Sahih Muslim Book - 33, Hadith - 4773

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ فُرَاتٍ الْقَزَّازِ عَنْ أَبِى حَازِمٍ قَالَ قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِىٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِىٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِىَّ بَعْدِى وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَتَكْثُرُ ». قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ « فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ ».

It was narrated that Abu Hazim said: "I stayed with Abu Hurairah for five years, and I heard him narrate that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: 'The Children of Israel were ruled by the Prophets. Every time one Prophet died, another Prophet would succeed him. But there will be no Prophet after me, but there will be many caliphs.' They said: 'What do you command us to do?' He said: 'Fulfill the oath of allegiance to the first one and not the second (if there are two caliphs at one time), and give them their dues, for Allah will question them about that which He entrusted to them."'