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Issue 10 of the English-language Islamic State (ISIS) magazine Dabiq features a fatwa that cites the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, as well as works by Islamic jurists, in arguing that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar's claim as caliph of the Muslim Ummah is invalid under Islamic shari'a.
It should be mentioned that Mullah Omar is considered Emir-ul-Momineen (leader of the believers, or caliph) by all factions of the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as by all Al-Qaeda affiliates worldwide. Even Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had given his bai'yah (oath of fealty) to him. Currently, some militants loyal to ISIS are fighting against Taliban jihadis in Afghanistan.
However, after ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared himself caliph of the Muslim Ummah in June 2014, a question arose regarding the status of Mullah Omar, as there can only be one caliph for the global Muslim nation. The position of caliph has been mostly vacant since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, though among the jihadi movements, one individual, possibly from Bosnia, declared himself caliph prior to Mullah Omar.
Mullah Omar has not been seen in public since the fall of the Taliban government in Kabul following the post-9/11 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and has not released any video or audio recordings since. Every year on two occasions – Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha – his statements are published by Taliban websites, but some analysts have come to believe these statements could well be issued by the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which is considered the protector of all jihadi groups in the region.
Following is the text of the fatwa issued by ISIS against Mullah Omar's claim to the caliphate:
If "The Imam Or Emir Is Specific To Some Region Or Land, Then He Would Be A Territorial Leader Whose Authority Does Not Exceed His Territory"; "This Kind Of Leadership Is Not Allowed Except In Cases Of Necessity And When The General Imamah Is Dissolved"
Question: "If the emir (means Mullah Omar) is still present, then the bai'yah to the second emir [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi] and the second khilafah [Caliphate] is not valid, because of what Muslim reported from Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, 'If baiyah is given to two khulafa [caliphs], then kill the second of the two.' And Emirul Momineen (i.e. Mullah Omar) was certainly once a leader. But now, if we suppose he was killed, isn't it a condition that it be confirmed with certainty, so that the people know about the appointment of a new imam (i.e. Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi) and thereby they fulfil the duty upon them? If we suppose that the emir (i.e. Mullah Omar) still exists, then appointing the second imam (i.e. Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi) will become questionable. It is necessary to find a solution for this. My noble brother, I request you reply as soon as possible. May Allah reward you with good on behalf of Islam and jihad."
The Fatwa: "All praise is due to Allah, who made the universe upon a firm and wise system. May peace and blessings be upon his noble messengers – the guides of the nations towards the clear truth. And may peace and blessings be particularly upon our noble Prophet [Muhammad] whom Allah sent as a mercy to all creation, to make them ascend on the ladder of wisdom towards the heavens and improve their condition in this world and the Hereafter. As for what follows:
"You should know – may Allah make us and you understand the words of Allah and His Messenger – that the general shar'i imamah [a single caliphate based on shari'a and applicable to all lands] is for the person who fulfils its conditions and qualification mentioned in the texts of the Shari'a and the words of the scholars. The imam could be general to all the Muslims, and he is called the general imam or the Khalifah [caliph]. This leader, due to his status and the nature of his imamah, has general influence; obedience to him is obligatory upon all the Muslims. This kind of imamah is the default by which the obligation upon the whole Ummah to appoint a Khalifah is fulfilled and through him the obligation is established.
"This is the intent of all the verses and ahadith [plural of hadith] that order and guide towards appointing an imam and Khalifah, like the hadith, 'Then there will be khilafah upon the prophetic methodology' and the hadith narrated by Hudhayfah: 'Stick to the jama'ah [community] of the Muslims and their imam' and the hadith, 'If bai'yah is given to two khulafa [caliphs], then kill the second of the two,' and the other texts that are about the rules regarding the general imam or Khalifah who deserves this description, having fulfilled the conditions and qualifications for it, as in the case of the khilafah of the four Rightly Guided Khulafa [the first four caliphs], as well as Al-Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr and the khilafah of Umar Ibn Abdil-Aziz, and others (from the Umawi and Abbasi khulafa).
