The principle that the authority belongs to the Ummah is taken from the Shari’ah rule that states that the appointment of the Khaleefah is the right of the Ummah and that the Khaleefah can only take up his post and exercises his authority by taking a Bay’ah. The evidence for this has been clearly demonstrated in many Ahadith. Muslim narrated from ‘Ubadah Ibn us-Samit, he (pbuh) said:

“We gave Bay’ah to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to hear and to obey in ease and hardship.” And from Jarir Ibn ‘Abdullah, who said:

“I gave Bay’ah to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to listen and obey and give advice to every Muslim”. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“Three types of people which Allah (swt) will not speak to (on the Day of Judgement), nor will He praise them and they have severe punishment are: A man with surplus water on the road but he bans the traveller from it; a man who gives a Bay’ah to an Imam only for his own dunia, if he gave what he wanted him, he fulfilled to him otherwise he would not; and a man offered a commodity for sale after ‘asr, (i.e. from at the end of the day) so he swore that he was given so and so price for it, so he (the buyer) trusted him and took it, but he was not given (that price) for it.” [Narrated by Al-Bukahri and Muslim] Thus, the Muslims give the Bay’ah to the Khaleefah and not by the Khaleefah to the Muslims. They are the ones who give him the Bay’ah, i.e. they appoint him as a ruler over them. The Khulafaa’ Ar-Rashidoon took their Bay’ah from the Ummah; they only became Khulafaa’ once the Ummah gave the Bay’ah to them. As for the evidence that the Khaleefah only takes his authority by this Bay’ah, this is clear in the Ahadith concerning the obedience and the Ahadith regarding the unity of the Khilafah. Muslim narrated from ‘Abdullah Ibnu ‘Amru Ibn al-‘A‘as that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: