Hadith No. 16
There are caliphs after the Prophet 
.
رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ رَاهَوَيْهِ [ت238هـ] فِي «مُسْنَدِهِ»[1]، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جُحَادَةَ، عَنِ الْفُرَاتِ الْقَزَّازِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:
«إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، إِذَا مَاتَ نَبِيٌّ قَامَ نَبِيٌّ مَكَانَهُ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي»، قَالُوا: فَمَا يَكُونُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «خُلَفَاءُ، فَأَدُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ حَقَّهُمْ، وَسَلُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَكُمْ».
Translation:
Ishaq ibn Rahawayh [d. 238 AH] has narrated in his Musnad, (in this manner that) he has said: Abd al-Samad ibn Abd al-Warith informed us, he said: I heard my father say: Muhammad ibn Juhadah informed us, from Furat al-Qazzaz, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurairah, from the Messenger of Allah , who said:
“Indeed, the Children of Israel were governed by the Prophets; whenever a Prophet passed away, another Prophet would rise in his place. And indeed, there will be no Prophet after me.” They said: “Then what will there be, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “There will be caliphs. So give them their right and ask Allah for what is your right.”
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ، وَلَكِنْ زَادَ فِيهِ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: «فَيَكْثُرُونَ»، وَهَذِهِ زِيَادَةٌ غَيْرُ صَحِيحَةٍ؛ لِأَنَّ الثَّابِتَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «الْخُلَفَاءُ بَعْدِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ»، فَلَا يَكْثُرُونَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ النَّخَعِيُّ [ت96هـ]: «كَانَ أَصْحَابُنَا يَدَعُونَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ»، وَقَالَ: «مَا كَانُوا يَأْخُذُونَ بِكُلِّ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ»، وَقَالَ: «كَانُوا يَرَوْنَ فِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ شَيْئًا»[2].
Translation:
Mansoor 
said: This is an authentic Hadith. However, Abu Hurairah has added to it: “Then (the caliphs) become many,” and this is an incorrect addition; because it is established from the Messenger of Allah that he said: “The caliphs after me are twelve.” So their number does not exceed this. And Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i [d. 96 AH] has said: “Our companions disregarded a part of Abu Hurairah’s hadith,” and he has said: “They did not accept all of Abu Hurairah’s hadith,” and he has said: “They saw something in Abu Hurairah’s hadith.”
Attestation No. 1
وَرَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ [ت256هـ] فِي «تَارِيخِهِ الْكَبِيرِ»[3]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سُهَيْلِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ مَوْلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَخُوكَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ -يَعْنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: «يَكُونُ بَعْدَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ خُلَفَاءُ».
Translation:
Also, al-Bukhari [d. 256 AH] has narrated in his book al-Tarikh al-Kabir and said: Abu Thabit narrated to me, he said: Umar ibn Talhah narrated to us, from Abu Suhail ibn Malik, from ibn Abi Rafi‘—the freed slave of the Prophet —who said: I said to ibn Umar: Your brother, ibn Mas‘ud, informed me—that is, from the Prophet : “There are caliphs after the Prophets.”
Attestation No. 2
وَرَوَى الطَّبَرَانِيُّ [ت360هـ] فِي «الْمُعْجَمِ الْأَوْسَطِ»[4]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُطَّلِبُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «مَا بُعِثَ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا كَانَ بَعْدَهُ خَلِيفَةٌ».
Translation:
Also, al-Tabarani [d. 360 AH] has narrated in his book al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat and said: Muttalib ibn Shu‘aib narrated to us, (he said:) Abdullah ibn Salih narrated to us, (he said:) Layth narrated to us, (he said:) Ubaidullah ibn Abi Ja‘far narrated to us, from Safwan ibn Sulaym, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who said: I heard the Prophet of Allah say: “No Prophet was sent unless there was a caliph after him.”
Attestation No. 3
وَرَوَى ابْنُ أَبِي عَاصِمٍ [ت287هـ] فِي «السُّنَّةِ»[5]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَابِطٍ، عَنْ أَبِي ثَعْلَبَةَ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، وَأَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ الْجَرَّاحِ، قَالَا: سَمِعْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ بَدَأَ رَحْمَةً وَنُبُوَّةً، ثُمَّ خِلَافَةٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ».
Translation:
Also, ibn Abi Asim [d. 287 AH] has narrated in the book al-Sunnah and said: Fudayl ibn Husain narrated to us, (he said:) Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad narrated to us, (he said:) Layth ibn Abi Sulaym narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Sabit, from Abu Tha‘labah, from Mu‘adh ibn Jabal and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, who both said: We heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Indeed, this matter began with mercy and Prophethood, then it will continue with caliphate and mercy.”
