By Promised Messiah

It should be kept well in mind that revelation does not mean that an idea should arise in the mind of a person who sets himself to ponder over a thing as, for instance, a poet having thought out half a verse seeks the other half in his mind and his mind suggests the other half. This is not revelation but is the result of reflection, in accordance with the law of nature. When a person reflects upon something good or bad, a corresponding idea arises in his mind. For instance, one person who is pious and truthful composes verses in support of truth, and another one, who is wicked and vicious, supports falsehood in his verses and abuses the righteous. Both these would, no doubt, write a certain number of verses, and it is quite possible that the verses of the one who is the enemy of the righteous and supports falsehood might be better than the verses of the other one on account of his greater practice in writing poetry. So, if the arising of an idea in the mind should be accounted as revelation, a vile poet who is the enemy of truth and of the righteous and writes in opposition to the truth and has recourse to imposture, would be called a recipient of divine revelation.

Many novels are written in excellent style and set forth altogether false but continuous well arranged tales. Then would these stories be designated as revelation ? If revelation were to mean merely an idea arising in one’s mind, a thief would also be called a recipient of revelation, for an expert thief often thinks out surprising ways of theft and robbery, and many clever plans of robbery and murder pass through his mind. Would all these unclean projects be called revelation ? Indeed not. Such is the thinking only of those who are not aware of the true God Who comforts the hearts of His servants with His converse and bestows the understanding of spiritual knowledge upon those who are not familiar with it.

What then is revelation? It is the living and powerful converse of the Holy and Mighty God with a chosen servant of His, or with one whom He designs to make His elect. When this converse starts in an adequate and satisfactory manner, being altogether free from the darkness of false concepts, and is not composed merely of a few inadequate and meaningless words, and is full of delight and wisdom and grandeur, then it surely is the word of God with which He designs to comfort His servant and to manifest Himself to him. Sometimes revelation is vouchsafed to a person by way of trial and is not equipped with full blessings. In such a case the recipient is put on his trial at this elementary stage so that having tasted somewhat of revelation he should order his life along the lines of those who are true recipients of revelation, in default of which he would encounter frustration. If he does not adopt the ways of the truly righteous he is deprived of the fullness of this bounty and is left only with vain boasting.

Millions of the virtuous have been recipients of revelation, but they were not of equal standing in the estimation of God. Indeed, even the holy Prophets of God, who are recipients of divine revelation at the highest level, are not equal in rank, as God Almighty has said : Of these Messengers some have We exalted above others (2:254). This shows that revelation is pure divine grace and is not evidence of exaltation. Exaltation is according to the degree of truth, sincerity, and faithfulness of the recipient, which is known only to God. If revelation possesses all its blessed conditions it is also one of the fruits of such qualities. There is no doubt that if revelation takes the form that the recipient submits a question and God responds to it, and there is a sequence between question and answer, and the revelation is Characterised by divine majesty and light, and comprehends knowledge of the unseen and true understanding, it is truly the word of God. It is necessary that divine revelation should be like a dialogue between two friends. When the servant submits a question he should receive a delicious and eloquent response from God Almighty in which his own self and thinking and reflection should have no part. If such a dialogue is bestowed as a bounty upon a person, it is the word of God and its recipient is held dear by God. That revelation should be bestowed as a bounty, and a living and holy series of revelations should be bestowed upon a servant by God dearly and in a pure form, is not the portion of anyone except of those who attain a high level of faith and sincerity and righteous action and of that which we cannot here disclose. True and holy revelation displays many wonders of the Godhead. Very often a brilliant fight is generated and along with it a majestic and shining revelation is vouchsafed. What could be a greater bounty than this that a recipient of revelation should hold converse with the Being Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. God can be seen in this world only through converse with Him.

This does not include the condition of a person from whose tongue all idle word, or sentence or verse proceeds unaccompanied by any dialogue. Such a person is under trial by God, for God sometimes tries a slothful and neglectful servant of His in this manner that a sentence or a statement issues from his heart or tongue and he becomes a blind person not knowing whence the statement has proceeded, whether from God or from Satan. Such a one should implore istighfar in respect of such an experience. But if a righteous and virtuous servant of God should experience unobstructed dialogue with the Divine and should hear heights and delicious, and meaningful, and wise, and majestic divine utterances in a state of complete wakefulness in the shape of question and answer at least ten times, that is to say he put a question and God replied to it and then in complete wakefulness he made another submission and God made answer to it, and he made another humble supplication and God replied to that. This should have happened ten times. If in the course of Such dialogue God should accept his prayers and should instruct him he excellent insights and should inform him of coining events and should honour him repeatedly with His clear dialogue, such a one should be deeply grateful to God Almighty and should be more devoted to Him than anyone else, because God of His pure grace, has chosen him from among His servants and has made him the heir of those faithful ones who have passed on before him. This bounty is most rare and is the highest good luck. For him on whom it is bestowed everything else is utterly without value.

