“The affairs of the Children of Israel were administered by their Prophets. Every time a Prophet left, he was followed by another, but there will be no Prophet among you after I am gone.” They said: “What will happen, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “There will be caliphs and there will be many of them.” They said: “What should we do?” He said: “Fulfill your pledge to the first one, then the one who comes after him, and do the duties required of you, for Allah will question them about the duties upon them.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمْ أَنْبِيَاؤُهُمْ كُلَّمَا ذَهَبَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَائِنٌ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ فِيكُمْ قَالُوا فَمَا يَكُونُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُوا قَالُوا فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ قَالَ أَوْفُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ أَدُّوا الَّذِي عَلَيْكُمْ فَسَيَسْأَلُهُمُ اللَّهُ ﷻ عَنِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِمْ  

Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His Companions said: What do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i. e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them. (Using translation from Muslim 1842a)   

قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَتَكْثُرُ قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا؟ قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الْأَوَّلِ فَالْأَوَّلِ وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The Israelites were governed by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, another prophet succeeded him. There will be no prophet after me." They asked, "So what will happen after you?" He replied, "There will be leaders, and there will be many of them." They asked, "What do you command us, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Fulfill your allegiance to the first leader, and then the first, and give them what is their right, for indeed Allah will ask them about what is yours."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا مَاتَ نَبِيٌّ قَامَ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ» قَالُوا فَمَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَكَ؟ قَالَ «أُمَرَاءُ وَيَكْثُرُونَ» قَالُوا مَا تَأْمُرُنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ «أَوْفُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الْأَوَّلِ فَالْأَوَّلِ وَأَدُّوا إِلَيْهِمُ الَّذِي لَهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَنِ الَّذِي لَكُمْ»  

"كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسَرائِيل تَسُوسُهم الأنْبِيَاءُ - كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبيٌّ، وإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِى - وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرون - قالوا: فَمَا تأمُرنَا؟ ، قَال: بَبَيعَةِ الأوَّلِ فالأوَّلِ، وأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهمُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الله لَهُمْ، فإِنَّ اللهَ سَائِلَهُمُ عَمَّا اسْترعَاهُم".  

"عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قال: قَالَ رسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ : إِنَّ بَني إِسْرَائيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّمَا هلَكَ نِبَيٌّ قَامَ نَبِيٌّ، وإِنَّهُ لا نبيَّ بَعْدِي، قَالُوا: يَا نَبِيَّ الله فَمَا يكُون بَعْدَكَ؟ قَالَ: يَكُونُ خَلَفًا وتكْثُر، قَالوا: فَمَا تأمُرنَا؟ قَالَ: وَفُّوا بَيْعَةَ الأَوَّلِ، وَأَدُّوا إِلَيْهِم مَا عليكمْ فَإِنَّ الله - تَعَالَى- سَائِلُهُمْ عن الَّذِي بِكُمْ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ سَائِلهم عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ".