The Khaleefah must satisfy seven contractual conditions in order to qualify for the Khilafah post and for the Bay’ah of Khilafah to him to take place legitimately. These seven conditions are necessary. If just one condition is not observed the Khilafah contract would not have taken place and it would be considered null and void.
The contracting conditions are:
Firstly. The Khaleefah must be Muslim; the post of Khilafah is never allowed for the unbeliever, nor is it allowed to obey him. Because Allah (swt) says:
“And Allah will never (lan) give the unbelievers any way (of authority) against the believers.” [TMQ An-Nisa: 141]
Ruling is the strongest way for the ruler over the ruled, hence the term ‘lan’ (never) means the categorical prohibition of the unbeliever (Kafir) from taking a post of authority over the Muslims, be it the Khilafah or any other post of authority. This in turn forbids the Muslims from accepting the Kafir to rule over them.
Besides, the Khaleefah is the person in authority and Allah (swt) has decreed that the person in charge of the affairs of the Muslims should be Muslim. Allah (swt) says:
“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority (Ulil-Amr) from amongst you.” [TMQ An-Nisa: 59]
He (swt) also says:
“When there comes to them some matter touching public safety or fear they divulge it .If they had only referred it to the Messenger or to the people of authority (Ulil- Amr) from among them.”[TMQ; An-Nisa: 83]
The phrase “Ulil-Amr” has always been mentioned in connection with the Muslims, it has not been mentioned in any other context other than to indicate that the people concerned are Muslims. This proves that they must be Muslims. Since the Khaleefah is the person in authority and it is He who appoints people in positions of authority such as his Mu’awinoon (assistants), Wulah and ‘ummal, He himself must, therefore, be Muslim.
Secondly. The Khaleefah must be male. It is forbidden for a female to be Khaleefah, i.e. the Khaleefah must be a man, not a woman. Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Abi Bakra that He said: Allah has given me the privilege of a word which I heard from the Messenger of Allah during the days of Al-Jamal (the camel), when I was about to join the people of Al-Jamal and fight with them: When the Messenger of Allah heard that the people of Persia had appointed the daughter of Chosroes (Kisra), He said:
“People who appoint (Wallaow) a women as their leader will never succeed.” If the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) foretold the failure to those who assign the running of their affairs to a woman this indicates a prohibition. This is because it came in the form of reproach to those who give authority over themselves to a woman by negating their success thus indicative of definite prohibition. So the prohibition of appointing a woman to a position of authority came linked with a connotation (Qareenah) that indicates that the prohibition is decisive. Therefore, appointing a woman as a ruler is forbidden (Haram). Appointing a woman to a position of authority in this case means appointing her as Khaleefah and any other post connected with ruling. This is because this Hadith is related to the issue of ruling not specific to the appointment of Chosroes’s daughter as queen. The Hadith is not also general to cover everything but related only to matters regarding ruling and authority, so it does not apply to other than ruling positions.
Thirdly. The Khaleefah must be mature; it is forbidden to appoint a youth (pre-pubescent). Abu Dawoud narrated from ‘Ali Ibnu Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Accountability is lifted off three persons: The dormant until He awakes, the boy (adolescent) until He reaches maturity and the deranged until He regains his mind.” In another narration from ‘Ali
“The pen has been raised off three persons: The deranged in his mind till He restores his mind, the dormant till He wakes up and the adolescent till He reaches maturity.” Therefore, the person for whom the pen is raised is not able to be responsible for himself, and He is not under any liability by Shar’a, so it is unlawful for him to become Khaleefah or to hold any post of authority for He is not responsible for his own actions. Evidence is also derived from the fact that the Messenger Aqeel, Zahra ibn Ma’abed from his grandfather ‘Abdullah Ibnu Hisham who reached the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and his mother Zainab bint Humair took him to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Take his Bay’ah’. The Prophet (pbuh):
“He is still a little boy”, so He stroked his head and prayed for him. Therefore, if the Bay’ah of the little boy is not valid, and He cannot give a Bay’ah to a Khaleefah, He evidently cannot be Khaleefah himself.
Fourthly. The Khaleefah must be sane; it is unlawful for a Khaleefah to be insane because the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The pen has been raised off three persons: The deranged in his mind till He restores his mind, the dormant till He wakes up and the adolescent till He reaches maturity.” The person off whom the pen is raised is not under obligation. Also the mind is the condition for responsibility and for the validity of actions. The Khaleefah enacts the rules and executes all the legal duties, it is therefore unlawful to have an insane Khaleefah because the insane cannot look after himself, nor is He responsible for his own actions, thus He cannot look after the affairs of the people by greater reason (Bab Awla).
Fifthly. The Khaleefah must be just (‘Adl); it is not allowed for him to be a ‘Fasiq’ (rebel). Justice is an obligatory foundation for contracting the Khilafah and for its continuity. This is because Allah (swt) has stipulated that the witness must be just. He (swt) says:
“And seek the witness of two just men from amongst you.” [TMQ At-Talaq: 2]
So if the witness must be just, then the Khaleefah who holds a higher post and rules over the witness himself should, by greater reason, be just. For if justice was stipulated in the witness, its presence in the Khaleefah must exist by greater reason (Bab Awla).
Sixthly. The Khaleefah must be a freeman; since the slave is under his master’s sovereignty, so he cannot run his own affairs, therefore he has no power to run other people’s affairs and be a ruler over them.
Seventhly. The Khaleefah must be able and skilled in carrying out the task of the Khilafah; this is an integral part of the Bay’ah. One who is unable to do so cannot perform the duty of running the people’s affairs by the Book and the Sunnah upon which he took the pledge of allegiance (Bay’ah).