Question: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the rulers who would come after him should be from the Quraysh (prophets) clan. Why is this special qualification reserved for the Quraysh clan only? Can't others rule? A non-Muslim brother asks.
– H.M. Hilmi, Akkurana, Sri Lanka.
Answer: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not say this on the basis that the Quraysh clan was the only one with special qualifications. Rather, when we look at all the hadiths that come on this subject, he said this as a prior announcement.
7222 و7223- حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى, حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ, حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ, عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بنَ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
يَكُونُ ثْنَا عَشَرَ أَمِيرًا – فَقَالَ كَلِمَةً لَمْ اَسْمَعْهَا فَقَالَ أَبِي إِنَّهُ قَالَ – كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ.
We do not say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is better because he said that the Dajjal would come. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Twelve rulers will emerge. All of them will be from the Quraysh.’(Bukhari: 7223)
The fact that twelve people will continue to rule after him as Quraysh was said to announce the event that was to happen, not to add to its significance. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 12 Quraysh people continued to rule until Umar ibn Abdul Aziz.
3605- حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَكِّيُّ , حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيُ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ : مَرْوَانَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ فَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ :
سَمِعْتُ الصَّادِقَ الْمَصْدُوقَ يَقُولُ هَلاَكُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى يَدَيْ غِلْمَةٍ مِنْ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said that there would be bad and unjust people among them.
(Bukhari: 3605, 7057)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said that the Quraysh who come to power will cause destruction to the society.
Therefore, there is no special distinction between the Quraysh tribe and any other tribe among mankind.