Leadership, presidency and Imarah (emirate) are all of the same meaning. The leader, president and Ameer have the same meaning as well. However, the Khilafah, though it is a general leadership of all the Muslims in the world, is more specific than emirate (Imarah) and the Khaleefah is more specific than the Ameer. This is because the emirate can be the Khilafah and other than the Khilafah, like the emirate of an army and the emirate of the Wilayah and the emirate of the group. Thus the emirate is more general than the Khilafah. The Ameer could be the Khaleefah, the Ameer of a Wilayah, an Ameer of an army, an Ameer of a group, or an Ameer of travel. Hence, the Ameer is more general than the Khaleefah. Thus the word Khilafah is specific to the well-known post, while the word emirate is general for every Ameer.

Islam obliges that the leader, the president and the Ameer be one person, over the same matter and it does not allow that there should be more than one person in the same post. Therefore, Islam does not recognise what is called the collective leadership and does not recognise the collective presidency, rather the leadership in Islam is solely singular. So the leader, the president and the Ameer must be singular, and it is not allowed to be more than one person. The evidence on this matter is the traditions and actions of the Prophet (pbuh). Ahmad narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umru that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“It is not allowed for three persons in an open land without appointing one of them as an Ameer over them.” Abu Dawood narrated from Abi Sa’id that the Messenger of Allah said:

“If three people went out on a journey, let them appoint one of them as an Ameer.” Al-Bazzaar narrated from the tradition of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “If there are three persons in a journey, let them appoint one (Ahad) of them as an Ameer.” All these traditions state that the Ameer should be one, as understood from the Ahadith. “...Without appointing one (Ahad) of them as an Ameer.” “Let them appoint one of them as an Ameer.” The word one ‘Ahad’ is equivalent to the word ‘wahid’ which indicates the number one and not more. This is understood from the opposite meaning (Mafhoom ul- Mukhalafah). The Mafhoom ul-Mukhalafah for numbers and description (Wasf) can be acted upon without the need of text. As Allah (swt) says:

“Say: Allah is One.” [TMQ Al-Ikhlas: 1]

which means that there is not a second to him. Mafhoomul-Mukhalafah (the opposite concept) is not annulled unless there is a text that does so. Like the saying of Allah (swt):

“Don’t force your (servant) girls on prostitution if they (wanted) marriage.” [TMQ An-Nur: 33]

The Mafhoom ul-Mukhalafah of this verse (Ayah) means that if they did not want marriage then they are forced into prostitution. But the saying of Allah annuls this Mafhoom ul-Mukhalafah:

“Don’t come close to adultery, it is an abomination and an evil way.” [TMQ Al- Isra: 32]

Hence, if there is no text to nullify the Mafhoom al-Mukhalafah then it has to be acted upon. Similarly, the saying of Allah (swt):

“The adulterer, male and female, strike every one of them with one hundred lashes” [TMQ An-Nur: 2]

The lashing in this verse is limited to a certain number, which is one hundred lashes. The fact that it has given this specific number means that it is not allowed to increase over the hundred lashes. Therefore, the saying of the Messenger (pbuh) in these Ahadith; “Let them appoint one from them (Ahadahum) as an Ameer”, indicates by use of Mafhoom ul-Mukhalafah, that it is not allowed to appoint more than one Ameer. Thereupon the emirate (Imarah), leadership and presidency is for one person only, and it is not allowed absolutely, from the text and meaning of these Ahadith, to be for more than one person. This is also supported by the action of the Prophet (pbuh), as he, in all the situations in which He appointed an Ameer; He appointed only one person and no more. And He absolutely did not appoint more than one person in the same place.

With regards to the Hadith narrated from the Messenger (pbuh) that He sent Mu’az and Abu Musa to Yemen, and He said to them:

“Make it easy and not difficult, give good tidings and not bad news, and co-operate with eachother.” In this incident the Prophet (pbuh) sent each one of them to a different part of the Yemen and not to the same place. This Hadith was narrated by Al-Bukhari in two different texts. In one of them He states that they were sent to two places, where He said:

“Musa narrated to us that Abu ‘Owanah narrated that ‘Abdul Malik narrated from Abi Burdah who said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent Abu Musa and Mu’az ibn Jabal to Yemen and He sent each of them to a province and said: ‘Yemen is of two places.’ Then He said ‘Make it easy not difficult. Give good news and not bad.’ Each one of them set out for his job…” Therefore, there must not be two chiefs for the same matter, nor two presidents for the same place, rather the president, the leader and Ameer must be only one and it is forbidden for there to be more than one.

In regards to what has spread in Muslims’ countries with regard to the establishment of a collective leadership in the form of a council, or a committee, or an administrative association and the like, that have the functions of leadership, all this disagrees with the divine rule, if leadership is given to the association, council or committee. This is because leadership would be given to a group, which is Haram according to the texts of the Ahadith. However, if the committee, the council or the association were to carry out tasks, or discuss matters and make consultation, then all this is allowed and is from Islam, because the Muslims are praised for having consultation amongst themselves. The opinion of these committees would be considered according to the Hukm of Shura explained in this book.