The Prophet ﷺ said, "The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What do you order us (to do)?" He said, "Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfil their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship."  

قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَسَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُونَ قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ أَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ  

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.  

قَاعَدْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَتَكْثُرُ قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ  

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 Children of Israel were ruled by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, another prophet would succeed him. There will be no prophet after me." A man asked, "What will happen after you, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "There will be caliphs after me, and they will be many." The man then asked, "How should we obey them, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Give them your pledge of allegiance one after another and give them what is their right, for indeed Allah will ask them about what He has entrusted to you."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا مَاتَ نَبِيٌّ قَامَ نَبِيٌّ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ « خُلَفَاءُ وَيَكْثُرُونَ» قَالَ فَكَيْفَ تَأْمُرُنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ «أَدُّوا بَيْعَةَ الْأَوَّلِ فَالْأَوَّلِ وَأَدُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ مَا لَهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَنِ الَّذِي لَكُمْ»  

[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 أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ -رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَ بَنِى إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ تَسُوسُهُمْ أَنْبِيَاؤهُمْ، كُلَّمَا ذَهَبَ نَبِىٌّ خَلَفَ نَبىٌّ، وَإنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَائِنٌ (* *) فِيكُمْ نَبِىٌّ بَعْدِى، قَالُوا: فمَا يَكُونُ يَا رَسُول الله؟ قَالَ: تَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُوا، قَالُوا: فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ؟ قَالَ: أَوْفُوا بَيْعَة الأَوَّلِ فَالأوَّلِ، أَدُّوَا الَّذِى عَلَيْكُمْ فَيَسأَلُهُمْ (الله) عَنِ الَّذى عَلَيْهِمْ".