Post by Islamic Revival on Oct 5, 2004 3:41:00 GMT -5
Khilafah is fard - Evidence from the Sunnah
Evidence 1
On the authority of Muslim Nafi'a reported saying:
" 'Umar said to me that he heard the Prophet saying: Whoso takes off his hand from allegiance to Allah (swt) will meet Him (swt) on the Day of Resurrection without having any proof for him, and whoso dies whilst there was no bay'ah (allegiance or a pledge) on his neck (to a Khaleefah), he dies a death of jahilliyah."
The Prophet made it compulsory upon every Muslim to have a bay'ah on his neck, and described that whoever dies without a bay'ah on his neck dies a death of jahilliyah. This does not mean that he dies as a kafir, rather, it means that he dies as if Islam had never reached him.
The bay'ah cannot be for anyone except the Khaleefah, and the Prophet made it obligatory upon every Muslim to have on his neck a bay'ah to a Khaleefah.
The Prophet did not make it an obligation upon every Muslim to give bay'ah to a Khaleefah. The duty is the existence of a bay'ah on the neck of every eligible Muslim, i.e. the existence of a Khaleefah who accordingly deserves a bay'ah upon the neck of every Muslim. So it is the presence of the Khaleefah which places a bay'ah on the neck of every Muslim, whether the Muslim gave a bay'ah to him in person or not, as silence signifies acceptance of the bayah from the Ummah.
Therefore, this hadith of the Prophet is an evidence that the appointment of the Khaleefah is an obligation and not a proof that giving the bay'ah is obligatory. This is so because the Prophet rebuked the Muslim who has not a bay'ah on his neck until he dies, not the one who did not give bay'ah.
Evidences 2-5
Hisham ibn 'Urwa reported on the authority of Abu Saleh on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said:
"Leaders will take charge of you after me, where the pious (one) will lead you with his piety and the impious (one) with his impiety, so listen to them and obey them in everything which conforms with the truth. If they act rightly it is for your credit, and if they acted wrongly it is counted for you and against them."
Muslim narrated on the authority of al-A'araj, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet said:
"Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind whom the people fight and by whom they protect themselves."
Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hazim, who said:
"I accompanied Abu Hurairah for five years and heard him talking of the Prophet's saying: The Prophets ruled over the children of Israel, whenever a Prophet died another Prophet succeeded him, but there will be no Prophet after me. There will be Khulafa'a and they will number many. They asked: What then do you order us? He said: Fulfil the bay'ah to them one after the other and give them their due. Surely Allah will ask them about what He entrusted them with."
Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Prophet said:
"If anyone sees in his amir something that displeases him let him remain patient, for behold, he who separates himself from the sultan (authority of Islam) by even so much as a hand span and dies thereupon, has died a death of the days of jahilliyah".
In these ahadith, the Prophet informs us that leaders will run the affairs of Muslims, and the ahadith include the description of the Khaleefah as a shield, i.e. a protection. So the description of the Imam as a shield is informative of the benefits of the presence of the Imam, thus it is a command for action, because if the information conveyed by Allah (swt) and the Prophet contained rebuke then it is a command of prohibition, and if it contained praise then it is a command for action. If the ordered action is necessary to implement a hukm shari'i (divine law), or by its negligence a hukm shari'i will be neglected, then this command is decisive. In these ahadith there is information also that those who run the affairs of Muslims are Khulafa'a, which indicates an order to appoint them. They also include a prohibition for Muslims to separate from the authority, which indicates the obligation upon Muslims to appoint an authority for themselves, i.e. ruling. Moreover, the Prophet ordered the Muslims to obey the Khaleefah and to fight those who dispute his authority as Khaleefah, which indicates an order to appoint a Khaleefah and to protect his Khilafah by fighting against whosoever disputes with him.
Evidence 6
Imam Ahmed reported on the authority of Abdullah Ibnu Amru that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"It is forbidden for three persons to be together in a secluded place without appointing one of them as their amir". (Sahih)
Al Imam Abu Dawood reported on the authority of Abu Said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"If three persons set off on a journey, they should appoint one of them as amir".
These ahadith confirm that Muslims are obliged to have an amir, even if they were only three persons in isolation or on a journey. If the shar'iyah verdict compels the appointment of an amir on three persons, this proves that the obligation on the ummah worldwide is of greater magnitude.