"It might be the case that [if] the imam or emir is specific to some region or land, then he would be a territorial leader whose authority does not exceed his territory, as the historians mentioned that when the Khalifah of the time Muawiyah Ibn Yazid died in 64AH [after the Hijra], the people of Damascus appointed ad-Dahhak Ibn Qays as a leader to look after their affairs until the general imam is given bai'yah. This kind of leadership is not allowed, except in cases of necessity and when the general imamah is dissolved. This is done to fill the political and shar'i [i.e. based on Shari'a] gap and to establish whatever is possible from the laws of the Shari'a."
There Must Be "A Single... Khalifah For The Ummah Who Will Govern The People In Accordance With Allah's Religion"; "Khilafah Is Similar To The Case Of Water For Wudu [Ablution Before Prayer], Which Is The Default, And Those Territorial Leaderships Are Like Tayammum [Ablution With Dust If Water Is Not Available]"
"Many scholars of shar'i governance have mentioned such appointments in such situations, like [11th century CE Islamic scholar Imam Al-Haramain Abu Muali] Al-Juwayni in his prized book Giyath Al-Umam in which he said: 'The purpose of imamah is the betterment of the condition of the general public, planning the affairs, and protecting the frontiers.' 'Therefore, if appointing a single imam whose orders are executed is possible, then there is no doubt that this is best in accordance with the requisites of governance. If this is not possible, it is not correct to leave and neglect the people whom the imam's supervision does not reach, as there will be no leader to gather them nor any deterrent to prevent them from evil. So they have to appoint ministers to whom they turn for leadership. If they remain leaderless, they will perish, and this is obvious and unpreventable.'
"If not for the absence of the Khilafah before, there would not have been a shar'i justification for those territorial leaderships or small groups to be formed and remain. Accordingly, it is obligatory to appoint a single imam and Khalifah for the Ummah who will govern the people in accordance with Allah's religion and make them follow the laws of the Shari'a. This is because khilafah is similar to the case of water for wudu [ablution before prayer], which is the default, and those territorial leaderships are like tayammum [ablution with dust if water is not available], which is an alternative allowed when necessary. And when the default is available, the alternative is unaccepted. Therefore, when the Khalifah is appointed, all other pledges of allegiance and leaderships outside of it become void.
"That is why Al-Juwayni said after his above statement: 'If the obstacles are removed and the imam is able to supervise those people, the leader and his subjects must obey the imam and submit to him in peace. The imam should accept their excuses and govern their affairs. If he decides to approve the appointment of whom they had appointed, he can do so. And if he sees it best to change him, then his opinion is to be followed and they must return to his decision.'"
"The Declarations, Statements, Conducts, And Nature Of Mullah Omar's Leadership Shows... It is A nationalist, Territorial Leadership Not Fulfilling The Meaning Of The General Imamah"; "These Statements... Greatly Contradict The Shar'i Principles That Command To Fight The Kuffar [Infidels] Wherever They May Be Found"
"If this is understood and the difference between these realities becomes obvious, the answer to the question posed becomes clear through the just and precise description of the imamah of Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Hussaini Al-Baghdadi and the leadership of Mullah Omar, since one cannot decide on a matter until the whole picture is understood. Accordingly, the declarations, statements, conducts, and nature of Mullah Omar's leadership shows without a doubt that it is a nationalist, territorial leadership not fulfilling the meaning of the general imamah concerning rules, responsibilities, and liabilities. If Mullah Omar says in one of his statements,
"'The Emirate of Afghanistan believes in establishing bilateral and positive relationships with the neighboring countries within the framework of mutual respect... We assure all the neighboring countries that just as the Emirate will not let anyone interfere in its affairs, it will not interfere in other's affairs' (Congratulations on the Occasion of Eid Al-Adha 1430AH [2009]), then this is very clear in showing that the man is not striving to establish a general shar'i khilafah whose supervision affects the whole world and that attempts to rescue the Islamic world from its kafir [infidel] and apostate governments.
