between them. This is what the scholars have done here. In al-Fatḥ (13/182), al-Ḥāfiẓ, citing al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ, referred to the aforementioned apparent contradiction and then answered that the hadith of Safīnah refers to the caliphate of Prophethood, whereas the hadith of Jābir ibn Samurah does not restrict it in this way.

I say: This reconciliation is very compelling, and it is supported by the wording recorded by Abū Dāwūd: “The caliphate of Prophethood will last thirty years …”

Thus, the coming of other caliphs after them does not contradict it, because they were not successors to the Prophethood. It is these alone who are intended in the hadith, not anyone else, as is clear.

This is further clarified by Shaykh al-Islam’s statement in his earlier treatise:

“It is permissible to call those who came after the Rightly Guided Caliphs caliphs, even if they were kings; yet they were not successors to the prophets. This is evidenced by what al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated in their two Ṣaḥīḥs from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“‘The Children of Israel were governed by the prophets: whenever a prophet died, another prophet succeeded him. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be caliphs, and they will become numerous.’ They asked, ‘Then what do you command us to do?’ He said, ‘Fulfil the pledge of allegiance to the first, then to the next, and give them their due. For Allah will question them concerning those entrusted to their care.’”

His words, “they will become numerous,” are evidence that this refers to caliphs other than the Rightly Guided ones, for they were not numerous. Likewise, his words, “Fulfil the pledge of allegiance to the first, then to the next,” indicate that they would be in dispute, whereas the Rightly Guided Caliphs were not in dispute.

460 — “Let it trail a span.” Umm Salamah said, “Then the feet will be uncovered.” He said, “Then let it trail a cubit.”

Abū Yaʿlā recorded it in his Musnad (325/1): Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥajjāj narrated to us; Ḥammād narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Nāfiʿ, from Ṣafiyyah bint Abī ʿUbayd, from Umm Salamah:

When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said what he said concerning trailing the hem, she said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah—’”