The first caliph felt a sense of responsibility for the...

The first caliph felt a sense of responsibility for the future of the Islamic state and was unwilling for it to be threatened by a vaccum in the leadership. He did not leave the ummali to its own devices and while on his deathbed instructed the people as follows: "I appoint 'Umar b. al-Khattab as commander and ruler over you; pay heed to his words and obey him." ( 2 ) The caliph thus regarded it as his right to designate his own successor and to enjoin obedience to him on the people.

The second caliph likewise realized the need to act quickly once he had been fatally stabbed. He ordered a six-man council to be convened which implies that he did not grant the Muslims the right of appointing the caliph themselves otherwise he would not have assigned the task to this council.

The Commander of the Faithful 'Ali peace be upon him accepted the responsibility of the caliphate under extraordinarily complicated and disturbed circumstances for he was fearful that popular disorder might lead to a wholesale relapse into Jahiliyyah.

Taking all this into consideration is it at all possible that ( 22 ) the Messenger of God peace and blessings be upon him and his family should have overlooked the depth of the danger or the sensetiveness of the situation despite the fact that society had only just emerged from Jahiliyyah and that he should not have drawn up a plan to confront the dangers he anticipated after his death?

It would indeed be impossible to find any acceptable explanation for a failure on the part of the Prophet to concern himself with this matter. Likewise it is unimaginable that he should have shown no concern for the future of the summons he had launched not caring what might become of it after his death.

On the contrary even on his deathbed and while sorely vexed by the pains of sickness the Prophet was concerned for the ummah and full of anxiety for its future to the degree that it completely preoccupied his whole being. During those sensitive and critical moments when everyone was in a state of shock and bewilderment and some of the (Sahabah) including 'Umar b.