"Rather, he intends through his movement to establish a nationalistic state within its boundaries. This becomes more clear in another statement where he spoke about the future of his land and said it would be 'purely Islamic and Afghani in nature' and said it would enjoy 'a nationalistic shar'i system... and preserve the union of the lands of the [Afghan] nation' (Congratulations on the Occasion of Eid Al-Adha 1433AH [2012]). This all confirms that this state was created to govern Afghanistan only and that it takes into consideration the international standards by not getting involved in any disputes with neighboring countries. And this contradicts the purpose of the general imamah, which attempts to unify the ranks of the Muslims all around the world and has concern for all their affairs and causes, and it directly gets involved for their betterment and rectification in accordance with the prophetic methodology and announces that it does so.
"Never mind the fact that all these statements and declarations greatly contradict the shar'i principles that command to fight the Kuffar [infidels] wherever they may be found, to show animosity towards all of them, and to not incline towards them using elusive statements or those whose words carry false meanings based upon modern day political concepts. And if the religion of an individual Muslim is not upright – even if he only worships Allah and abandons shirk [polytheism] – until he shows animosity towards the mushrikeen [polytheists] and proclaims his animosity and hatred towards them, how could it be permissible for a party with power and influence to become feeble in practicing this great rite, at least in its political messages?!"
"The Contract Of Bai'yah To... [ISIS Leader] Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi... Was Done As That For The Khilafah And Referred To Him As The Khalifah"; "We Know That Mullah Omar Has Not Called His Bai'yah That Of Khilafah"
"On the other hand, the Islamic State (may Allah honor it) – in its announcement of establishing a khilafah and appointing a Khalifah for the Muslims, its spreading of its influence to vast regions of the blessed land and the core of the Islamic world, its sending of leaders and wulat (plural of wali [or governors]) to the other lands and regions, the pledging of allegiance of many groups to it, and its proclamation of animosity towards the world order and jihad against it wherever such is possible, and its controlling many of the important regions – all of this and other matters are from the clearest things showing the reality of this blessed Khilafah and that it is in accordance with and following the purposes and approaches of the Shari'a regarding the general imamah.
"More importantly, the contract of bai'yah to Imam Ibrahim Al-Badri as-Samarra'i (Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi – may Allah protect him) was done as that for the khilafah and referred to him as the Khalifah of the Muslims, and this State calls all the people to give him bai'yah with this name and description. The clearness of this matter must be considered when judging its legitimacy, because the pledge for imamah is from the greatest of all contracts, which stipulate knowledge of the contract, clarity regarding its reality, and the obviousness of its wording.
"If the contract of buying and selling is considered invalid according to many of the scholars, except with an offer, an acceptance, and knowledge of what is being agreed upon, how much more so in the case of khilafah, considering that the bai'yah is similar in its rulings to that of trade agreements. [14th century CE Islamic scholar Ahmad] Al-Qalqashandi said, 'The meaning of bai'yah is a contract and promise and is very similar to trade in reality' (Subh Al-A'sha). [12th century CE Islamic scholar Ali] Ibn Al-Athir said describing the reason it is called bai'yah, 'It is as if they all traded their sincere obedience and deepest affairs for what the other side has offered' (An-Nihayah).
"And we know that Mullah Omar has not called his bai'yah that of khilafah, nor did he act in accordance with its requisites, rather he made it clear through his statements that his leadership is not a khilafah nor a general imamah, but instead it works only within its borders as we showed above. Then how can one say Mullah Omar is a Khalifah, when he didn't appoint himself as such? How strange! How can the attribute of khilafah be stolen from a person who confronted the responsibility, fulfilled it, and bore its burdens, and be given to a person who refrained from it, turned away from it, and worked against its requisites? Likewise, we will not forget to mention that even if Mulla Omar were to call for a bai'yah to himself in the name of khilafah, it would be void concerning the consensus of the scholars and based on the clear-cut shar'i texts that being from the Quraysh [Tribe] is a condition for a legitimate khilafah."
