he becomes capable of governing them through their obedience or by subduing them, he wields authority and is obeyed when he commands obedience to Allah.
For this reason, Ahmad said in the Epistle of Abdūs ibn Mālik al-Attār (1):
“The foundational principles of the Sunnah, in our view, are to hold fast to the way of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”
He continued:
“Whoever assumes the caliphate and the people unanimously accept and approve of him, and whoever subdues them by the sword until he becomes caliph and is called the Commander of the Faithful—it is permissible to pay zakat to him, whether he is righteous or wicked.”
According to the narration of Ishāq ibn Mansūr (2), Ahmad was asked about the meaning of the Prophet’s hadith—may Allah bless him and grant him peace:
“Whoever dies without an imam dies a death characteristic of the pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance.” (3)
He replied, “Do you know what the imam is? The imam is the one upon whom the Muslims unanimously agree; they all say, ‘This is the imam.’ That is its meaning.”