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Source http://www.alislam.org/books/philosophy/5q2.html

I have touched upon this topic last year on Khilafat Day, but the time allowed was too short to deal properly with the subject. This year, the organizers were so kind to allow me to address the same issue and I am indeed grateful to them as they have allowed me one hour to enable me to deal properly with this important subject.

Importance of the Subject

The subject is very important and it is essential for us all to understand it. It is also important for our young people, boys and girls, particularly those who were born and raised in this country, Canada. It is important for the new comer Ahmadis who come to experience real democracy, perhaps for the first time in their life. it is important for those among us who may feel shy to ask questions and bluntly say: “How can a person, who was selected or elected by people, be in the same time appointed by God?”

In short, the subject is very important to us as Ahmadis because Khilafat has been re-established in Ahmadiyya Jamaat and our bai’at (pledge of allegiance) is sworn at the hands of the Khalifa. Thus it is of great importance for us to understand the status of the Khalifa and Who really appointed him.

Questions Need To Be Answered

There may be so many questions in our minds concerning this subject and more questions may come to mind while dealing with the subject. The important question is: Is it possible that a person, who is elected by people, can also be appointed by God? Can we say that Mr. Bush, Mr. Mulroney and other leaders of the world, who were elected by people, are also appointed by God? If we claim that only the Khalifa, who is elected by people, is appointed by God, then what evidence do we have to prove that others who were elected by people, are not appointed by God? Also, if we agree that a Khalifa is appointed by God, then why God does not appoint him without election? Why people should elect him in the first place?

God is the One Who appoints a Prophet; a Prophet is not elected but is chosen and appointed by God; so why does He not appoint also the Khalifa without people participating in the election process? Lastly, if we agree that the Khalifa is appointed by God, then what kinds of mistakes is he susceptible to make? Is he also Ma’soom (protected by Allah like the Prophets)? Is he susceptible to make mistakes related to the Sharia’a (the divine law of jurisprudence) as well as make mistakes related to the welfare and progress of the Jamaat?

Ignoring A Problem Does Not Solve It

All these are genuine questions and I am sure that they are in our minds. We have to bring them out and find answers to them. Some of you who are shy to ask their parents: “Father, what kind of proof you have that the Khalifa is really appointed by God?” They may feel shy, and may not ask the question, but the question will not disappear from their mind. It may be suppressed or set aside or pushed to the back of your mind but it will always remain there, particularly when you study the subject of democracy at school and university or when you discuss with your Canadian friends the election system in Islam vis a vis that in the West.

Thus ignoring these these important questions does not solve any problem. Ignoring these important questions may put our young people, who are living in western democracy, in real danger. Besides, it does not behoove an Ahmadi to be unaware of the answers to these important questions.

Yes, these are not easy questions. The answer is not an easy answer. One has to think about it and seek guidance from Allah and the Holy Quran. Many people have failed to understand the answer to these questions. Many people, even among the followers of the Promised Messiah (A.S. – peace be on him) have failed to understand these concepts and accordingly they have strayed away from the Jamaat. Many people, even from among those who accepted Islam in the time of the Sahabas (the Companions of the Holy Prophet, S.A.W. – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have failed to realize that the Khalifa is appointed by God. Out of their ignorance, they rose against the third Khalifa, Hazrat Uthman (R.A. – may Allah be pleased with him), and as we know, the third and fourth Khalifas were killed by Muslims. Consequently, they were deprived of the blessings of Khilafat. Had they readily understood this concept, those crimes against Khilafat would never have been committed.

Criticize And Think!

So it is an important subject. It is indeed a very important subject. Please bear with me in this hour. Lend me your completely attentive ears, and do not take what I say for granted. Listen to it with a critical mind. Criticize what I say. If you have questions at the end of my speech, I would be very glad to answer your questions, not necessarily today, because of shortage of time. But I would be glad to come to you. Invite me to your Halqa. Invite me to your home if you feel that the subject is sensitive and you are shy to ask questions in public. Invite me to your home, I will be satisfied with one cup of tea. If there are some biscuits beside the tea, that will be all right! I will not insist, like the Mulllahs,on having a lot of halwas (sweets). But, if halwas are there, that is all right too!

But please, as I said, take what I say in a critical manner. Criticize it! I like you to criticize it, because when you criticize something you think deeply about it, and when you think you can find the truth. I firmly believe that what I am presenting to you is the truth. When one has the truth, he is confident and has nothing to fear. I would like you also to be convinced of the truth; and I am sure that you will be convinced, Insha’ Allah (God willing).

Two Approaches

The question we have to deal with is: How can a Khalifa, who is elected by people, be considered to be appointed by God? There are two ways to approach this question. The first is to show that there are some actions done by man but God considers these actions as His own, and there are actions done by God but are manifested only at at man’s hands. The second approach is to prove that in the process of choosing a Khalifa, it is God Himself Who makes the choice and man is merely casting his vote to manifest God’s Will. We will deal with these two approaches in detail.