"[The Prophet Muhammad Said:] This Matter [Caliph] Will Remain In Quraysh," "The A'immah (Plural Of Imam) Are From Quraysh"; "Mullah Omar Is Not From Quraysh"; "This Is Mentioned In His Biography Published By The Taliban"
"This is due to the authentic ahadith and the agreement of the Companions [of the prophet] on the matter. And the oddness of those who strayed from this consensus such as the Khawarij [Khairjites], Mu'tazilah [religious or political neutralists], people of bid'ah [those who introduced innovations], and some of the later scholars, and supported the khilafah of a non-Qurayshi should not be considered. The Prophet said, 'This matter will remain amongst Quraysh, even if only two of them remained' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim [both books of hadiths]). And the Prophet said, 'This matter will remain in Quraysh. No one will oppose them over it but Allah will drag him upon his face into Hell, as long as they uphold the religion' (Al-Bukhari). The Prophet also said, 'The a'immah (plural of imam) are from Quraysh' (reported by An-Nasa'i). The Prophet's confining of imamah to a Qurayshi is evidence that it is not valid for a non-Qurayshi. Otherwise, there is no benefit in mentioning it.
"Numerous scholars have reported the consensus on the Qurayshi condition for imamah. [10th century CE Islamic jurist Abu Al-Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn Habib] Al-Mawardi said, 'The seventh condition is the lineage, that the imam be from Quraysh. This is due to clear texts and consensus. The opinion of Dirar [possibly referring to Islamic scholar Al-Shammakh ibn Dirar Al-Dhubyani] who strayed and permitted it for all people cannot be considered, because on the day of as-Saqifah when the Ansar had given bai'yah to Sa'd Ibn Ubadah, Abu Bakr responded to them with the statement of the Prophet: 'The a'immah are from Quraysh.' So they gave up holding on to the claim and turned back from the idea of making a shared leadership, as they had said before, 'An emir from us and an emir from you.' They submitted to his narration [that imam is from the Quraysh], accepted its truth, and were pleased with his statement, 'We are the leaders and you are the ministers.'
The Prophet said, 'Give precedence to Quraysh and do not give precedence to others over them.' There is no place with this accepted text for a doubt to dispute the condition. Nor is there a place for one to oppose it (Al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah). [11th century CE Islamic jurist] Ibn Hazm adh-Dhahiri overemphasized this by saying that whoever permitted the imamah for a non-Qurayshi has denied the hadith of the Prophet and disbelieved in Allah. He [Ibn Hazm adh-Dhahiri] said:
"'We narrated through Muslim from Abdullah Ibn Umar that Allah's Messenger said: This matter will remain amongst Quraysh, even if only two of them remained and through Al-Bukhari from Muawiyah who said, I heard Allah's Messenger say, This matter will remain in Quraysh. No one will oppose them over it but Allah will drag him upon his face into Hell, as long as they uphold the religion. I say: The narration of Ibn Umar is more general than the narration of Muawiyah. Both these narrations – although they are in the form of information – are authentic and certain.
"'If one were to allow leadership to be in other than Quraysh, it would be denying the report of the Prophet. This is kufr [unbelief] in the case of one who allows such. So it is proved that whoever claims leadership and khilafah from other than Quraysh, is not a Khalifah nor an imam nor a person of authority. Rather, he has no authority. He, whoever supports him, and whoever approves his authority become sinners and disobedient of Allah by transgressing His limits defined upon the blessed tongue of the Prophet' (Al-Muhalla).
"In general, this issue – the condition that the imam is from Quraysh – although some contemporary scholars downplayed it, the early scholars mentioned it as a matter of creed separating Ahlus Sunnah [those who follow the traditions of the prophet] from sects of the people of bid'ah [those who introduce innovation], as [12th century CE Islamic scholar Muhammad] as-Saffarini mentioned in his poetic treatise Ad-Durratul Madiyyah fi Iqdil Firqatil Mardiyyah (The Bright Pearl about the Creed of the Favored Sect) in the chapter on imamah and the matters related to it: 'Its conditions are Islam, being a free person, having healthy hearing, being just and knowledgeable. In addition to being knowledgeable, he must be from Quraysh, adult and sane, and with power.'
