The following translation is excerpted from a paper by Shaykh Yousef Wahb published by the Ummatics Institute. Footnotes have been added by the writer of this blog. For more information on the work of the Institute, please read the article ‘What is Ummatics?’ and refer to the website.

Imam al-Baghawi [1] writes in al-Tahdhīb fī fiqh al-Imām al-Shāfi‘ī [7:264]:

خلق الله تعالى العباد، وكلّفهم العبادة، ولم يتركهم سُدًى، وبعث إليهم الرسل؛ أئمةً يهدونهم على سواء الصراط، ويعلّمونهم الشرائع، وختمهم بسيد المرسلين محمد – صلى الله عليه وسلم وعليهم أجمعين – ثم بعده لم يكن للناس بُدٌّ من راعٍ يرعاهم،

 ووازعٍ يَزَعُهم، وساعٍ يسعى في إحياء أمر الدين وإقامة السُّنة، وينتصف للمظلومين؛ لما في طباع الناس من التنافر، فاتفقت الصحابة – رضي الله عنهم – على خلافة أبي بكر الصديق ثم استخلف أبو بكر بعده عمر، ثم كانت الخلافة بعد عمر لعثمان، ثم لعليّ – رضي الله عنهم – ثم تتابعت الولاة هَلُمَّ جراً إلى زماننا، فإذا أتى على الناس زمانٌ لم يكن فيه إمامٌ يجب على أهل الحل والعقد [منهم] أن يجتمعوا فينصبوا إماماً يقوم بإعلاء كلمة الله تعالى، وأمر الجهاد، ورعاية أمر الرعية،

وإقامة الحدود، واستيفاء الحقوق، وإنكاح الأيامى، وغير ذلك، ثم على الناس كافةً طاعته في [طاعة] الله، لقوله تعالى: {أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ} [النساء: 59]، وأراد بـ “أولى الأمر” الولاة. 

“Allah, the Exalted, created humankind and enjoined upon them the duty of worshipping Him. He did not leave them without guidance. He sent them messengers as leaders to guide them on the straight path and teach them the divine laws. He sealed them with the master of all messengers, Muhammad (peace be upon him and all messengers). After him, humanity has been in need of a leader to look after them, a warner to alert them, and a dedicated individual who diligently works towards revitalizing religious matters, upholding the Sunnah, standing up for the oppressed, considering the inherent tendency of people to diverge and clash.

The companions—Allah be pleased with them—unanimously agreed on the succession of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. Abu Bakr appointed ʿUmar as his successor. Then the caliphate passed to ‘Uthman, and then to ‘Ali—Allah be pleased with them. Successive rulers continued until our time. When a period comes upon people where there is no appointed leader, it becomes obligatory on those who enact and repeal community decisions (ahl al-hall wa al-‘aqd)  among them to gather and appoint an imam who will uphold the word of Allah, command jihad, safeguard the interests of the subjects, establish legal punishments, ensure the fulfillment of rights, conduct marriages for single women, and other such matters. Then it is the responsibility of all people to obey him in [matters that are in accordance with] obeying Allah, as Allah says: ‘Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.’ [2]  By ‘those in authority,’ it refers to the rulers [3].”

Notes

[1] Imam Baghawi is al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud ibn Muhammad ibn al-Farra’, Abu Muhammad Muhyi al-Sunna al-Baghawi, born in Bagha, Persia, in 436 H/1044 CE. Known to contemporaries as the Reviver of the Sunnah, he was an Imam in Shafi‘i jusrisprudence, hadith and tafsīr, writing valuable works in each, among them his sixteen-volume Sharh al-sunnah. His commentary on the Holy Qur’an has also proved very popular among scholars and has been printed in several editions.

He died in 510 H/1117 CE [Excerpted from Reliance of the Traveller by Shaykh Nuh Keller, p. 1041]

[2] Qur’an 4:59

[3] In his commentary of 4:59, al-Baydawi [died 685 H/1286 CE] states that “it comprises caliphs, judges and military commanders…as long as they stand for truth” [See Integrated Encyclopedia of the Qur’an, vol. 1, p. 278]