And similarly when a caliph has thus established himself by...

And similarly when a caliph has thus established himself by superior force but is afterwards subdued by another person, he will be deposed and the conqueror will be recognized as Imam or caliph.[^3] Qualifications of a Caliph The Sunnis consider ten conditions necessary for a caliph:- that he be Muslim; that he be of age, (i.e.,of puberty); that he be male that he be of sound mind; that he be courageous; that he be free, not a slave; that he be accessible and not be concealed or hidden; that he be able to conduct battles and beware of warlike tactics; that he be just- 'adil ; that he be able to judge and pass verdicts on points of laws and religion, that is, he be a mujtahid .

[^4] But the last two conditions are in theory only. As quoted in the previous chapter, even an ignorant and immoral person can become a caliph. Therefore, the conditions for 'justice' and 'religious knowledge' are without base. They hold that infallibility ( 'ismah ) is not necessary for caliphate. The words of Abu Bakr which he spoke from the pulpit before the of the Prophet, are cited in support of that view: "O people!

" he said, "I have been made ruler over you although I am no better than you; so, if I perform my duties well, help me; and if I go wrong, you should set me right. You should know that Satan comes to me now and then.

So if I am angry, keep aloof from me."[^5] at-Taftazani says in Sharh Aqai'idi 'n-Nasafi "An Imam is not to be deposed from Imamate on account of immorality or tyranny."[^6] Abu Bakr’s rise to power All the above-mentioned principles are derived, not from an ayah or hadith , but from the events and happenings after the death of the Holy Prophet. According to the Sunnis, the first four Caliphs are called al-khulafai'u'r-rashidun (the rightly-guided Caliphs).

Now let us examine how al khilaifatu 'r-rashidah came into being . Immediately after the death of the Prophet the Muslims of Medina known as ansar (Helpers) gathered in the saqifah (covered porch) of Banu Sa'idah. According to the author of Ghiyathu 'l lugha't , it was a secret location where the Arabs used to gather for their evil activities.

[^7]Here Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, who was then ailing, was led to a stately chair and made to sit upon it, wrapped in a blanket, so that he might be elected as the Caliph. Sa'd then delivered a speech in which he recounted the virtues of the ansar and told them to take over the caliphate before anyone else could do so.