Arguments From The Holy Quran

Presuming the first approach, we have to seek guidance from the Holy Quran. There in Chapter 56 Allah says:

“Do you see what you sow? Is it you who grow it or are We the Grower?” (56:64-65)

When farmers speak among themselves, they usually speak about the crop they grow. One may say that I am going to grow this or that crop, or the crop which I grew was good this year, and so on. Thus the farmer tills his earth, plants the seeds and grows the crop. But Allah says it is not you who grow. It is We Who are the Grower. In other words, the action which was performed by the farmer is attributed to Allah. Why? The farmer had to follow the system which Allah created for that crop to grow. If the farmer does not follow that system, the crop will not grow. So, the real Grower is Allah. It is He Who created the system and when man follows the system of Allah, in choosing the right soil, in planting the right seeds, in farming at the right time for a particular crop, that crop will grow.

You cannot grow mangoes in Canada during winter time. It is impossible. Unless you build a place where you can have the same environment, the same temperature, the same kind of soil as that located in the Middle East or in India and Pakistan or in the areas where mangoes usually grow. Unless you do all that you cannot grow mangoes in Canada during winter time. When man, through his actions, follows a system created by God to achieve a certain result, that result is the work of Allah.

So you have to follow the system of Allah in electing the Khalifa, and when the result is achieved,by choosing a Khalifa, that result is the action of God.

A Second Argument

The Holy Quran says:

“Fight them, Allah will punish them at your hands.” (9:14)

This verse was addressed to the early Muslims who were fighting the aggression of the idolators of Mecca. The aggression and the atrocities committed by the idolators against the Muslims incurred Allah’s anger and made them deserving of His punishment. It has always been the case with the opponents of the prophets that divine punishment befell them when they exceeded in their aggression against the believers.

The people of Noah, Moses, ‘Ad, Saleh, etc., were visited with divine punishment. In the case of the Holy Prophet^saw‘s opponents also, they exceeded all limits in their aggression and divine punishment became imminent. In the above verse, Allah consoles the believers, informing them that the divine punishment is about to descend on their opponents, but instead of visiting them with punishment directly as it happened with other people, here, God’s punishment is going to be applied at the hands of the believers. So, the act is the act of God, but this act of God will be manifested at the hands of the believers. This demonstrates the fact that certain actions done by man in obedience to Allah, following His commandments and in harmony with His Will are in fact the actions of God Himself.

The Third Argument

This concept finds further support in the Holy Quran in the following verse:

“You killed them not, but it was Allah Who killed them. And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was Allah Who threw.”

Here again the early believers were addressed in this verse asserting that the killing which took place during their fighting with the aggressor Meccans was attributed to God Himself. It is a well known fact that killing of the Meccans was done by the Muslims, but God says it was He Who killed these Meccans. In other words, because the action taken by Muslims was in obedience to God and following His commandments, then God attributed it to Himself.

Many More Arguments

There are so many verses in the Holy Quran supporting this concept. With further study of the Holy Quran it becomes clear that when man does certain actions in obedience to God, following His commandments and seeking His pleasure, then these actions become God’s actions. Man in such a case becomes an instrument though which God manifests His Will. Thus the Actual Doer is God. Man serves merely as an instrument. That is the case in the process of electing the Khalifa. Man serves only as an instrument and it is Allah Who makes the choice and appoints the Khalifa.

“Rahman” And “Rahim”

A question may arise here: If Allah is the One Who appoints the Khalifa, why then He does not appoint him directly as He appoints the prophets? Nobody elects a prophet and God does not use man as an instrument in appointing the prophets so why He does not do the same in appointing the Khalifa? In order to understand the answer to this question we have to understand how Allah manifests Himself through His two attributes: “Ar-Rahman” (The Gracious) and “Ar-Rahim” (The Merciful).

Ar-Rahman is the attribute through which God manifests His blessings for man irrespective of his actions. In other words, if man is a believer or disbeliever, whether he worships God or denys His existence, whether he is worthy or unworthy of that blessing, God will provide for him through His Rahman attribute. Take, for example, the air which Allah provides equally for the righteous and the wicked, for the believer and the non-believer alike. Man did not create the air and did not do any good work to deserve this blessing, but Allah provided it even before man existed. Thus such a blessing is provided through the Rahman attribute.

Rahim attribute is not as general. It is not for everyone. It is confined only to the believers. The Holy Quran says:

“He again turned to them (the believers) with mercy. Surely, He is to them Compassionate, Merciful.” (9:117)

If one is not a believer, then Allah does not manifest Himself to him through the Rahim attribute, he has to become a believer first. There are many divine attributes emanating from the Rahim attribute and all require certain actions from man. If man does not do the actions required, he becomes unworthy to benefit from these attributes.

Appointing a Prophet is done through the Rahman attribute. The question is: When does Allah appoint a Prophet? He appoints a Prophet when evil and wickedness spread in the earth. When all have gone astray and true guidance has disappeared. Thus no one deserves to receive any blessings from Allah. But out of His Grace, i.e., His Rahman attribute, Allah appoints a Prophet. He appoints a Prophet directly.

