Wifāq ul Ulāma (SA) ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN 'ULAMA

Appointment as the Khalifah:

Before passing away, Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) did not appoint any specific person to succeed him as the Khalifah.

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

Before passing away, Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) formed a Shura (council) consisting of the following six Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum):

Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Talhah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

After appointing the Shura of six personalities, Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) further remarked, “I do not think that the people will regard any person to be as great as Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

After the janaazah salaah of Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was performed, the members of the Shura went into the grave with Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) in order to lower the body of Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) into the grave.

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

After Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) made his right over to Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) made his right over to Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), and Hazrat Talhah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) made his right over to Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) also forewent his right, leaving the Khilaafah between Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

After the three days and nights had elapsed, Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) came to the home of his nephew, Hazrat Miswar bin Makhramah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

Appointment as the Khalifah (continued)

On arriving at the home of Hazrat Miswar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) found Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) standing in salaah.

When Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was in his final illness, he dictated the following letter to Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) in which he appointed Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) as the Khalifah after him:

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

This is the instruction of Abu Bakr, the son of Abu Quhaafah, at the very end of his life in this world, while exiting the world and entering the life of the Hereafter, and he is close to reaching the point (of the throes of death, wherein the signs of the Hereafter become clear to a person and) where a kaafir will wish that he had brought Imaan, a sinner realizes and gains full conviction of his condition, and a liar will wish to become truthful.

When Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) commenced dictating the letter and he reached the point where the name of Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was going to be written, he fell unconscious before he could mention the name of Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).