In the “true caliphate,” as Rida saw it, the caliph is chosen by the leaders and representatives of the community, "ahl al-hall wa-l-'aqd" (“those who tie and untie”), among the candidates that fulfil the conditions stipulated by the classical "ulema": they must be male, free, courageous, sensible, mujtahid (capable of ijtihad ), qurayshi (a member of the Prophet’s tribe), etc. But ultimately; the caliph is merely a "primus inter pares" who must seek the advice of the representatives of the community and respect their ijma.