The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 555
XII - First Era of Life in Madīnah Comes to an End and the Islāmic System of Government 555 “God the Exalted orders you to hand over the reigns of government to such people who are worthy (irrespective of who they may be); and those who are elected as Amīrs should administer their government with equity and justice. ” 1 In this verse, the only condition which has been stipulated for a Khalīfah or Amīr is that he should be worthy of office. No other condition has been set, which is a categorical argument that there is no other condition for the election of a Khalīfah or Amīr in Islām except for capability. Similarly, the Holy Prophet sa states in a Ḥadīth : َ عَن ْ اَنَس ٍؓ اَن َّ رَسُوْل َ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ قَال َ اِسْمَعُوْا وَاَطِیْعُوْا وَاِن ِ اسْتُعْمِل ٌّ عَلَیْكُم ْ عَبْد ٌ حَبَشِی “ Ḥaḍrat Anas bin Mālik ra relates that the Holy Prophet sa would say, ‘O ye Muslims! Even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed as your Amīr, it is compulsory upon you to obey him. ” 2 In Islām, if it had been necessary for an Amīr to be from among the Quraish, this statement of the Holy Prophet sa would be empty of meaning. Instead, the Holy Prophet sa should have said, ‘Obey every Amīr from among the Quraish, irrespective of how he may be. ’ Therefore, whether it be in terms of principle or specification, it is completely incorrect and baseless that government and Khilāfat has been made specific to a particular nation. The spirit of the Islāmic teachings repels such a notion from afar. Now remains the question as to what is inferred by these Aḥādīth where it has been stated that Khulafā’ and Imāms would be from the Quraish. Even minor contemplation is sufficient to substantiate that this was a prophecy, not a general order or recommendation. In other words, just as Allāh the Exalted revealed many things that were to take place in the future by way of 1 An-Nis ā ’ (4:59) 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Aḥkām, Bābus-Sam‘i Waṭṭā‘ati Lil-Imāmi Mā Lam Takun Ma‘ṣiyatan, Ḥadīth No. 7142