The Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum appointed as successors in the earth and its proofs

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has promised the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that He will surely grant them succession upon the earth and that He will establish for them their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will substitute for them, after their fear, safety and security.

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوْا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِيْ الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِيْنَهُمُ الَّذِيْ ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِّنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِيْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِيْ شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُوْنَ

Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that then those are the defiantly disobedient.[1]

Certainly, the promise of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum proved true, and Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not leave this world until Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala granted him victory and conquest over Makkah, Khaybar, Bahrain, the rest of the Arabian Peninsula, and the land of Yemen in its entirety. Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam collected the Jizyah[2] from the fire worshippers of Hajr and from parts on the border of Syria. The King of the Romans and the Governor of Egypt Al Maqawqis exchanged gifts with Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as well as Kings of Oman and al Najashi the King of Abyssinia.

Then Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu took charge after Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and he sent the armies of Islam to the lands of the Persians accompanied by Sayyidina Khalid ibn al Walid radiya Llahu ‘anhu. They conquered parts of it and killed many from the enemies. Armies were also sent to the lands of Syria accompanied by Sayyidina Abu ‘Ubaidah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala granted them conquest over Damascus and Busra. A third army accompanied by Sayyidina ‘Amr ibn al ‘As radiya Llahu ‘anhu was sent to Egypt. Then Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu passed away.

Sayyidina ‘Umar Al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu took charge of affairs after Sayyidina ‘Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu in such a manner that after the Messengers, the world had not seen the like thereof in strength of character and range of justice. Under his leadership the lands of Syria and Egypt were completely conquered as well as most of the Persian districts. Khosrow was routed and was totally humiliated. Caesar was annihilated and control over the lands of Syria were taken away, so he came to Constantinople. Sayyidina ‘Umar Al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu spent the wealth from these lands in the path of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.

Then Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu took charge of affairs after Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu and during his rule the Islamic Kingdom stretched to the furthest points of the East and West. The lands to the West were conquered to the furthest point possible including Cyprus, Kairouan[3] and others as well as the lands to the outermost eastern point all the way to China. Khosrow was killed and his kingdom perished completely. Towns in Iraq, Khurasan and Al Ahwaz were conquered and the believers fought a decisive battle with the Turks and their sovereign, the king, was defeated. The Kharaj[4] tax was collected and brought to the leader of the believers, Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu. All this was due to the blessings of his efforts to preserve the Qur’an via recitation, studying and encouraging the Ummah to protect it.

So, what do all these great conquests indicate to us?

Firstly, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala bearing testimony to the iman, good deeds, and pure tawhid of those who partook in these conquests:

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوْا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِيْ الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them[5]

Secondly, the credibility of the leadership of the four Righteous Khalifas, because Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala promised succession to those who believed and did righteous deeds from those present during the lifetime of Nabi Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. There is no doubt that succession of others can only occur after Nabi Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has passed on, so it must refer to these Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum. There is no doubt that there is no Nabi to come after Nabi Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so what is meant by succession is the position of leadership of the Ummah. There is no doubt that the succession that came to pass after Nabi Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as described in the verse occurred during the Khalifah of Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu, Sayyidina ‘Umar al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu because during their reign there were many great conquests, consolidation, and the manifestation of Islam and prevalence of safety. These things did not occur during the Caliphate of Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu because he could not avail himself to wage war with the disbelievers due to the continuous battles against those who opposed him from among the believers. So, we can establish from this verse the integrity of the leadership of the four Righteous Khalifas.

Thirdly, most certainly the religion that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala firmly established and spread throughout the East and the West is the true religion in the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala that He is pleased with and affirmed. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِيْنَهُمُ الَّذِيْ ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ

He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them.[6]

So now, O people of intellect, what do you say regarding those who claim that these illustrious Khalifas—who conquered many lands and under whose hands the promise of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala materialized—have in fact deceived Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, His Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and all the believers and that they all disbelieved in Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and His Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and the religion that they spread and Qur’an which they exalted was not from the true religion of Islam nor the Qur’an of the believers at all?

All praise be to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, what a grand slander this is!

NEXT⇒ Glad tidings of Jannat for the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum

[1] Surah al Nur: 55.

[2] A tax levied at non-Muslims when living under the protection of a Muslim government.

[3] Located in modern day Tunisia.

[4] A type of land tax.

[5] Surah al Nur: 55.

[6] Surah al Nur: 55.

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