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The Khulafa-e-Raashideen

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftionline.co.za

Q: I have heard that Hazrat Mu’aawiyah (Radiyallahu Anhu) is the fifth khalifa. I thought there are four khalifas; Hazrat Abu Bakar, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthmaan and Hazrat Ali (Radiyallahu Anhum). Please could you give me the correct answer?

Bismillaah

A: There were only four Khulafa who were known as the Khulafa-e-Raashideen. These four Khulafa were Hazrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Usmaan (Radiyallahu Anhu) and Hazrat Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu).

In the Mubaarak Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) instructed the ummah to follow the way of the Khulafa-e-Rashideen. The entire ummah, from the time of the Sahaabah till this day, is unanimous upon these four Khulafa being the Khulafa-e-Rashideen.

Though Hazrat Mu’aawiyah (Radiyallahu Anhu) was the fifth Khaleefah and he was far greater than all the Khulafa that came after him, he did not reach the position of the Khulafa-e-Rashideen. Their position was extremely high and exalted and none of the Sahaabah had reached their position.

On one occasion, a person asked Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarak (Rahimahullah) regarding Hazrat Mu’aawiyah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) to which he replied, “What can I say regarding a person who stood behind Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and said ‘Rabbana walakal hamd’ when Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said ‘Samiallahuliman Hamidah’. He was then asked, “Who is superior? Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) or Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Azeez (Rahimahullah)?” He replied, “The dust in the nostrils of Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu) when he was with Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is greater and far superior to Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Azeez (Rahimahullah).”

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

سئل ابن المبارك عن معاوية رضي الله عنه  فقيل له : فقال : ما أقول في رجل قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: سمع الله لمن حمده ، فقال خلفه : ربنا ولك الحمد ؟! فقيل له : أيهما أفضل ؟ هو أم عمر بن عبد العزيز ؟ فقال: لتراب في منخرَي معاوية رضي الله عنه مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خير وأفضل من عمر بن عبد العزيز . (البداية والنهاية 8/314)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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