صحيح مسلم
Sahih Muslim
كتاب الإمارة
The Book on Government
باب الْوَفَاءِ بِبَيْعَةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ:
Chapter: The obligation of fulfilling oaths of allegiance is owed to the first of two Caliphs
Hadith 1842
This hadith is listed as number 4773 in Maktaba Shamila
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ ، عَنْ فُرَاتٍ الْقَزَّازِ ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ ، قَالَ : قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ تَكْثُرُ ، قَالُوا : فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا ، قَالَ : فُوابِبَيْعَةِ الْأَوَّلِ فَالْأَوَّلِ وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ " ،
It has been narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) (may pceace be upon him) said: Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet (ﷺ) died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His Companions said: What do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i. e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them.