But after the Prophet has completed his mission and gathered the believers to the right path,then Allah manifests Himself through His Rahim attribute and appoints the Khalifa. For whom? For the believers who believe and do good works. These are the two conditions required by God to appoint the Khalifa. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works” (24:56)

These are the two prerequisites: To believe and to do good works. Believing alone is not enough and doing good works without believing is useless. “Good works” here is explained in the context of the verses preceding and following this verse known as Ayatul Istikhlaf or the verse containing the promise of appointing Successors.

What Is Meant By Good Works?

Our meeting today started with recitation from the Holy Quran. Seven verses from Chapter Al-Noor (Chapter 24) were recited. You may have noticed that the word “obey” has been mentioned in these seven verses SEVEN times. Why? Because Ayatul Istikhlaf, the verse containing the promise of appointing Successors, is mentioned among these seven verses. Allah wanted to stress and explain that obedience to Allah, (and) His Messenger and to His appointed Khalifa, is the `good works’ required for the promise to be fulfilled.

Open your Holy Qurans and read the verses from 52 till 58 of chapter 24 and count how many times the word `obey‘ was mentioned. Without obedience there will be no `good works’ and if there are no `good works’ then the promise will not be fulfilled.

To believe and to do good works through obedience to Allah, His Messenger and his Khalifa, are the TWO prerequisites for this blessing to be manifested. If one prerequisite fails to materialize, the blessing will be taken away. We have seen how in the past, in the early Islamic era, when the Muslims became disobedient to the Khalifa, they were deprived completely of the blessings of Khilafat. They were believers. They believed in Allah. They believed in the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). But they failed to do good works. They failed to obey the Khalifa and the result was that Allah’s blessing of appointing a Khalifa was taken away and thus Khilafat ar-Rashida came to an end. (It was converted into Family khilafat)

Appointing a Khalifa by Allah is a very special blessing which is granted only for those who believe and do good works. If people fail to demonstrate that, then Allah will not be the One Who appoints the Khalifa. Allah will not manifest himself through His Rahim attribute. The Rahim attribute is for the believers, and this particular blessing of appointing the Khalifa is for the believers who do good works.

The Process Of Selecting The Khalifa

A question may arise in our minds here: A Khalifa is elected by people, but how do we know really that he is ALSO appointed by God? The answer to this question comes also from the Holy Quran where we are directed to pray for ourselves, our children, our wives and also we are directed to pray that Allah may appoint us an Imam or a leader of the righteous. The Holy Quran says:

“… and make us Imam for the righteous” (25:75)

The question is: Does Allah hear this prayer? Of course He does. As long as we are true believers and are obedient.

When a Khalifa passes away, his death brings a great shock to the Community of believers. A death in the family is a great shock. A death of a father is a great shock to his children. Similarly, the death of the spiritual father is a great shock to his spiritual children. Everyone becomes fearful and apprehensive whether Allah will continue to manifest Himself towards them through this blessed institution of Khilafat or not. They become so much grieved and agitated. They question themselves whether they have been obedient to Khilafat or they have gone astray. They turn to Allah. They pray fervently to Him. They repent of all their sins and seek Allah’s forgiveness and beseech Him to guide them. They ask Him: `O Allah! Guide us to choose the person whom You want to appoint’.

The appointment of the Khalifa thus is not their action. It is Allah’s action. They are only instruments in manifesting God’s will. They only cast their votes. As the grower, the farmer who grows crops, only throws the seeds but Allah is the real Grower. As those who participated in the battles against the aggressor Meccans, only did the fighting, but it was the punishment of Allah which was manifested at their hands.

So, the believers pray: `O Allah! Give us guidance. Tell us, whom You want to appoint, and we, in obedience to You, we shall cast our votes for him’.

The Purpose of Religion

Here we have to ask the question: What is the purpose of religion? It is not only to make good people and to live in a peaceful and harmonious environment. The main purpose of religion is to bring man in contact with God. It is to establish a relationship between man and his Creator. This is simply the object of religion. If that object does not materialize, then there is no need for such a religion. It is indeed a dead religion which does not bring man in contact with God. Islam is the living religion and through Islam alone can man establish a relationship with God.

This relationship dictates that when man is in difficulty and calls upon God to help him out, when man is in trouble, when man really needs guidance from Allah, then Allah would turn to him, hear his cries, accept his prayers and grant him guidance.

What is more troublesome than the death of a spiritual father, the death of the leader of the Community, the death of the Imam of the righteous? That most righteous person who was leading the Jamaat has passed away and the Community is without a leader. It is like a body without a head. What do the believers do? They go to Allah, throw themselves at His threshold and plead with Him: `O Allah! Help us, guide us to select the person whom You want to appoint as our Khalifa’.

Who Cast Their Votes?

Allah out of His Rahim attribute, manifests this blessing again. He guides the believers and informs them to elect the person whom he wants to appoint. They only cast their votes for that person. Who are those who cast their votes? It is not you and me. It is not anyone and everyone. It is not the majority. It is not everyone who is 16 or 18 years of age and a citizen of a particular country. No! The system of appointing the Khalifa is different from that of Western democracy.

