Tirmidhi

Explanation:
1:
In Musnad Ahmad, there is an explicit statement from Safinah radi Allahu anhu regarding the duration of each caliph’s rule.
According to this statement, the period of caliphate of Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu was two years,
that of Umar radi Allahu anhu was ten years,
that of Uthman radi Allahu anhu was twelve years, and that of Ali radi Allahu anhu was six years.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ By Banu Zarqa is meant the Banu Marwan; Zarqa appears in their lineage, from whom they are descended.

➋ “The latter parts have lied” is an idiom used for those who spread fabricated statements for their own interests.

➌ The aforementioned period encompasses the caliphates of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and Hasan (radi Allahu anhum). The caliphate of Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) lasted two years, three months, and ten days; that of Umar (radi Allahu anhu) lasted ten years, six months, and eight days; that of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) lasted eleven years, eleven months, and nine days; that of Ali (radi Allahu anhu) lasted four years, nine months, and seven days; and that of Hasan (radi Allahu anhu) was approximately seven months.

Hasan (radi Allahu anhu), considering the delicacy of the circumstances, voluntarily relinquished the caliphate and entrusted it to Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu). In this way, the disputes that had arisen after the tragic martyrdom of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) over the issue of seeking retribution for Uthman, which had escalated to mutual conflict and bloodshed, were resolved.

After this, Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) remained caliph for 20 years. He ended internal unrest and disorder, and externally, he revived those jihad activities which had been interrupted due to internal disputes.

In this regard, the caliphate of Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) is also a golden era in Islamic history.

The period of caliphate upon the Prophetic methodology mentioned in the hadith, which is stated to be only 30 years, means that during this time, the caliphate would not be mixed with worldly aims and royal pomp and grandeur; but after this, some admixture of these things would occur.

This does not mean that the caliphate or the Islamic system of governance would be abolished altogether and only monarchy or absolute rule would remain.

Alhamdulillah, this did not happen; rather, the caliphate continued, albeit with some partial shortcomings.

And this continuity, with some variations, remained for centuries until in 1924, Mustafa Kemal Pasha of Turkey abolished the institution of the caliphate.

Some people, based on this hadith, claim that Islam’s political system lasted only 30 years and then ended.

This claim is extremely superficial and contrary to facts and events.

The political system of Islam, i.e., the institution of the caliphate, ruled the world for centuries, and through it, the greatness of Islam and the Muslims was established.

(For details, see: the book of the author [Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf rahimahullah], “The Historical and Shari’ Status of Caliphate and Monarchy.” In it, the features of Islam’s political system, i.e., the caliphate, have also been clarified, and the thick layers of false propaganda regarding Muslim caliphs and sultans have also been removed.)