The term of membership to the Council of the Ummah is limited. This is because Abu Bakr was not restricted to consult those to whom the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to refer. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab also was not under obligation to consult those whom Abu Bakr used to consult. In the latter years of his rule, ‘Umar sought the opinions of persons other than those He had consulted in the first years of his ruling. This indicates that the membership to the Council of the Ummah has to be for a specific period.