The believers pray that Allah may appoint for them an Imam of the righteous. An Imam of the righteous is THE most righteous person who is fit to be a leader, and it is only the righteous who have the right to cast their votes. It is only the righteous people who would go to Allah and ask Him to guide them and to tell them whom He wanted to appoint. These people must have attained to a high level of righteousness that a relationship between them and God has already been established, that they will ask Allah’s guidance and Allah will answer their prayers and communicate to them His Will of appointing a particular person, the Imam of the righteous. Then they will cast their votes for him.

No Righteousness, No Khilafat

If this righteousness is not there, the whole system collapses. Without righteousness, Allah does not participate and it is entirely up to the people to choose whomsoever they please according to the majority of vote. Thus everyone elected by people is not automatically appointed by God. A person has to be elected according to the system of God in order to be appointed by God. If a person who is the most righteous is elected to be the leader of the righteous, and only the righteous did cast their votes, then that person is appointed by God.

The election of Mr. Bush and Mr. Mulroney and the other leaders of the world does not satisfy these conditions and accordingly they cannot be appointed by Allah. Yes, they may have been democratically elected but not divinely appointed. In fact, Hitler was democratically elected. He came to power through democratic election. It was not a rigged or phony election as usually happens in the Third World countries. It was genuine, clean, true, democratic election. But it was not done according to the system of Allah. Righteousness was not here. And when righteousness is not there, then Allah is not there also.

The Electoral School

The whole matter, then, depends on Taqwa, righteousness. If there is no Taqwa Allah is not there. Here, another question may arise: Who are those people who elect the Khalifa and how can we ensure that they have attained such a high level of Taqwa? For this purpose, an Electoral School is established to elect the Khalifa. There is no fixed number for those who participate in the election process. The only condition is that they must be on a high level of righteousness.

When the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) passed away, the leaders of the Muslim community agreed together to take Hazrat Abu Bakr as the First Khalifa. He himself, being the most righteous, appointed the Second Khalifa. Before his death, the Second Khalifa appointed an Electoral School comprising of six of the leaders of the community to whom the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) had given the glad tidings that they belonged to Paradise.

In the Renaissance of Islam, after the advent of the Promised Messiah, the Second Khalifa, Hazrat Musleh Mawood (R.A. – may Allah be pleased with him), appointed am Electoral School consisting of the Disciples and family of the Promised Messiah (A.S.), those who were holding the highest offices in the community as Nazirs, those who have dedicated their lives to serve the community and have served outside of Pakistan for at least three years; and those who have been elected as National Presidents of the Jamaat in their respective countries. (They are actually righteous people, thats why they have the right to cast their votes as mentioned above!)

They all get together, they must get together where the Khalifa has passed away. One cannot send his vote from Canada or the United States. One must go there because there he will be in the company of the righteous. There he will see the effect of the death of the Khalifa and will experience the agony and the grief of the separation which will bring him closer to Allah. There he will participate in the Du’aa (supplication). All his time will be dedicated to renew, purify and strengthen his relationship with Allah. He will pray and pray and pray: `O Allah! Guide me and tell me whom You want to appoint as Khalifa’.

All those who participate in the election process may not necessarily be on the highest level of righteousness. Not each and every individual participating has necessarily established a relationship with Allah. Besides, a person may be on a high level of righteousness but Allah may not elect to communicate with him. Allah does not have to communicate with each and every individual but He communicates with the majority of them. If the majority is not righteous, then it cannot be a righteous community. And if it is not a righteous community, then Allah is not there.

Who Makes The Choice?

Those people ask Allah whom He wanted to appoint. The majority among them will receive guidance from Allah relating to a certain person, so they cast their votes, and that person is appointed. By whom? By Allah!

Let us consider this example: If you have a plate containing an orange, a banana, an apple and a pear. Someone told you to select a fruit from that plate for your father. You could have made your own selection and presented it to your father, but instead you went to your father and asked him: `Father, which fruit do you want?’ The father said: `I want the apple.’ Thus, you went and picked up the apple and presented it to him. Who then made the choice? Is it you who picked it up? No! It is your father who made the choice.

The same is the case with the election of the Khalifa. Not with the election of Mr. Bush. Not with the election of Hitler. Not with the election of any other person. It is ONLY with the election of the Khalifa. It is the election which is based on righteousness and that righteousness is based on the relationship between the righteous people and their Creator. So, it is Him Who makes the choice and it is Him Who appoints the Khalifa.

A Great Honour … And A Warning

It may be pointed out here that Allah has bestowed a great honour on the believers by allowing them to participate in the process of appointing the Khalifa. In case of appointing a Prophet, the believers do not yet exist, so God appoints the Prophet on His own, directly, without participation from anyone. But once the community of believers is established, Allah wanted to confer this honour upon them by inviting them to participate n the process of appointing the Khalifa. Though the ultimate choice is His, yet they are blessed to take part in the process. Allah could gave chosen to appoint the Khalifa in the same way He appoints the Prophet. No one will participate. The community of believers could have been completely ignored in the process. But it is for the love of Allah to His Community that He invites them to take part. It is through their lips and through their show of hands that the Will of Allah manifests itself and a new Khalifa is appointed by Him to continue to lead the Community of the righteous.

