During the famous battle of Qadisiyyah, the Persian general Rustam sent word to the Muslim commander Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas to send an envoy for negotiations. The latter chose his fellow Sahabi Rib‘i bin ‘Amir as the envoy. When Rib‘i arrived at Rustam’s court, he was asked by the general through the interpreter: “What is … Continue reading Sahabi: Allah has sent us forward to liberate men from following men
“From Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, “The one upon whom we ask blessings and peace, said, ‘The Hour shall not take place until Iman returns to take refuge in Madinah just like the snake returning to take refuge in her hole.’ ”Abu Mus‘ab al-Zuhri** said regarding this hadith, ‘By Allah! It shall not return and take refuge but among its true followers and its people who establish it completely and properly and who institute in their lives its various precepts and laws, and who have knowledge of its proper interpretation, establishing firmly its rulings by which it judges.’ ”
The following is from the translated meaning of the Qur’an (4:59): “O Believers, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you; and if you have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you are [in truth] believers in Allah and the Last Day.” [Rendered by … Continue reading Ibn Hajar on Obeying and Disobeying those in Authority
Despite the fact that Imam Ghazali’s al-Iqtiṣād fi al-I‘tiqād is a book on beliefs (‘aqīda), he includes a whole chapter on the imamate (caliphate) in this work. At the beginning of this chapter, he includes a discussion of what he describes as ‘definite legal proof’ (al-burhān al-qaṭ‘ī al-shar‘ī) that appointing an imam is an obligation. … Continue reading Imam Ghazali’s ‘Definite Proof’ that Appointing a Caliph is Obligatory
The Caliphate 