寻求哈里发职位并为之竞争，对所有穆斯林都是允许的，并不是makruh（厌恶）。没有任何经文禁止为此竞争。已经确定的是，穆斯林在Banu Sa‘ida的庭院中为此竞争，而当时先知ﷺ的遗体仍盖着布躺在床上，尚未下葬。还确定的是，属于杰出圣门弟子的六位协商委员会（shura）成员，在所有圣门弟子面前为哈里发职位进行竞争，而其他圣门弟子并未反对，并且同意他们的这场辩论。圣门弟子的这一共识（Ijma‘）表明，为哈里发职位竞争是允许的，为了获得它，可以请求、寻求，并以见解和证据相互辩论。至于圣训中禁止请求领导职位（imarah）的说法，这是针对不具备条件的弱者，例如Abu Dharr（ra）。然而，具备领导资格的人则被允许请求此职位。‘Amr bin al-‘Aas（ra）曾请求此职位，先知ﷺ便任命他为wali（总督）。因此，所传的这些圣训是专门针对不具备资格的人的，无论所涉及的是领导职位还是哈里发职位。至于具备资格的人，先知ﷺ并没有禁止他们请求此职位，并且他把领导职位授予了那些请求它的人。既然先知ﷺ把领导职位授予了请求它的人，同时又禁止请求领导职位，那么这一禁令应理解为针对不符合条件者，而不是绝对的禁止。

Seeking the Khilafah and contending for it is allowed for all Muslims, and it is not makruh. No text was reported which prohibits the competition for it. It was established that Muslims contended for it in the courtyard of Banu Sa‘ida, while the Prophet (saw) was shrouded on his bed and not buried yet. It was also established that the six people of the shura, who were from the eminent Sahabah (ra), contended for the Khilafah in front of all the companions, and the latter did not deny this and they agreed with them on this debate. This Ijma’a of the Sahabah indicates that contending for the Khilafah is permissible, and it is allowed to ask for it, to seek it and to debate against each other by opinion and proof for the sake of attaining it. As for the prohibition of asking for the imarah (leadership) mentioned in the ahadith, this is a prohibition for weak persons who are not fit for it like Abu Dharr (ra). However, those who are fit for the imarah are allowed to ask for it. ‘Amr bin al-‘Aas (ra) asked for it and the Prophet (saw) appointed him as a wali. So the reported ahadith are specific to those who are not qualified for it, whether it was for an imarah or the Khilafah. As for those who are qualified for it, the Prophet (saw) did not prohibit them from asking for it and he gave the imarah to those who asked for it. So since the Prophet (saw) gave the imarah to those who asked for it, and also prohibited asking for the imarah, then the prohibition is taken to mean those who do not fulfil the conditions and not an absolute prohibition.