This great honour involves a warning also, that if the standard of righteousness falls below that required by Allah, or if the Community of the believers fail to demonstrate utmost obedience to their Khalifa, then this blessing and honour may be withdrawn and man may find himself alone, without Allah at his side, making the right and proper choice for him.

The Second Aspect

The second aspect of the topic is related to what kind of mistakes a Khalifa is susceptible to make. Mistakes can be divided into three categories: Mistakes related to worldly affairs; mistakes related to management of the community affairs; and mistakes related to the Shariat’s (the divine law) affairs.

Mistakes Related To Worldly Affairs

Since a Prophet and a Khalifa are both appointed by God, then both are susceptible to make the same kinds of mistakes. Let us see what kind of mistakes the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was susceptible to make. We all know how one the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was walking and saw some people crossing their date trees. He asked them why they did it this way and not that way. When he left them, they thought that he was directing them to do the crossing the other way so they did it as he suggested. Next year he crop was not so good. They went and complained to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) that the other way he suggested was not good. He told them that they should have known better their own worldly affairs.

In other words, a Prophet is not supposed to be am expert in each and every worldly affair. This is not his mission. A Khalifa also cannot be a scientist, an engineer, an architect or a computer expert. It is not his responsibility. So as a Prophet can make a mistake related to worldly affairs, a Khalifa can also make such a mistake. There is no difference between a Khalifa and a Prophet in this type of mistakes.

Mistakes Related To Community Affairs

Let us now consider the second type of mistakes; i.e., mistakes related to the welfare of the community. Once, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was preparing for the first battle, the Battle of Badr. He, being the Commander-In-Chief, led the army and chose an area for the army to camp in preparation for the confrontation with the army of the enemy. His choice was wrong. It was not in the interest of his army to camp in that particular area. One of his followers suggested to camp near the water and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) agreed. The army moved to the other place and camped near the water.

Bear in mind that this was the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), he was appointed directly by God, he was the military leader, but he made a mistake which is considered to be a tactical mistake. One of his followers suggested the correct action and the correct action was adopted at once. Thus a Prophet can make such a mistake and a Khalifa can also make such a mistake. But, in both cases, the mistake will be corrected immediately. If, theoretically speaking, no one detected a mistake committed by a Prophet or a Khalifa related to the welfare and progress of the community, then Allah, Who appointed that Prophet and that Khalifa, will take it upon Himself to correct the consequences of such a mistake, and the ultimate outcome will be the enhancement and the betterment of the affairs of the community.

Mistakes Related To Shariat Affairs

Let us now consider the third type of mistakes, i.e., mistakes committed against the Shariat or the divine Law. We all know that according to the Shariat, the obligatory five daily prayers are: the Morning Prayer consisting of two Raka’at, the Zuhr Prayer consisting of four Raka’at, the Asr prayer consisting of four Raka’at, the Maghrib Prayer consisting of three Raka’at and the Isha Prayer consisting of four Raka’at.

This is how the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), the person appointed by God for the purpose of establishing the Shariat has taught the people to offer prayers. They learned the Shariat from him. Yet, once he was leading Zuhr Prayer and instead of offering four Raka’at he offered only two. Then the Muslims asked him whether the prayers have been shortened. Realizing that he had made a mistake, he completed the other two Raka’at.

Such a mistake related to Shariat matters can be committed by a Prophet or a Khalifa alike but such a mistake is based only upon forgetfulness. A human being can forget. A Prophet and a Khalifa are human beings and both can forget. But such a mistake is rectified immediately. Any mistake related to the Shariat affairs can never be made by intention, whether by a Prophet or by a Khalifa.

We frequently hear the expression that a Prophet is Ma’soom (protected by God against sin). This protection is not something conferred on the Prophet beyond his will. It emanates from him as a natural consequence of his obedience to God. He is aware all the time of the presence of Allah and of his obligations towards Him. This state of continuous awareness of God’s presence makes him Ma’soom or divinely protected. How can he intentionally make mistake by disobeying God’s commandments? It is impossible!

Similarly, the Khalifa is the person appointed by God. He is the man who is supposed to be the leader of the righteous. He is the most righteous man on earth, and on his shoulders lies the burden of leading the community towards higher and higher level of righteousness. how can it be possible that such a man will intentionally make a mistake by disobeying God? It is impossible! When Allah appoints a person for the purpose of safeguarding the spiritual welfare of a community, then how can anyone expect that person to go against the Shariat and disobey God intentionally? Never! It is absolutely impossible.

There is no difference, in this regard, between a Prophet and a Khalifa. No difference whatsoever. All the mistakes which a Prophet is susceptible to make, also a Khalifa is susceptible to make. There is NO difference whatsoever.

