5.2 The mandatory powers of the delegated assistants
The task of the delegated assistant
The task of the delegated assistant is to submit to the Khalifah all the work he intends to perform. He then reports to the Khalifah what he has executed in terms of decisions and what he has discharged in terms of management and appointment, so that the assistant would not become like the Khalifah in his powers. Therefore, his job is to submit his review and then execute it, unless the Khalifah stops him from doing so. .
The evidence for this is the nature of the Mu’awin who is s a deputy of the Khalifah in the issue designated to him. A deputy acts on behalf of the person who appointed him as his deputy. Thus he does not become independent from the Khalifah, but rather reviews with him every action just as ‘Umar (ra) used to do when he was a wazir to Abu Bakr, whereby he would review with Abu Bakr what he intended to perform, then executed it accordingly. Reviewing with the Khalifah does not necessarily mean that he needs to ask his permission in every single detail, for this contradicts the nature of the Mu’awin. It rather means discussing the matter with him. These matters may be regarding the need of appointing a capable wali to one of the provinces, dealing with the complaints of the people regarding food shortage in the market, or any other affair of the state. He may also submit a matter to him, in the form of a presentation, which in the future may make it legitimate for the Mu’awin to carry out the matter with all its details, without the need for permission to act. However, if the Khalifah issues orders to stop the implementation of any matter, then it should not be executed. Hence, the presentation is simply the putting forward of a proposal and the consultation with the Khalifah about it; and it does not mean seeking permission to carry out the task. The Mu’awin can execute the task in question as long as the Khalifah does not stop him from doing so. .