“权威属于乌玛”这一原则，源自伊斯兰教法的一条规定：哈里发的任命是乌玛的权利，哈里发只有通过接受效忠（Bay'ah）才能就任其职并行使权力。这一点的依据已在许多圣训中明确阐明。穆斯林辑录了来自阿卜杜拉·伊本·萨米特的传述，他说：先知ﷺ说：

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:

“我们向安拉的使者ﷺ宣誓效忠，承诺在顺境和逆境中都听从并服从。”以及来自贾利尔·伊本·阿卜杜拉的话，他说：

“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:

“我向安拉的使者（愿主福安之）宣誓效忠，承诺聆听并服从，并且为每一位穆斯林进行劝诫。”艾布·胡莱赖传述：安拉的使者ﷺ说道：

“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:

“三种人，真主（SWT）在复活日不会与他们说话，也不会称许他们，他们将遭受严厉的惩罚：一是路上有多余的水，却禁止旅人取用的人；二是只为了今世的利益才向伊玛目宣誓效忠的人，如果伊玛目给了他想要的，他就履行誓约，否则就不履行；三是在晡礼之后（即一天的末尾）推销货物的人，他发誓说此物曾卖到某某价格，买家因此相信他并买下了它，而实际上他并没有卖到那个价格。”［布哈里和穆斯林辑录］ 因此，穆斯林是向哈里发宣誓效忠（Bay'ah），而不是哈里发向穆斯林宣誓效忠。是他们向哈里发宣誓效忠，即他们任命他为统治者。正统哈里发们从乌玛那里获得效忠宣誓；只有在乌玛向他们宣誓效忠之后，他们才成为哈里发。至于哈里发仅凭此效忠宣誓而获得权威的证据，这在关于服从的圣训以及关于哈里发制度统一的圣训中是很明确的。穆斯林辑录，阿卜杜拉·伊本·阿慕尔·伊本·阿斯（愿真主喜悦他们）传述，使者（愿主福安之）说：

“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:

“凡向某位伊玛目宣誓效忠、伸出手与之相握、并交出内心之诚的人，只要他有能力，就应当服从他。若另有人来与他争位，你们就应当斩断那人的脖颈。”纳菲尔说：阿卜杜拉·伊本·欧麦尔告诉我：我听见安拉的使者ﷺ说：

“Whoever gave Bay’ah to an Imam giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can. If another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of that man.” Naf ’i said ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar told me: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:

“谁从服从中收回他的手，他在复活日见到真主时，将没有任何凭据为自己辩护；谁死时颈上没有效忠的盟约（Bay'ah），他便是死于蒙昧时代（Jahiliyyah）的死亡。”［穆斯林辑录］伊本·阿拔斯传述：先知穆罕默德ﷺ说：

“Whoever takes off his hand from an obedience, he will meet Allah (swt) on the Resurrection Day without having any proof to show for himself; and whoever dies while having no Bay’ah on his neck he dies the death of the days of ignorance (Jahiliyyah).” [Narrated by Muslim] Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“若有人看见他的埃米尔（领导者）有令他不悦之事，就应当忍耐。因为，凡与苏丹（伊斯兰的权威）分离哪怕一拃之远，并在此状态下死去的人，他便是死于蒙昧时代（Jahiliyyah）的死亡。”——穆斯林圣训实录收录。艾布·胡莱赖传述：安拉的使者ﷺ说：

“If anyone sees in his Ameer something that displeases him let him remain patient, for behold! He who separates himself from the Sultan (authority of Islam) by even so much as a hand span and dies thereupon, he has died the death of Jahiliyyah.” [Narrated by Muslim] Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“先知们统治以色列的子孙。每当一位先知去世，就会有另一位先知接替他，但我之后不会再有先知。很快将会出现哈里发，而且他们的数量很多。”他们问道：“那么您命令我们做什么呢？”他说：“你们要依次履行对他们的效忠誓约，并把他们应得的权利交给他们，因为真主必定会就他们所被托付的事务向他们问责。”[穆斯林辑录]这些圣训表明，哈里发只能通过这种效忠誓约（Bay’ah）取得权威，因为真主（SWT）已经命令服从他。

“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 soon be Khulafaa’ and they will number many. They asked: What then do you order us? He (pbuh) said: Fulfil Bay’ah to them one after the other, and give them their dues, for verily Allah will ask them about what He entrusted them with.” [Narrated by Muslim] These Ahadith demonstrate that the Khaleefah only takes the authority by this Bay’ah, for Allah (swt) has commanded his obedience:

“凡向一位伊玛目宣誓效忠者……就应服从他。”因此，他通过效忠誓约（Bay’ah）被任命为哈里发，而服从他便成为必须的，因为他是被宣誓效忠的哈里发。于是他从那把效忠誓约授予他、并服从他的乌玛手中获得了权力，即乌玛向之宣誓效忠的那个人——那个由乌玛的效忠誓约套在其颈上的人。这证明权力属于乌玛。尽管先知穆罕默德ﷺ是最后的使者，他仍然从人们那里接受了效忠誓约（Bay’ah），这是关于权力与统治的效忠，而非关于先知身份的效忠。他ﷺ既从男人也从女人那里接受了这一誓约，但没有从儿童那里接受。穆斯林依据安拉的经典和祂使者的逊奈，通过授予哈里发效忠誓约来任命哈里发，哈里发也只是凭借这一效忠誓约才获得权力，这清楚地表明，权力属于乌玛，她将其授予她所愿意授予的人。

“Whoever pledged allegiance to an Imam ... shall obey him.” So, he is appointed Khaleefah through the Bay’ah, and his obedience becomes compulsory because he is a pledged allegiance to as Khaleefah. Thus he took the authority from the Ummah which gave her Bay’ah and her obedience to the one whom she pledged to i.e. to the one who has a Bay’ah on her neck. This proves that the authority belongs to the Ummah. Despite the fact that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was the final Messenger, he took the pledge (Bay’ah) from the people, which is a Bay’ah on authority and ruling and not on Prophet hood. He (pbuh) took this Bay’ah from men as well as women, but not from children. The fact that it is the Muslims who appoint the Khaleefah by giving him the Bay’ah according to the Kitab (Book) of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and that the Khaleefah only assumes power by this Bay’ah, clearly indicates that the authority belongs to the Ummah who gives it to whoever she wishes.