Tempoh masa khalifah memegang jawatan tidak ditentukan dengan tempoh tertentu. Selagi khalifah berpegang kepada Syariah, melaksanakan hukum-hukumnya dan mampu menjalankan tugas-tugas Negara serta tanggungjawab Khilafah, dia kekal memegang jawatan. Ini kerana nas-nas yang berkaitan bai'ah datang secara umum (mutlaq) dan tidak dihadkan kepada mana-mana tempoh masa tertentu. Anas bin Malik meriwayatkan bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: .

The time term of the Khalifah in office is not determined by a certain period. As long as the Khalifah abides by the Sharia, executes its laws and is able to perform the duties of the State and the responsibilities of the Khilafah, he remains in office. This is because the texts concerning the bayah came as undefined (mutlaq) and were not restricted to any specific period of time. Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: .

"Dengarlah dan taatilah, walaupun kamu diperintah oleh seorang hamba Habsyi yang rambutnya seperti kismis." [Bukhari, Sahih, #7142].

"Do hear and obey, even if you were ruled by an Abyssinian slave, whose hair is like the raisin". [Bukhari, Sahih, #7142] .

Dalam riwayat yang lain, Baginda ﷺ bersabda:

In another narration He (PBUH) said: .

"…selagi dia memimpin kamu dengan Kitab Allah".

"…as long as he leads you by the Book of Allah". .

Tambahan pula, kesemua Khulafa' Rashidin telah diberikan bai'ah yang mutlak (tidak terikat), sebagaimana yang disebut dalam hadith-hadith. Mereka tidak dilantik untuk tempoh yang terhad. Setiap seorang daripada mereka memegang jawatan Khilafah sehingga dia meninggal dunia; dan ini merupakan ijma' umum daripada para Sahabat (ra), yang mengesahkan bahawa Khilafah bukanlah jawatan yang berpenggal, tetapi tidak terhad. Oleh itu, jika seorang Khalifah diberikan bai'ah, dia kekal memegang jawatan sehingga dia meninggal dunia. Namun, jika Khalifah itu mengalami perubahan yang menjadikannya tidak layak memegang jawatan, atau menuntut pemecatannya, maka tempohnya akan ditamatkan dan dia akan dipecat. Akan tetapi, perkara ini tidak boleh ditafsirkan sebagai had kepada tempoh Khilafahnya, sebaliknya hanya menunjukkan bahawa telah berlaku pelanggaran terhadap syarat-syarat Khilafah. Ini kerana lafaz bai'ah, yang telah disahkan dalam nas-nas Syariah dan ijma' umum para Sahabat, menjadikan Khilafah itu berjawatan tanpa had tempoh. Tempoh jawatan Khalifah sebenarnya terhad dari segi tanggungjawab yang dia terima melalui bai'ah, iaitu untuk memerintah dengan Kitab dan Sunnah serta melaksanakan hukum-hukumnya. Maka, jika dia tidak menegakkan Syariah atau tidak melaksanakannya, dia wajib dipecat.

Furthermore, all the Khulafa Rashideen were given an undefined (mutlaq) bayah which is the one mentioned in the Ahadith. They were not of a limited period (in office). Each one of them assumed the post of Khilafah until he died; and this represents a general consensus from the Sahabah (ra), confirming that the Khilafah is not of a limited term of office but is unrestricted. Thus if a Khalifah is given a bayah, he remains in office until he dies.. However, if the Khalifah underwent a change that made him unfit for the post, or necessitated his removal, his term would be terminated and he would be removed. However, this cannot be interpreted as a limitation to his Khilafah term, but merely to indicate that a breach of the Khilafah’s conditions had occurred. For the wording of the bayah, confirmed in the Shariah texts and the general consensus of the Sahabah makes the Khilafah of an unlimited term of office. The term of office of the Khalifah is rather restricted in terms of the Khalifah’s undertaking of what he was given the bayah for, i.e. to rule by the Book and the Sunnah and execute their Laws. Thus if it were that he did not uphold the Sharia or did not implement it, then he must be removed.