and they are those of whom Allah says:

{“As for the poor emigrants who were driven from their homes and deprived of their possessions, seeking bounty and pleasure from Allah and supporting Allah and His Messenger, it is they who are the truthful.”}

[Surah al-Hashr: 8].

Thus, these people, whose truthfulness Allah attested, together with all their brothers among the Ansār—may Allah be pleased with them—agreed (1) to call him “the Successor of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

In Arabic, khalīfa (appointed successor) means someone whom a person appoints to succeed him, not someone who merely takes his place without [that person] (2) appointing him. No other meaning is possible whatsoever in the language, and there is no disagreement about this.

One says: (3) “So-and-so appointed so-and-so as his successor,” or, in the imperfect, “he appoints him as his successor.” The latter is thus a khalīfa (appointed successor) (4), while the former is his mustakhlif (the one who appointed him). If, however, someone takes another’s place without the latter appointing him (5), one says only: “So-and-so succeeded so-and-so,” or, in the imperfect, “he succeeds him”; he is therefore a khālif (one who succeeds another).

He said (6): “It is impossible that by this they meant his appointment to lead the prayer, for two inescapable reasons. The first is that Abū Bakr did not (7) ever (8) bear this title in