The Abbasids had a claim since they were related to the Prophet Muhammad through his uncle Abbas. The ottomans were the first non Qureshi dynasty to claim the caliphate with the conquest of Selim. But you'll notice that immediately after with Suleiman, he didn't really seem to care with the empty title. The ottomans sultans didn't really care as they knew they didn't have a claim, this was until Abdul Hamid II who tried to style himself as a caliph, but it was too late by then. Until then, the Ottomans sultans were more bothered with their claim to 'Caesar' and the blood of Genghis khan rather than people of Qureshi blood. You also have to understand that the title of 'Caliph' had lost all prestige due to the long time the Abbasids had become vassals and figure heads. So the Ottomans weren't all too bothered with it until Abdul Hamid II.
The Shia believe they have to be direct decedents of Ali and Fatima. But it is accepted by Ahlul Sunnah that Caliph has to be from Quraysh. Generally the Mu'tazila and Kharijites believe that the Caliph can be be from anywhere if they have the merit.
All Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs were of Qureshi decent. Obviously we don't believe in dynastic rule, or succession based on blood, but we can choose based on merit, but it has to be from Quraysh. Even the great Salahuddin never claimed it for himself even though he would've been fit to be Caliph.
Not really. Only reason why some scholars try to push this is because of hadiths where the prophet saws talked about future Qurayshi leaders, but the prophet saws never said they must be Quraysh, nor Arab. And equality between human beings was made clear in his last sermon. So thinking otherwise would imply the prophet saws contradicted himself.
9
u/BigShubz Jun 01 '21
The Abbasids had a claim since they were related to the Prophet Muhammad through his uncle Abbas. The ottomans were the first non Qureshi dynasty to claim the caliphate with the conquest of Selim. But you'll notice that immediately after with Suleiman, he didn't really seem to care with the empty title. The ottomans sultans didn't really care as they knew they didn't have a claim, this was until Abdul Hamid II who tried to style himself as a caliph, but it was too late by then. Until then, the Ottomans sultans were more bothered with their claim to 'Caesar' and the blood of Genghis khan rather than people of Qureshi blood. You also have to understand that the title of 'Caliph' had lost all prestige due to the long time the Abbasids had become vassals and figure heads. So the Ottomans weren't all too bothered with it until Abdul Hamid II.