These, unlike his predecessors, he delegated to others, and neither led
the prayer nor preached; nor was he held to be either the best or the
most learned man in Islam, as Abu Bekr and the rest had been.
Moreover--and this is the chief point noticed regarding him--he
introduced the system of dynastic heredity into the Caliphate,
nominating his son Yezid his successor in his own lifetime. The change,
advantageous as it was politically, is regarded as a religious falling
off. Henceforth the Caliphs, whether of the Ommiad or afterwards of the
Abbaside families, were not in reality elected, though the form of
confirmation by the Ulema was gone through; and they affected to succeed
by right of birth, not by the voice of the people.
During the whole period of the Arabian Caliphate we only notice one
Prince of the Faithful who busied himself much with religious learning,
and few who personally exercised the magisterial functions. Only once we
read of an Abbaside Caliph insisting on his right of leading the prayer,
and this was probably the effect of an accidental jealousy. As a rule
the temporal government of Islam was intrusted to a _Sadrazzam_, or
Grand Vizier, the spiritual duty of prayer to a _Naib_, or deputy Imam,
and the elaboration or interpretation of law and doctrine to such Ulema
or Mujtaheddin as could command a following.
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