and praise be to Allah, no event can occur until the Day of Resurrection without there being a solution for it in Islam—known to those who know it and unknown to those who do not. What escapes us is either deficiency or negligence. But for an event to arise before the Day of Resurrection for which there is no solution in the Sharia—this is impossible, for Allah has made this religion enduring until the Hour is established. It must therefore contain solutions to the problems of the world; otherwise, it could not rightly be a religion or a law until the Day of Resurrection.

As for succeeding the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—in action, this means being a righteous example in one’s deeds, acts of worship, dealings, character, and conduct, so as to serve as a model. For he is called a caliph and an imam: a successor to those who preceded him and a leader for those who come after him.

As for calling to Islam, he must be a leader in this calling: he should write to the leaders of the disbelievers, inviting them to Islam, just as the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—wrote to them, inviting them to Islam.

He wrote to the kings, leaders, and rulers of his time: he wrote to al-Muqawqis in Egypt, to Heraclius in Syria, to Chosroes in Iraq (1), and to others besides them. This is among the duties of the imam. If he does not undertake it personally, then he should appoint someone to carry it out and act on his behalf, by forming a committee of scholars to oversee this matter, possessing knowledge of the Sharia and of current realities, breadth of outlook, an effective manner, and the presentation of the religion