What do you make of the hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
"Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come flying forth to Mecca.Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and give bay'ah to him between the Rukn and the Maqam…" (Reported by Tabarani in al-Awsat. According to Ibn Hajar in his Majma' az-Zawaid the transmitters are sound and authentic.)
suggesting the caliphate will arise before the mahdi comes?