خلافة الإمامة لا تنعقد لشخص بالتعيين أو بتسميته وليًّا للعهد، لأنها عقد بين المسلمين والخليفة. ولكي ينعقد هذا العقد يُشترط أن يُبايعه المسلمون، وأن يقبل من بايعوه هذه البيعة. والتعيين أو تنصيب وليّ للعهد لا يحقق ذلك، فلا ينعقد به عقد الخلافة. وبناءً على ذلك، لا ينعقد عقد الخلافة إذا عيّن الخليفة خليفةً آخر ليخلفه، لأنه لا يملك حق عقدها. والخلافة حقٌّ للمسلمين لا للخليفة، فالمسلمون يعقدونها لمن يشاؤون. ولذلك يكون من الخطأ أيضًا أن يعيّن الخليفة شخصًا غيره، أي أن يعده بالمنصب، لأنه بذلك يعطيه ما لا يملك، وهذا محرّم شرعًا. فإن عيّن الخليفة خليفةً آخر، سواء كان ابنه أو قريبه أو غيرهما، كان ذلك محرّمًا، ولا تنعقد الخلافة له أبدًا. وذلك لأن أصحاب الحق في العقد لم يعقدوه، فيكون العقد غير مفوَّض فيه، وبالتالي يكون باطلًا.

The Khilafah post is not contracted to a person by a designation or by being named as a crown prince, for it is a contract between the Muslims and the Khaleefah. In order to be contracted it is stipulated that the Muslims should give the Bay’ah, and the person they gave their Bay’ah should accept it. Designation or appointing of a crown prince does not fulfill that so that cannot contract Khilafah. Accordingly, the contract of Khilafah is not contracted if a Khaleefah nominated another Khaleefah to succeed him, for He does not have the right to contract it. Khilafah is also the right of the Muslims and not of the Khaleefah, thus the Muslims contract it to whomsoever they wish. Therefore it is wrong as well for the Khaleefah to designate someone else, i.e. to promise him the post. For it would be giving him something He does not own; which legally forbidden. So if the Khaleefah designated another Khaleefah, whether He was his son or his relative or any other, this would be forbidden and the Khilafah would never be contracted to him. This is because those who own the contract did not convene it; therefore it would be an uncommisioned contract and thus invalid.

至于有人主张，艾布·伯克尔曾指定欧麦尔，欧麦尔又指定了“六人”，而圣门弟子没有反对、保持沉默，由此表明已达成普遍共识。这些说法实际上并不能说明指定或任命王储是被允许的。原因在于，艾布·伯克尔并没有指定哈里发，他只是就穆斯林希望谁来担任哈里发一事征求大家的意见，阿里和欧麦尔被提名为候选人。随后，穆斯林在艾布·伯克尔任哈里发的最后三个月里，以多数票选择了欧麦尔。艾布·伯克尔去世后，穆斯林前来向欧麦尔效忠宣誓；只有在此时，哈里发之位才正式授予他。因为在效忠宣誓之前，也就是到那一刻为止，他并不是哈里发，哈里发之位既未因艾布·伯克尔的提名而授予他，也未因穆斯林的选择而授予他，只有当他们向他效忠宣誓、而他接受了这份效忠时，哈里发之位才算确立。至于欧麦尔指定“六人”，这只是应穆斯林的请求而做出的提名。随后，阿卜杜勒-拉赫曼·本·奥夫向穆斯林征求意见，问他们希望六人中的哪一位成为哈里发。大多数人选择了阿里，前提是他遵循艾布·伯克尔和欧麦尔的做法，否则便选择奥斯曼。阿里拒绝遵循艾布·伯克尔和欧麦尔的做法，于是阿卜杜勒-拉赫曼向奥斯曼效忠宣誓，之后穆斯林也向他效忠宣誓。

As for the claims that Abu Bakr had designated ‘Umar and that ‘Umar had designated the “Six” and that the Sahabah did not object and kept silent, indicating general consensus. These claims do not in fact indicate the permissibility of designating or appointing of a crown prince. This is because Abu Bakr had not designated a Khaleefah but merely consulted the Muslims regarding whom they wanted to be their Khaleefah, and ‘Ali and ‘Umar were nominated as candidates. The Muslims then chose ‘Umar by a majority during the last three months of Abu Bakr’s Khilafah. After his death, the Muslims came and gave their Bay’ah to ‘Umar; only then was the Khilafah post contracted to him. For up to that moment, i.e. before the Bay’ah, He was not a Khaleefah and the Khilafah had not yet been contracted to him, neither by Abu Bakr’s nomination, nor by the Muslims choice. It was contracted only when they gave him their Bay’ah and when He accepted it. As for ‘Umar’s designation of the “six”, this was merely a nomination for them in response to the Muslims request. Then ‘Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf consulted the Muslims as to which of the six they wanted to become their Khaleefah. So most of them chose ‘Ali if He adhered to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar’s actions, otherwise ‘Uthman. When ‘Ali declined to follow the actions of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar’, ‘Abdul Rahman gave his Bay’ah to ‘Uthman and then the Muslims gave him their Bay’ah.

因此,哈里发之位是通过民众的效忠宣誓(Bay'ah)而确立给奥斯曼的,而不是由欧麦尔的提名确立,也不是由民众的选择确立。因为如果民众没有向他效忠宣誓,而他也没有接受哈里发之职,这一契约就不会成立。因此,穆斯林对哈里发的效忠宣誓是根本性的,禁止通过指定储君或指派的方式确立哈里发之位,因为它是一项治权(Wilayah)契约,应当符合契约的各项规则。

Therefore, the Khilafah was contracted to ‘Uthman by the people’s Bay’ah and not by ‘Umar’s nomination, nor by the people’s choice. For if people had not given him their Bay’ah and if He had not accepted the Khilafah post. This would not have been contracted. Therefore, the Bay’ah of the Muslims to the Khaleefah is fundamental, and it is forbidden to contract Khilafah by appointing a crown prince or by designation, for it is a contract of authority (Wilayah) that should fulfill the rules of contracts.