The phrase "one of them" implies that there should be no more than one amir. This carries the same weight in terms of evidence.
Evidence 1
On the authority of Muslim Nafi'a reported saying:
" 'Umar said to me that he heard the Prophet saying: Whoso takes off his hand from allegiance to Allah (swt) will meet Him (swt) on the Day of Resurrection without having any proof for him, and whoso dies whilst there was no bay'ah (allegiance or a pledge) on his neck (to a Khaleefah), he dies a death of jahilliyah."
The Prophet made it compulsory upon every Muslim to have a bay'ah on his neck, and described that whoever dies without a bay'ah on his neck dies a death of jahilliyah. This does not mean that he dies as a kafir, rather, it means that he dies as if Islam had never reached him.
The bay'ah cannot be for anyone except the Khaleefah, and the Prophet made it obligatory upon every Muslim to have on his neck a bay'ah to a Khaleefah.
The Prophet did not make it an obligation upon every Muslim to give bay'ah to a Khaleefah. The duty is the existence of a bay'ah on the neck of every eligible Muslim, i.e. the existence of a Khaleefah who accordingly deserves a bay'ah upon the neck of every Muslim. So it is the presence of the Khaleefah which places a bay'ah on the neck of every Muslim, whether the Muslim gave a bay'ah to him in person or not, as silence signifies acceptance of the bayah from the Ummah.
Therefore, this hadith of the Prophet is an evidence that the appointment of the Khaleefah is an obligation and not a proof that giving the bay'ah is obligatory. This is so because the Prophet rebuked the Muslim who has not a bay'ah on his neck until he dies, not the one who did not give bay'ah.
Evidences 2-5
Hisham ibn 'Urwa reported on the authority of Abu Saleh on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said:
"Leaders will take charge of you after me, where the pious (one) will lead you with his piety and the impious (one) with his impiety, so listen to them and obey them in everything which conforms with the truth. If they act rightly it is for your credit, and if they acted wrongly it is counted for you and against them."
Muslim narrated on the authority of al-A'araj, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet said:
"Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind whom the people fight and by whom they protect themselves."
Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hazim, who said:
"I accompanied Abu Hurairah for five years and heard him talking of the Prophet's saying: The Prophets ruled over the children of Israel, whenever a Prophet died another Prophet succeeded him, but there will be no Prophet after me. There will be Khulafa'a and they will number many. They asked: What then do you order us? He said: Fulfil the bay'ah to them one after the other and give them their due. Surely Allah will ask them about what He entrusted them with."
Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Prophet said:
"If anyone sees in his amir something that displeases him let him remain patient, for behold, he who separates himself from the sultan (authority of Islam) by even so much as a hand span and dies thereupon, has died a death of the days of jahilliyah".
In these ahadith, the Prophet informs us that leaders will run the affairs of Muslims, and the ahadith include the description of the Khaleefah as a shield, i.e. a protection. So the description of the Imam as a shield is informative of the benefits of the presence of the Imam, thus it is a command for action, because if the information conveyed by Allah (swt) and the Prophet contained rebuke then it is a command of prohibition, and if it contained praise then it is a command for action. If the ordered action is necessary to implement a hukm shari'i (divine law), or by its negligence a hukm shari'i will be neglected, then this command is decisive. In these ahadith there is information also that those who run the affairs of Muslims are Khulafa'a, which indicates an order to appoint them. They also include a prohibition for Muslims to separate from the authority, which indicates the obligation upon Muslims to appoint an authority for themselves, i.e. ruling. Moreover, the Prophet ordered the Muslims to obey the Khaleefah and to fight those who dispute his authority as Khaleefah, which indicates an order to appoint a Khaleefah and to protect his Khilafah by fighting against whosoever disputes with him.
Evidence 6
Imam Ahmed reported on the authority of Abdullah Ibnu Amru that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"It is forbidden for three persons to be together in a secluded place without appointing one of them as their amir". (Sahih)
Al Imam Abu Dawood reported on the authority of Abu Said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"If three persons set off on a journey, they should appoint one of them as amir".
These ahadith confirm that Muslims are obliged to have an amir, even if they were only three persons in isolation or on a journey. If the shar'iyah verdict compels the appointment of an amir on three persons, this proves that the obligation on the ummah worldwide is of greater magnitude.
The phrase "one of them" implies that there should be no more than one amir. This carries the same weight in terms of evidence.