Seâdet-i Ebediyye Endless Bliss Third Fascicle

8 — SECOND VOLUME, 60th LETTER
This letter, written to Muhammad Taqî, informs that it is
necessary to cease from superfluous actions and to do what is
indispensable:
Hamd be to Allâhu ta’âlâ and salâm to His distinguished,
beloved slaves! I have had the honour of reading your valuable
letter. You gathered and wrote the documents and witnesses
informing that Hadrat Abû Bakr Siddîq’s caliphate was rightful
and that he was elected Khalîfa with the unanimity of the good
people of the first [Islamic] century, the best century. Likewise, we
have been happy to read your statements explaining that the
superiority of the four Khalîfas to one another, who are called
Khulafâ-i râshidîn, is in accordance with the sequence of their
caliphates, and that we should not be vociferous and keep quiet
concerning the disagreements and combats among the Sahâba,
who were educated by the Highest of Mankind, Hadrat
Muhammad ‘’alaihissalâm’. Such belief concerning the imâms and
Khalîfas is sufficient. The savants of Ahl as-sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at
state so. May Allâhu ta’âlâ plentifully reward these savants for
their work!
My merciful brother! Teachings concerning the imâms, that is,
caliphates, are not indispensable [darûrî] teachings of our religion.
That is, they are not in the (category of teachings termed) usûl-i
dîn. They are in the (category called) furû’-i dîn. The indispensable
teachings, that is, the darûriyyât-i dîn, are a different matter. They
are the teachings on belief and deeds. In other words, first of all it
is necessary to learn the facts to be believed and the practices to be
done. The former part of the indispensable teachings is called ’ilmi
Kalâm and the latter part is called ’ilm-i Fiqh. To leave aside the
indispensable and to busy with the unnecessary will mean to spend
one’s valuable lifetime on futile pursuits. A hadîth declares: “What
shows Allah’s disliking a slave of His is his destroying his time on
futile pursuits.” If it were a matter of the indispensable usûl-i dîn
to deal with caliphates as the Shiites say, Allâhu ta’âlâ would
clearly declare in the Qur’ân who would be the Khalîfa after
Rasûlullah’s death. And our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
would command the caliphate of a certain person. Since the
Qur’ân or the hadîths do not lay importance on the matter, it
should be concluded that dealing with Khalîfas is not in the
category called the usûl-i-dîn, but it falls into the category called
the fudûl-i-dîn. Let those who like to spend their time on futilities
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