[source: Manual of Hadith, p. 

LIKE SCHILLER'S ODE TO JOY, EVERY MAN (AND WOMAN) A KING WITH SUBJECTS
"Every one of you is a ruler and every one of you shall be questioned about his 
subjects; and the man is a ruler in his family and shall be questioned about 
those under his care; and the woman is a ruler in the house of her husband, and 
she shall be questioned about those under her care; and the servant is a ruler 
so far as the property of his master is concerned, and he shall be questioned 
about that which is entrusted to him." just as a servant is entrusted with 
certain property for which he is responsible ot the master, the king or the 
ruler is entrusted with the care of the people and the guarding of their rights; 
and for the proper discharge of his duties, he is responsible in the first place 
to God...
[Manual of Hadith, pp. 328-329]

ISLAM HAS NO PLACE FOR HEREDITARY MONARCHIES
Hereditary kingship is therefore foreign to the Islamic conception of the State.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 329]

ISLAMIC LAW IS ABOVE EVEN THE STATE
Law is above all, even above the king or supreme authority; and order against 
the Holy Qur'an and authoritative hadith cannot therefore be accepted.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 330]

ISLAM HAS NO DOCTRINE RESEMBLING PAPAL INFALLIBILITY AT ANY LEVEL
The maxim that the king can do no wrong is not known in Islam.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 331]

GREATEST JIHAD IS SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
"The most excellent jihad is the uttering of truth in the presence of an unjust 
ruler." (Tr-Msh. 17)
[Manual of Hadith, p. 332]

CALIPH HAD TO BE ELECTED TO OFFICE
Conclusize evidence is afforded by this hadith that the Islamic State was a 
democracy in wihch the head was chosen by the people themselves. Abu Bakr was 
admittedly the best among the companions and the fittest man to be the head of 
the State and to control its affairs, as this hadith and the one that follows 
show.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 334]

CALIPH PAID FROM PUBLIC TREASURY
The head of the State was thus paid a fixed salary from the public treasury, 
like all other public servants.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 335]

CALIPHATE MODELED ON THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC
Officers of government are thus required to manage the affairs of the public for 
the good of the public.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 336]


A governor was thus required to lead the life of an ordinary Muslim citizen. 
That there is a direction not to ride any but a horse of Arabian breed shows 
that governors were required to be good horsemen as well. The ruling authorities 
were further required to be easily accessible to the public. The Holy Prophet 
himself set an example in this respect as he had no door-keepers even after he 
became ruler of Arabia. (Bukhari 23:31)
[Manual of Hadith, p. 336]


Selflessness was thus the first requisite of those who were entrusted with rule. 
[Manual of Hadith, p. 337]

TAX BURDEN IN EARLY CALIPHATE RELATED TO INCOME LEVELS
Hudhaifah and Uthman were appointed by Umar to assess land revenue. The total 
amounted to a very large son, and therefore Umar's apprehension that the people 
might have been taxed too heavily. He was assured that assessment was according 
to the capacity of the land.
[Manual of Hadith, p. 338]


Umar apparently was thinking of making the State responible for the maintenance 
of widows. He had already introduced old-age pensions and made arrangements for 
the grant of allowances to the weak and the disabled.

The conditions under which the urban and the rural populations lived were 
different, Umar was therefore anxious that the Muslim State should have regard 
for the welfare of both. People were to be taxed with their assent, which shows 
the State worked purely democratic principles