الترجمة الإنجليزية
The caliphate is in Quraysh as long as two people remain. There is no right of any of the people to dispute with them in it, nor to rebel against them, nor to acknowledge anyone besides them until the establishment of the Hour.
Jihad continues alongside the rulers — whether they are righteous or sinful. It is not abandoned. Distribution of war booty and the establishment of the legal punishments are the right of the rulers; it is not for anyone to censure them or contest with them.
شرح علمي
Imam Ahmad's position on rulers preserved the unity of the Ummah for centuries. Rebelling against Muslim rulers was forbidden by him as a foundation of the Sunnah — a position re-emphasised by the contemporary imams on the manhaj of the Salaf.