When we realize this concept, then we will be bale to realize the importance, the magnificence and the greatness of the institution of Khilafat. It is nothing less than a continuation of the blessings of prophethood. How fortunate Ahmadis are to be blessed with this institution of Khilafat. The joy they feel and the happiness they experience is unparalleled as this institution was re-established once again for them and will continue to be established, Insha’ Allah, till the day of Judgment.

One Last Question

Before I close I must address one last question that may arise in some minds. If a Khalifa is protected against committing mistakes against the Shariat intentionally then why in the pledge of Khuddam and also in the Bai’at form, a person will pledge to obey the Khalifa in `every good thing’? Does this mean, or imply, that the Khalifa may give instructions that are not good, i.e., are against the commandments of Allah; and it would be up to the individual that if or when he feels that such instructions were not good then he would be under no obligation to obey them?

The fact is that this expression `to obey in every thing good’ was used by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in the first Bai’at taken with a few men and women from Medina. The holy Quran also, in the context of Ayatul Istikhlaf, says in one of the seven verse recited at the beginning of the meeting:

Say, Swear not. What is required is actual obedience in what is good. (24: 54)

Thus to obey Allah in what is good, to obey the Prophet in what is good or to obey the Khalifa in what is good does not imply at all that either Allah, the Prophet or the Khalifa may direct you to do what is not good. NO! It means that whatever instructions you receive from Allah, from the Prophet or from the Khalifa are good for you and when you obey, you will always be obeying and following what is good. Nothing but goodness will emanate from Allah, the Prophet and the Khalifa. Thus obedience will always be in what is good. The believers, thus, are assured by this statement `to obey in what is good’ that every command coming from Allah, every instruction coming from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and every direction coming from the Khalifa is only good and nothing but good. Thus, all what you are required to obey emanating from Allah, or from the person appointed by Allah, being a Prophet or a Khalifa, is good. Thus it is a statement of assurance to the believers that everything directed to them which requires obedience is only good.

This also adds to the greatness of the institution of Khilafat. What a great blessing to know that every order and direction a believer may receive from his Khalifa is good. The Promised Messiah (A.S.) has rightfully named the institution of Khilafat Qudrat-e-Sania, i.e., the Second manifestation. The First Manifestation is manifested through the appointment of the Prophet. The Second Manifestation is manifested through the appointment of the Khalifa. There is NO difference; no difference whatsoever. Except one being done directly by Allah and the other is being done through whom Allah uses to manifest His Will. One is done through the attribute of Rahman and the other is done through the Rahim attribute.

Many of us have visited the area known as `Thousand Islands’ and may have seen there trees grown in an area where nobody can reach. These trees are not planted by a human hand. They grew though the rocks or on very small islands where no man can live or even can stand let alone be able to plant a tree. These trees are planted by God without the intervention of man.

Other trees are also there which are planted by man. Allah is the Grower in both cases. Similarly, Allah appoints the Prophet directly and appoints the Khalifa indirectly and there is no difference between the two appointments. The difference may be in the mission of the Prophet and that of the Khalifa. The Prophet is to lay the foundation for establishing the community of the believers. The Khalifa is to build upon this foundation and to spread the community of believers in the world. It is like building an awesome structure: The prophet lays the foundation, the first Khalifa build the first floor, the second Khalifa builds the second floor and so on until the building reaches high in the sky and becomes like a blessed tree; its roots are firmly established in the earth and its branches reach into the heaven, it brings forth its fruits at all times by the command of its Lord.

Understanding this will enable us to understand the Friday Sermon in which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV has spoken on `The Rope of Allah’ (dated November 23, 1990). When we understand this then all of us, together, should hold fast to that `Rope of Allah’. In that Rope of Allah is our salvation. In that Rope of Allah is our success. In that Rope of Allah is our progress and protection. We receive all bounties and blessings from Allah through holding fast to that Rope of Allah.

A Great Man

Once I asked Chaudhry Muhamed Zafrulla Khan a question. I said, “Chaudhry Sahib, through all your life you have been very successful and Allah has blessed you so much. Would you tell me why?” Without any hesitation to think about an answer, he said: “Because through all my life, I was obedient to Khilafat.”

What a great answer by a great man!

May Allah enable us to continue to benefit from the blessings of Khilafat. May He enable us to understand this great and magnificent institution. May He enable us, all together, to hold fast to that Rope of Allah, so that His blessings may continue to be showered upon us all the time. Ameen!

The Muslim Sunrise, Summer 1995

Allah had promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then who so is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.

(Surah Al-Nur, Verse 56)

Commentary:

The present verse embodies a promise that Muslims will be vouchsafed both spiritual and temporal leadership. The promise is made to the whole Muslim nation but the institution of Khilafat will take a palpable form in the person of certain individuals who will be the Prophet’s Successors and the representatives of the whole nation. They will be, as it were, Khilafat personified. The verse further says that the fulfillment of this promise will depend on the Muslims’ observing the Prayer and giving the Zakat and on their obeying the Messenger of God in all religious and temporal matters concerning the nation. When they will have fulfilled these conditions, the boon of Khilafat will be bestowed upon them and they will be made the leaders of nations; their state of fear will give place to a condition of safety and security, Islam will reign supreme in the world, and above all the Oneness and Unity of God – the real purpose and object of Islam – will become firmly established.

