"Manabii walikuwa wakiwatawala Wana wa Israeli; kila mara nabii alipofariki, nabii mwingine alimrithi, lakini hakutakuwa na nabii baada yangu. Patakuwepo Makhalifa, nao watakuwa wengi." Wakauliza: "Basi unatuamuru nini?" Akasema: "Wapeni Bay'ah mmoja baada ya mwingine, na wapeni haki yao. Hakika Allah atawauliza kuhusu yale aliyowakabidhi."ﷺ

“The Prophets ruled over the children of Israel, whenever a Prophet died another Prophet succeeded him, but there will be no Prophet after me. There will be Khulafaa’ and they will number many. They asked: What then do you order us? He said: Fulfill the Bay’ah to them one after the other and give them their due. Surely Allah will ask them about what He entrusted them with.”

Khilafah ni uongozi wa pamoja kwa Waislamu wote duniani. Kazi yake ni kuweka sheria za Shari'ah ya Kiislamu na kubeba da'awah ya Uislamu kwenda duniani. Khilafah pia inajulikana kama Imamah; maneno yote mawili yana maana moja. Hadithi kadhaa sahihi zinayataja kwa maana moja, na hakuna kati ya maneno hayo mawili ambalo limewahi kutofautiana kimaana katika nasi yoyote ya Shari'ah, yaani Qur'ani au Sunnah ya Mtume ﷺ, kwa kuwa hizi ndizo nasi pekee za Shari'ah. Si lazima kushikilia neno Khilafah au Imamah, bali ni lazima kushikilia maana ya neno hilo.

The Khilafah is a common leadership for all the Muslims in the world. Its role is to establish the laws of the Islamic Shari’ah and to carry the Da’awah of Islam to the world. The Khilafah is also known as the Imamah, both terms have the same meaning. Several Sahih Ahadith mention them with the same meaning, neither of the two terms has ever differed in meaning in any Shari’ah text i.e. the Qur’an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw), these being the only Shari’ah texts. It is not compulsory to hold to the term of Khilafah or Imamah, but rather it is compulsory to hold to the meaning of the term.

Kuanzishwa kwa Khalifa ni wajibu kwa Waislamu wote duniani. Kutekeleza wajibu huu, kama wajibu mwingine wowote alioawekea Waislamu Allah (SWT), ni wajibu wa dharura ambao hakuna hiari wala uzembe ndani yake. Kuzembea katika kutekeleza wajibu huu ni miongoni mwa dhambi kubwa kabisa, ambayo Allah (SWT) huiadhibu vikali.

The establishment of a Khaleefah is an obligation upon all Muslims in the world. Performing this duty, like any of the duties prescribed by Allah (swt) upon the Muslims, is an urgent obligation in which there can be no choice or complacency. Negligence in performing this duty is one of the greatest sins, for which Allah (swt) punishes severely.

Ushahidi kwamba kuteuliwa kwa Khalifa ni wajibu kwa Waislamu wote unapatikana katika Sunnah na Ijmaa (makubaliano) ya Maswahaba. Kuhusu Sunnah, Nafi'a alisimulia akisema: “‘Umar aliniambia kwamba alimsikia Nabii ﷺ akisema: ‘Yeyote atakayeondoa mkono wake kutoka kwenye utiifu kwa Allah (SWT), atakutana Naye (SWT) siku ya Kiyama bila kuwa na hoja yoyote kwake, na yeyote atakayekufa hali ya kuwa hakuna Bay'ah (kiapo cha utiifu) shingoni mwake (kwa Khalifa), atakufa kifo cha Jahiliyyah (ujinga).’” Basi Nabii ﷺ aliifanya kuwa wajibu kwa kila Muslim kuwa na Bay'ah shingoni mwake, na akaeleza kwamba yeyote atakayekufa bila Bay'ah shingoni mwake, amekufa kifo cha Jahiliyyah. Bay'ah haiwezi kuwa kwa mtu yeyote isipokuwa Khalifa, na Nabii ﷺ aliifanya kuwa wajibu kwa kila Muslim kuwa na Bay'ah kwa Khalifa shingoni mwake. Hata hivyo, hakuifanya kuwa wajibu kwa kila Muslim kutoa Bay'ah kwa Khalifa. Wajibu ni kuwepo kwa Bay'ah shingoni mwa kila Muslim aliyestahili, yaani kuwepo kwa Khalifa ambaye kwa hiyo anastahili Bay'ah shingoni mwa kila Muslim. Hivyo ni kuwepo kwa Khalifa ndiko kunakoweka Bay'ah shingoni mwa kila Muslim, iwe Muislamu huyo amempa Bay'ah binafsi au hakumpa.