The Rightly Guided Khulafa and the ring of the Prophet

Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq^ra

After the demise of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman, and finally Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with them all, consecutively kept the ring of the Holy Prophet^sa during their Khilafat (the imprint of which can be seen on the right and at the end of the letter shown below).

These esteemed Khulafa^ra would use the ring’s seal to stamp their letters etc. They would not use any sort of other personal stamp or imprint [to sign their letters and documents].

By doing this, they were giving a message out; we are following the footsteps of [only] the Holy Prophet^sa and are not presenting any sort of new teaching or a new form of Islam.

Whatever we have or whatever we guide people towards, is exactly what the Holy Prophet^sa taught.

(Originally published in Al Fazl on 13 January 1940 [page 3] in the form of notes taken by Mahmood Ahmad Khalil Sahib from the lectures on hadith by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq^ra, brother-in-law of the Promised Messiah^as)