通过考察哈里发·拉希德们的效忠宣誓（Bay'ah）以及圣门弟子的共识（Ijmaa'），可以得出结论：哈里发职位是通过效忠宣誓确立的。在对艾布·伯克尔的效忠中，麦地那的显要人物，即"解与结者"（Ahlul Hall Wal 'Aqd），其效忠就足以确立哈里发职位。当时没有征询麦加穆斯林的意见，也没有征询阿拉伯半岛其他地区居民的意见，甚至没有询问他们对此事的看法。对欧麦尔的效忠也是如此。至于对奥斯曼的效忠，阿卜杜勒·拉赫曼·本·奥夫询问了麦地那穆斯林的意见，他并不满足于只询问显要人物。在对阿里的效忠宣誓时，麦地那和库法的大多数人都向他效忠，他也是通过效忠宣誓被单独确立的。对于那些反对他并与他作战的人，他的效忠依然有效，因为他们从未把效忠交给另一个人，也没有反对他的效忠。他们只是要求为奥斯曼的血（即他被杀之事）讨还公道。因此，对他们的裁定是：他们是因某一特定问题而背离哈里发的叛乱者。在这种情况下，哈里发必须向他们解释情况，并与他们作战。这些叛乱者并没有另立哈里发。

From reviewing what took place in the Bay’ah of the Khulafaa’ Ar- Rashidoon and the consensus of the Sahabah (Ijmaa’), one can conclude that the Khilafah is contracted by the Bay’ah. In the Bay’ah to Abu Bakr, the Bay’ah from the influential figures amongst the Muslims, (Ahlul Hall Wal ‘Aqd) in Madina alone was enough to contract the Khilafah. The Muslims of Makkah were not consulted, nor were those living in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, indeed they were not even asked about their opinion concerning the matter. This was also the case in the Bay’ah to ‘Umar. With regards the Bay’ah to ‘Uthman, ‘Abdul Rahman Ibnu ‘Awf asked the Muslims of Madina regarding their opinion and He did not merely content himself by asking the influential people. When the Oath was taken for ‘Ali, most of the people of Madina and Kufa gave him their Bay’ah, and He was singled out in the Bay’ah. His Bay’ah was valid even for those who opposed him and fought against him because they never actually gave their Bay’ah to another man nor did they object to his Bay’ah. They rather demanded revenge for the blood of ‘Uthman (for his killing). So the verdict regarding them was that they were rebels who withdrew from the Khaleefah over one particular issue. In this instance the Khaleefah had to explain the situation to them and fight against them. These rebels did not establish another Khilafah.