The Qur'aan came to change the beliefs, behaviour and outlook of all who are astray. It came to guide them to true happiness and the way of life that one should follow in this life. Allaah سبحانه و تعالى states,
The Qur'aan came to change the beliefs, behaviour and outlook of all who are astray. It came to guide them to true happiness and the way of life that one should follow in this life. Allaah سبحانه و تعالى states,
Dr. 'Ali Muhammad as-Sallabi writes,
The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Certainly, the one who will live among you will see lots of differences. So stick to my sunnah and the sunnah of the right-principled and rightly-guided successors. Bite onto that with your molar teeth." [1] The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned his own sunnah and then mentioned the sunnah of his rightly-guided successors رضي الله عنهم. These successors are called raashideen because they know the truth and they judge or act in accordance with it. Raashid (راشد) is the opposite of ghaawa (غاوى). Ghaawa implies recognizing the truth but not following it. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also described them as mahdiyeen (المهديّين). This means that Allah has guided them to the truth and has not led them astray from it. This is the opposite of dhaal (ضال) or one who is astray from the truth and does not know the truth. For these successors to be true examples for others to follow, it is a must that they had to have recognized the truth, were guided and followed it. Otherwise, they are not worthy of being followed.
Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him said): "They (Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaa'ah) accept what has been reported continuously from the Prince of the Believers, 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and from others, that the best men of this 'Ummah after its Prophet are: Abu Bakr; then 'Umar; third, 'Uthman, and fourth, 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them all). All Traditions have indicated, and all Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) have agreed upon giving priority to 'Uthman out of regard for his allegiance (al-Bai'ah), although some of the people of the Sunnah are disputing over whether 'Uthman or 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with both of them) has the priority, after they (the people of the Sunnah) had agreed upon giving priority to Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Some people gave the priority to 'Uthman and kept silent and considered 'Ali to be the fourth. However, some people preferred 'Ali. And some remained neutral. But the people of the Sunnah settled on preferring 'Uthman, even though this matter - the matter of 'Uthman and 'Ali - is not of the fundamentals. The majority of the people of the Sunnah do not consider disagreeing in this matter as being misled. Rather, it is in the matter of the "Question of the Caliphate" where they consider the disagreeing person to be misled.
Ahl as-Sunnah believe that the Caliph after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is Abu Bakr; then 'Umar; then 'Uthman, then 'Ali, and that whoever contests the Caliphate of any one of these Imams is indeed more lost than an ass." ('Aqeedatul-Waasitiyyah)
The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) remarked to Hadrat Ali (رضي الله عنه), "You are to me like Haroon (عليه السلام) was to Moosa (عليه السلام), except that there is to be no prophet after me." His lineage is: 'Ali son of Abu Talib son of 'Abdul-Muttalib son of Hashim son of 'Abd Manaf son of Qusayy al-Qurashi.
[color=#000000]Scholars have deduced the reference to Hadrat Abu Bakr's (RA) caliphate from some verses of the Qur'aan. Al-Hasan al-Basri (RA), commenting on the verse:[/color] "O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islam), Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." (5:54) said,[b] 'By Allaah, they are Abu Bakr and his companions. When some Arabs relinquished Islaam after the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), Abu Bakr and his Companions fought them until they returned back to Islaam.' (Seeratul Khulafaa ar-Raashideen radiallaahu 'anhum) [/color]