in the form of individual hadith reports is greater than what is reported(1) from some of the caliphs. The caliphs, however, transmitted the religion with a breadth and force unmatched by anyone else. Once they had undertaken this transmission, others joined them in it, and it became mass-transmitted. One example is Abū Bakr and Umar’s collection of the Quran in written sheets(2), followed by Uthmān’s compilation of it into the codices that he sent to the major cities. Collecting and transmitting the Quran was thus accorded greater importance than anything else.

The same was true of their conveying the laws of Islam to the inhabitants of the major cities, fighting(3) for that cause, appointing(4) governors and scholars as deputies to carry it out, and vouching for their truthfulness in what they conveyed from the Messenger. The scholars whom they appointed then conveyed it until the religion was transmitted universally, through manifest and well-known mass transmission. Through it, the proof was established, the clear path was made plain, and it became evident that these men were his rightly guided caliphs, who succeeded him among his Ummah in knowledge and action.

Regarding him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Allah Most High said:

“By the star when it descends,
your companion has neither strayed nor erred.
Nor does he speak from his own desire.
It is nothing but a revelation sent down.”

(Surah al-Najm: 1–4)

Thus, he neither strayed nor erred. The same was true of his rightly guided caliphs, about whom he said:

“You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Hold fast to it and bite down on it with your molar teeth.”(5)

For they succeeded him in this regard: through guidance they were kept free of straying, and through rectitude they were kept free of error.