The Methodology of the Companions in Choosing the Caliph: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines the approach taken by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in selecting the caliph following the death of the Prophet ﷺ, as the first political crisis faced by the Islamic ummah. It aims to clarify the legal foundations and practical guidelines adopted by the Companions in addressing this pivotal event, in a manner that ensures the preservation of the religion and the unity and stability of the ummah. The study employed an inductive approach in collecting the texts and narrations related to the event at the Saqīfa, and an analytical approach in studying the positions of the Companions and deriving the governing principles of their ijtihad. The study concluded that the Companions dealt with this crisis through an approach based on prioritizing the public interest, consultation (shura), and reliance on Islamic legal evidence, while taking into account the objectives of Islamic law in preserving unity and preventing division. This contributed to a transfer of authority that maintained the cohesion of the Islamic state and established legal and political principles that became a reference in the jurisprudence of the caliphate and Islamic politics.