The ruler is the legitimate authority in the absence of the Sahaba.

The ruler is the legitimate authority in the absence of the Sahaba. He is having the right of scrutinizing the various ideas and conclusions to opt for what he tends. These ideas and conclusions are the previous questions provided in the time of the Sahaba. The ruler, whoever he was, is the legitimate authority since the Muslims should stand in the line of the prevailing in any case.[2] This opinion is familiarly ascribed to Abdullah­bn­Omar, the famous Sahabi. Sunnis adopted this opinion.

The dominant, hence, is the authority who has the right to elicit verdicts even if he is not qualified enough to derive rulings. He also has the license of opting for any opinion of any mujtahid — having the talent of inferring verdicts and rulings from the defined sources of legislation, lacking or having the authority of legislation. Coherence of Authority and Doctrine There is a correlative relation and cohesion between the authority and the doctrine.

The authority infers the rulings from the doctrine. No doctrine exists without an authority, and no authority exists without a doctrine. The essential chore of the authority is demonstrating the divine belief. The prophet, followed by the authority, substantiates the very intendment of Allah, the Exalted. The divine doctrine determined the boundaries of the words, deeds, goals and means of attaining these goals.

Also, the divine doctrine constituted the relationship between the believers and their doctrine in all levels. Thus, the role of the authority is restricted in elucidating the doctrine thoroughly and typifying it with the novel eventualities. The authority is the only responsible of transferring the texts, rulings and purposes of the doctrine from hypothesis into application. In other words, the authority is the one in charge of applying words on levels of solicitation and administration.

In this regard, the Prophet's presentation of the divine doctrine is a part of that doctrine and reckoned with the numerous contents of it. While the presentation of Ali, Al­Hassan, Al­Hussein, Zainul­Aabidin, Ja'far As­Sadiq or any other Imam is seen as one of the constitutional precedents that are necessary for those who propose to make their deeds coincide with the divine intendment.

Hence, the presentation of the authorities succeeding the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is not reckoned as a part of the doctrine. However, such a presentation is [2] Al­Qasimi's Nidhamul­Hukm, page244­5.