How A Muslim Gains Authority

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) states in his explanation of al ‘Aqeedah al Safaareeniyyah:

Firstly, if the Caliph before him appoints him, then he is the (new) Caliph and it is impermissible to dispute this.

And he is in no need of a bai’ah (pledge of allegiance) because the bai’ah (to the first caliph) suffices for his (the new caliph’s) bai’ah.

This is because the bai’ah to the first (caliph) means that it is binding upon the people to allow the first (caliph) to act freely without restriction. So if the first (caliph) chose to act in this way and said, “Indeed the Imaam after me or the caliph after me is so-and-so” then he indeed is the (new) caliph without there being any pledging of allegiance (to the new caliph). And this is one (way of gaining authority).

Secondly, by consensus – meaning consensus of the people of influence upon giving him the bai’ah. This is just as the six people of the shooraa (consultative body) - those whom ‘Umar (radi Allahu ‘anhu) had designated – agreed in consensus upon giving the bai’ah to ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan (radi Allahu ‘anhu).

So if the people of influence agree upon a person and appoint him to be the Imaam then he becomes the Imaam. However, this (is only true) with the condition that the original caliph (i.e. the preceding one) did not appoint a specific person (to be the caliph after him). So if he did appoint a specific person then there is nothing more to be said. However if he (the first caliph) died without having appointed anyone, then the people of influence have a meeting; and if they agree in consensus upon a person being the caliph, then he becomes the caliph.

And is it a prerequisite that every single person from the (Muslim) nation give the bai’ah to him (the new caliph)?

The answer: It is not a prerequisite and (in fact) this is something which is not possible. And for this reason only the people of influence gave the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr (radi Allahu ‘anhu). So he did not send for every adolescent, nor for every elderly person,  nor for every young person nor for every man that they should pledge allegiance to him. Nor did he send out to Makkah nor to Taa-if nor to other cities – in fact not even to the (common) folk of al Madeenah.

So he was content with the pledge of allegiance of whom? Of the people of influence.

In this way we come to know that (when) the gullible fools say, “I didn’t give a pledge of allegiance (to this ruler)!!” We say, “Who said that it was a condition that you give the pledge of allegiance?”

The pledging of allegiance is not to be done by every single person – (rather) the pledging of allegiance is for the people of influence. So if they agree in consensus and give the bai’ah to him, then he becomes the Imaam. It is obligatory upon everyone to adhere to the rulings of the Imaam with regards to this man whom the people of influence have united upon. And this is one (way of gaining authority). Such as the example of whom?

The example of ‘Uthmaan (radi Allahu ‘anhu), ‘Uthmaan (radi Allahu ‘anhu) was given the pledge of allegiance by the consensus of the people of the consultative body (Shoora) whom ‘Umar (radi Allahu ‘anhu) had appointed.

Thirdly, by force – meaning if a man rebelled and overthrew the authority, then it is obligatory for the people to yield to him, even if this is through coercion without them being pleased (with him), because he overpowered the authority (in an un-Islaamic manner)…

Is there a fourth (way of gaining authority) remaining? They say “No”; these are the three methods by which the Imaam becomes the Imaam:

a) Appointment

b) Consensus

c) By force (un-Islaamic manner)

So if we say that the Caliphate is established through one of these three methods, then this means that it is never permissible to rebel against the one who (has become) Imaam by one of these (methods).

[al ‘Aqeedah al Safaareeniyyah p533 – 534]