Rulership Among Quraish (Part 2)

 ‌سُبْحَانَ ‌ذِي ‌الْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْمَلَكُوتِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ

In discussions on the reality of the Khilafa it is often argued that the caliphate of a non-Qarshi, or someone who is not descended from the clans of Quraish, is invalid or cannot be considered a true caliphate. This erroneous view is a consequence of misinterpreting the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم statement:

لاَ يَزَالُ الأَمْرُ فِي قُرَيْشٍ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَانِ

The matter [caliphate] will not cease in Quraish even if there remain among them only two individuals

(agreed upon)

an-Nawawi said:

هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثُ وَأَشْبَاهُهَا دَلِيلٌ ظَاهِرٌ أَنَّ الْخِلَافَةَ مُخْتَصَّةٌ بِقُرَيْشٍ لَا يَجُوزُ عَقْدُهَا لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ وَعَلَى هَذَا انْعَقَدَ الْإِجْمَاعُ فِي زَمَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ فَكَذَلِكَ بَعْدَهُمْ

These Ahadith and what resemble them are apparent evidence that the Caliphate is particular to Quraish and it is not allowed to give it to anyone other than them. And this was the consensus in the time of the Sahaba and likewise after them (Sharh an-Nawawi ala Muslim; v.12, p.200)

However, this is purely a predictive statement and not instructional. Thus far it has proven true. All of those who can legitimately be considered successors of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم were from the Quraish. These are the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs رضى الله عنهم, but also Hasan bin Ali, Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنهم and Umar bin Abd al-Aziz رحمه الله. In other words it is true that the Umma has thus far never been under the caliphate of a non-Qarshi. The government of the Ottoman Turks was not a caliphate despite their pretentious claim to it.

If it is argued that the matter which the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was referring to in this Hadith is not the caliphate specifically but government in general then we are posed with a problem of having to reconcile a prediction that such a matter shall remain among Quraish perpetually and the apparent reality that sometime during the Abbasid period this ceased to be the case with the rise of the Turks and other non-Arab, non-Qarshi governments. It is certainly the situation today that the rulers of the Muslims are by and large non-Qarshi. In answer to this problem, Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani quotes al-Kirmani:

وَيَكُونُ الْمُرَادُ بِالْأَمْرِ مُجَرَّدَ التَّسْمِيَةِ بِالْخِلَافَةِ لَا الِاسْتِقْلَالَ بِالْحُكْمِ

The intent of ‘the matter’ is solely the name of the Caliphate and not necessarily independent rule (Fath al-Bari; v.6, p.536)

He also offers his own explanation:

وَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ حَقِيقَةُ الْعَدَدِ وَإِنَّمَا الْمُرَادُ بِهِ انْتِفَاءُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْأَمْرُ فِي غَيْرِ قُرَيْشٍ وَيَحْتَمِلُ أَنْ يُحْمَلَ الْمُطْلَقُ عَلَى الْمُقَيَّدِ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْأَوَّلِ وَيَكُونَ التَّقْدِيرُ لَا يَزَالُ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ أَيْ لَا يُسَمَّى بِالْخَلِيفَةِ إِلَّا مَنْ يَكُونُ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ إِلَّا أَنْ يُسَمَّى بِهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ غَلَبَةً وَقَهْرًا وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ المُرَاد بِلَفْظِهِ الْأَمْرِ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَفْظُهُ لَفْظَ الْخَبَرِ وَيَحْتَمِلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَقَاءُ ‌الْأَمْرِ ‌فِي ‌قُرَيْشٍ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَقْطَارِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ

The literal number (two individuals) is not intended, but what is intended by it is the negation of this matter (caliphate) for other than Quraish. ‘This matter will not cease’ meaning the name of the Caliphate except that it is for one among Quraish, except if someone names it for himself from other than Quraish through overpowering and subduing. What is meant by the ‘matter’, a predictive statement, the continuation of the ‘matter’ (caliphate) in Quraish in some areas rather than others (ibid; v.13, p.117)

By this explanation it is correct that the rule, in some place or another, has continuously been manifested by someone from Quraish till this day. For example, Jordan is ruled by a Hashemite monarch, and the supreme leader of Iran claims to be a descendant of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

As for the proof that the government of a non-Qarshi is valid, another Hadith says:

اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ

Listen and obey even if the one put in charge over you is an Ethiopian slave, whose head is like a raisin (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Regarding the Caliphate specifically, it is narrated that sayyidina Umar al-Faruq رضى الله عنه, the Prophet’s second senior most companion and his second successor, considered the possibility of appointing Salim, the client of Abu Hudhaifa رضى الله عنه, to the office of Caliphate, despite the fact he was not even an Arab, let alone a Qarshi:

قَالَ عُمَرُ ‌لَوْ ‌أَدْرَكَنِي أَحَدُ رَجُلَيْنِ ثُمَّ جَعَلْتُ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ إِلَيْهِ لَوَثِقْتُ بِهِ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ

(Musnad Ahmad; v.1, p.222, #129. Dar al-Hadith. Ahmad Shakir said isnaduhu sahih)

Likewise it is narrated that sayyidina Umar رضى الله عنه may have appointed Mu’adh bin Jabal رضى الله عنه from the Ansar (a non-Qarshi) to the Caliphate after him, though he ultimately decided to leave the matter to a committee of the Prophet’s senior companions for consultation.

فَإِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي أَجَلِي وَقَدْ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ‌اسْتَخْلَفْتُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ

(Musnad Ahmad; v.1, p.263, #108. Ar-Resalah Publishers. Shuaib Arnaut said hasan lighairihi)

However, it may be argued that sayyidina Umar رضى الله عنه did not act upon this expressed desire to appoint a non-Qarshi individual esteemed by him to the office of Caliphate precisely because he knew that it was a matter restricted to Quraish.