"Based on all this, we say: Mullah Omar is not from Quraysh. And this is mentioned in his biography published by the Taliban emirate on their official website. And this has an effect on invalidating his khilafah if he were to claim this position. On the other hand, the lineage of Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Badri as-Samarra'i Al-Baghdadi not only goes back to Quraysh, but also to the household of the Prophet Muhammad. This is famous, well known, and confirmed by the lineage specialists in Iraq and elsewhere."
"[Al-Baghdadi] Is The Imam Of The Time Who Fulfilled The Conditions And Qualifications Stipulated By The Shari'a – Whereas Mullah Omar Was At Most One Day A Former Leader Of One Of The Islamic Lands"
"For example, the lineage specialist and author of the book Asha'ir Al-Iraq (The Clans of Iraq) said, 'Albu Badri Clan: Their leader... was Ustadh Sa'id Al-Badri. (He then mentions the lineage of Sa'id to his grandfather Badri and then said) Their lineage goes back to Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad. They live inside Samarra (Asha'ir Al-Iraq, Page 385). Muhammad Al-Jawad is from the very famous Husayni members of Ahlul-Bayt [House of the Prophet]. He is Muhammad Al-Jawad Ibn Ali Ar-Rida Ibn Musa Al-Kadhim Ibn Ja'far As-Sadiq Ibn Muhammad Al-Baqir Ibn Ali Zayn Al-Abidin Ibn Al-Husayn Ash-Shahid Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib. He died in 220AH.
"In summary, this discussion should help you understand the hadith of the Prophet, 'If bai'yah is given to two khulafa, then kill the second of the two' and the hadith, 'Fulfil the pledge to the earliest' (Sahih Muslim). And when applying them to the present condition asked about, there is no doubt that there is only but one Khalifah now and that is Shaykh Abu Bakr Ibrahim Ibn Awwad Al-Badri as-Samarra'i Al-Husayni Al-Qurayshi (May Allah protect him). He is the Imam of the time who fulfilled the conditions and qualifications stipulated by the Shari'a, whereas Mullah Omar was at most one day a former leader of one of the Islamic lands.
"And if we suppose Mullah Omar is still alive and that the late deviant statements are not his, then it is obligatory upon him and those with him to obey the Khalifah [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi] and accept his imamah and submit to him, in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger to unify the word and ranks and to gather upon the methodology of the Prophet, his Sahabah [companions], and the Salaf [elders] of this Ummah in matters of iman [faith] and Sunnah and rulings of imamah and khilafah.
"It is also obligatory upon everyone who gave bai'yah to Mullah Omar and his emirate to know that this pledge has been overtaken by a more authorized and obligatory pledge, and that is the bai'yah to the Khalifah of today [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi]. They should know that they will not be truly exempted from the blameworthy attribute mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet, 'Whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance, dies a death of jahiliyya' [pre-Islamic ignorance] other than by fulfilling this responsibility, by pledging allegiance to the general Imam. All other pledges are feeble in comparison to it, deficient in their rulings and purposes. And Allah alone is to be relied upon."
"[It Is Clear From The Prophet's Life That] If Someone Is Given The Pledge Of Khilafah In Any Of The Lands And Then Sends His Delegates To Other Regions And Lands, Then Such Is Sufficient To Make It Obligatory Upon The People Of Those Lands To Obey Him"
"It may be appropriate here to respond to those people who say that it is not obligatory on the mujahideen in Khorasan [Afghanistan-Pakistan region] and other distant places to pledge allegiance to Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Qurayshi Al-Baghdadi... They claim that his rule and influence hasn't reached them. This claim is also not correct. It is a doubt repeated by those who don't know the Sirah [life] of the Prophet in sending his delegates out. They didn't read about the khulafa [caliphs] of Islam and the early leaders and how they dealt with this matter. This becomes clear by saying that it is sufficient for news of the major bai'yah to reach other regions and groups. And it becomes especially obligatory upon every group that has power and influence, because of the agreed upon fiqhi [juristic] principle, 'Whatever is needed to fulfil an obligation itself becomes an obligation [meaning: if a caliphate is absent/needed it becomes an obligation find a caliph].'
