What is the meaning of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs" in a time when the caliphate was not known?

The questioner : Another question: What does the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) mean by the word "Rightly Guided Caliphs" after him, in his saying: , given that the Rightly Guided Caliphs did not exist during his time (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The Shaykh : This is a question from someone who is unaware; in any case, the question is incorrect! Because it concludes that they must have been in his time!

The questioner : They did not exist, meaning the concept of caliphs did not exist in his time, and he informed of that?

The Shaykh : Does not Allah the Mighty and Majestic say: .

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Why is it said that it was not known? And suppose it was not known, we just mentioned that there are two languages: a customary language and a legal language. "Establish prayer and give zakah"—who understands prayer with these pillars and these conditions? If he established it, what is strange about him establishing the caliphate? He explained it by that, even though it was known before. But the doubt that came in the conclusion of your question is your saying that they were not present. What does he say?

The questioner : Given that the concept of caliphs did not exist in his time?

The Shaykh : Please, my brother.

Another questioner : The caliphs are not present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)... but does the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not know who the caliphs will be after him?

The Shaykh : Well, my brother, may Allah bless you, so I return and say this is a very strange question. And since you, praise be to Allah, have the boldness, listen to the direct answer: this is an oversight. Does not Allah know?

Another questioner : Allah knows.

The Shaykh : Well, the matter is finished, my brother. The Messenger of Allah said to his Lord: , so Allah informed him. And the Messenger, may Allah bless you, you must remember that when he speaks a word, he does not speak it as you and I speak, meaning by opinion and independent legal reasoning, where we may err or hit the mark. He is as it came first in the Qur'an, then in the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Qur'an says: . As for the Sunnah, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As was in a gathering with polytheists, and due to Abdullah's (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) eagerness to preserve the Sunnah, he wrote it down, unlike the majority of the Companions who were illiterate and did not write. So due to his eagerness to preserve the Sunnah, he wrote. The polytheists reproached him, and there is no surprise, for they are misguiders. They said: "You write down what Muhammad says in a time of contentment and anger," as if they had a doubt about him. So he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and recounted what the polytheists said, and he said to him: . If you are keeping in mind with me this legal reality that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) does not speak from himself, but speaks from his Lord, he may speak of a thing and not know its interpretation, do you understand this speech? Well, so what is in this? And the Messenger says in Sahih Muslim: . So the caliphs, my brother, are known, but the individuals of the caliphs are not known, and that is not necessary!

The questioner : The question in brief: What is meant by the Rightly Guided Caliphs after the Messenger?

The Shaykh : This is another question, my brother!

The questioner : Is this what is meant by the question?

The Shaykh : No problem, but what you said is not this. The Rightly Guided Caliphs, by the consensus of the scholars of the Muslims, are Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Umar al-Faruq, Uthman Dhu al-Nurayn, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them all). These four, by their agreement. Then the people of hadith add to these four Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who has a connection to Umar ibn al-Khattab through his daughter. These are the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Then whoever followed their path, took their way, and was on their method among the rulers. And I do not know if these were found until this time; perhaps they will come in the future, the one promised, and they are two: Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) when he descends from the sky on the wings of two angels, in the capital of Sham, and I do not say Syria, which is Damascus. This is the one promised first, and second, Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Mahdi. These may be added to them in the future because they rule by what Allah has revealed. As for the others, this is the answer, and I hope I have answered you, if Allah wills!