḍā’iliṣ-Ṣaḥābati Raḍiyallāhu Ta‘ālā ‘Anhum, Bābu Min Faḍā’ili Abī Bakriṣ- Ṣiddīq ra , Ḥadīth No. 6181 2 In light of the political terminology of this day and age, it may be said that in this system, God the Exalted plays the role of a ‘wire puller. ’