"If gathering under one imam is not fulfilled except with the different other factions joining him, then entering the greater body becomes obligatory upon all those other factions. That is why when [second Islamic caliph] Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was given bai'yah in the Saqifah of Banu Sai'dah in Al-Madina that was sufficient to make bai'yah obligatory upon the rest of the Arabian Peninsula even though his power and might hadn't reached them yet. For this reason, when the Arabs apostatized from Islam and some distant parts of the Arabian Peninsula remained outside the reach of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, this was not an excuse for them to abandon obedience to him and break their pledge to him.
"From these examples is the story of the town of Juwatha. 'There was no town firm on the truth (after Al-Madina) other than this town, Mecca and Taif. It was the first town to hold the Friday prayer after the apostasy, as reported by Al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas. The apostates besieged them and confined them, even preventing food from reaching them. So they starved severely until Allah granted them salvation. A man from amongst them named Abdullah Ibn Hadhaf belonging to the tribe of Banu Bakr Ibn Kilab said some poetry after suffering severe hunger: 'Will not a messenger deliver a message to Abu Bakr and all the youth of Al-Madina? Could you come to the aid of a noble people who are besieged, sitting in Juwatha? Their blood in every mountain pass is like the beams of the sun blinding the viewers. We have relied upon ar-Rahman and found that patience comes to those relying on Him' (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah).
"And it [is] also well known to the one who studies the books of Sirah [life of the prophet], history, and the laws of imamah that if someone is given the pledge of khilafah in any of the lands and then sends his delegates to other regions and lands, then such is sufficient to make it obligatory upon the people of those lands to obey him and that his order is to be executed merely by the arrival of his delegates to them, even if he does not dispatch an army and soldiers with them to make the people abide by his order and force them to do so. This is certainly the case in Wilaya Khurasan [Khorasan province] by the presence of the Wali whom Emir-ul-Momineen [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi] appointed and placed in charge there."
"Finally We Invite The People Of Khurasan To Hasten To Obey The Command Of Allah And His Messenger, To Unify The Word, To Join The Ranks, And Pledge Allegiance To The Khalifah Of The Muslims [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi]"
"The evidence for this is that when Emir-ul-Momineen [fourth caliph] Ali Ibn Abi Talib took charge of the Khilafah, he sent his delegates to other regions, and among them he sent a delegate for Sham [Syria] and he didn't have control or power over them at that time. And no doubt, they fell into the sin of division and disagreement by not allowing their emir [local emir] to take control of them and execute his power over them. Allah said: And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided (Al-Imran: 103).
"And when Yazid Ibn Muawiya died, Emir-ul-Momineen Ibn az-Zubayr took charge of leading the people and was given bai'yah in Mecca. He sent his delegates to other regions. All other regions surrendered to him except Damascus. So whoever disobeyed him and opposed him thereby became outside of the jamaah [community] and a rebel, as the scholars have confirmed. Ibn Qudamah said, 'Abdul-Malik Ibn Marwan rebelled against Ibn az-Zubayr and killed him and took over the land and its people' (Al-Mughni).
"Finally we invite the people of Khurasan to hasten to obey the command of Allah and His Messenger, to unify the word, to join the ranks, and pledge allegiance to the Khalifah of the Muslims [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi], and to distance themselves from the deviant desires that turn them from this good and throw the doubts into the hearts and souls, and to not be supporters of our enemies from the crusaders and the apostates against us, by abandoning support of the Khilafah that Allah's Messenger gave glad tidings of. Today we are facing the crusader world, the forces of apostasy, and their allies. And let them be warned of following the path of those before them:
"{When they said to a prophet of theirs, 'Send to us a king, and we will fight for the cause of Allah.' He said, 'Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?' They said, 'And why should we not fight for the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?' But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is knowing of the wrongdoers. And their prophet said to them, 'Indeed, Allah has sent to you Talut as a king.' They said, 'How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?' He said, 'Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah gives his sovereignty to whom he wills. And Allah is all-encompassing in favor and knowing'} (Al-Baqarah, verses 246-247). And Allah guides to the straight path."
Source: Dabiq, July 13, 2015. The original English has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
