Khilafat on the precepts of Prophethood

قَال رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ ما شاءَ اللّٰهُ أنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُها إذا شَاءَ أنْ يَرْفَعَها، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلافَةٌ عَلى مِنهاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَتَكُونُ ما شاءَ اللّٰهُ أنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُها إذا شاءَ اللّٰهُ أنْ يَرْفَعَها، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عاضًّا، فَيَكُونُ ما شاءَ اللّٰهُ أنْ يَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُها إذا شَاءَ أنْ يَرْفَعَها، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً، فَتَكُونُ ما شاءَ اللّٰهُ أنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُها إذا شاءَ أنْ يَرْفَعَها، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلافَةً عَلى مِنهاجِ نُبُوَّةٍ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ

The Holy Prophet^sa said:

“Prophethood will remain in you for as long as Allah decides for it to remain and then Allah will remove it when He decides to remove it. After prophethood, there will be a Khilafat on the path of prophethood and it will exist for as long as Allah decides for it to exist, then He will remove it when He decides to remove it. Then there will be a kingdom in which people will face trials and tribulations and it will continue to exist for as long as Allah decides for it to exist. Then He will remove it when He decides to remove it. After this, there will be an oppressive kingdom and it will continue to exist for as long as God decides for it to exist. Then He will remove it when He decides to remove it. Then there will once again be a Khilafat on the path of prophethood.” Thereafter he remained silent.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Kitab al-Riqaq, Bab al-Andhar wa al-Tahdhir)