The promise of the establishment of Khilafat is clear and unmistakable. As the Holy Prophet is now humanity’s sole guide for all time, his Khilafat must continue to exist in one form or another in the world till the end of time, all other Khilafahs having ceased to exist. This is among many others the Holy Prophet’s distinct superiority over all other Prophets and Messengers of God. Our age has witnessed his greatest spiritual Khalifa in the person of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah.

The Qur’an has mentioned three kinds of Khalifas:

1. Khalifas, who are Prophets such as Adam and David. About Adam, God says in the Qur’an: “I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth” (2:31); and about David He says: “O David, We have made thee a vicegerent in the earth” (38:27).
2. Prophets who are the Khalifas of another and a greater Prophet such as the Isrealite Prophets who all were the Khalifas of Moses. About them the Qur’an says: “We have sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light. By it did the Prophets who were obedient to Us judge for the Jews:” (5:45).
3. Non-Prophet Khalifas of a Prophet, with or without temporal powers, such as godly people learned in the Law. Their mission is to protect and preserve the law from being tampered with (5:45).

Briefly, the verse under comment covers all these categories of Khalifas, viz., the Holy Prophet’s rightly-guided Khalifas, the Promised Messiah, his Successors and the spiritual Reformers or Mujaddids. Their mission, as the above verse says, is to protect the Law and to bring back “the erring flock into the Master’s fold.”

The special marks and characteristics of these Khalifas are:

• They are appointed Khalifas through God’s own decree in the sense that the hearts of believers become inclined towards them and they voluntarily accept them as their Khalifas;
• the religion which their mission is to serve becomes firmly established through their prayers and missionary efforts;
• they enjoy equanimity and peace of mind amidst hardships, privations or persecution which nothing can disturb; and
• they worship God alone, i.e. in the discharge of their great responsibilities they fear no one and they carry on their duties undaunted and without being discouraged or dismayed by the difficulties that stand in their way.

The verse may also be regarded as embodying a prophecy which was made at a time when Islam was very weak and idols were being worshipped throughout Arabia and the Muslims being small in number feared for their very lives, and yet in the course of only a generation the prophecy was literally fulfilled. Idolatry disappeared from Arabia and Islam became firmly established not only in Arabia but also reigned supreme in the whole world and the followers of the Holy Prophet, erstwhile regarded as the dregs and scum of humanity, became the leaders and teachers of nations.

The words, “Whosoever is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious,” signify that Khilafat is a great Divine blessing. Without it there can be no solidarity, cohesion and unity among Muslims and therefore they can make no real progress without it. If Muslims do not show proper appreciation of Khilafat by giving unstinted support and obedience to their Khalifas they will forfeit this great Divine boon and in addition will draw the displeasure of God upon themselves.

(The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary, Vol. 4, pp. 1869-1870.)

source http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000003.html

The commonly used English words ‘Caliph’ and ‘Caliphate’ are both taken and transformed from the Arabic terms ‘khalifa’ and ‘khilafat’. The term ‘caliph’ is in English use since 1393, and ‘caliphate’ since 1614. One of the reasons for the richness of English vocabulary is its ability to borrow and absorb foreign words and phrases in abundance. English speaking people use words taken from almost every other language in the world. For example, from Indo-Pakistani languages such as Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit, English has obtained ‘camphor’, ‘ginger’, ‘musk’, ‘sugar’, ‘punch’, ‘guru’, ‘nirvana’, ‘bungalow’, ‘jungle’, ‘cheetah’, ‘thug’, ‘pundit’ and ‘Aryan’. From Farsi are ‘bazaar’, ‘caravan’, ‘dervish’, ‘jasmine’, ‘magazine’, ‘rook’ and ‘checkmate’. From Hebrew are the words ‘Amen’, ‘jubilee’, ‘kosher’, ‘Satan’ and ‘messiah’. Similarly, numerous names, phrases and terms are taken from Arabic language. To mention only a few: Admiral (Amir-ul-bahr, or amir-ar-rahl), Gibraltar (Jebel-e-Tarik), alchemy (al-kimiya), alcohol (al-kohl), algebra (al-gebro-wal-muqabilah), algorithm (al-Khowarazmi), arsenal (dar-as-sina’ah), assassin (hashishin), coffee (qawah), El Cid (al-Sayyid), elixir (al-iksir), emir (Amir), fakir (faqir), genie (jinn), minaret (minarah), Ottoman (Uthman), Saracen (sharqiyien), sherbet & syrup (sharbah, sharaab), sofa (suffah), talisman (talism), and zero (sifr).For our discussion, we would like to make a distinction between “khilafat” and “caliphate” for reasons other than mere etymological development of the words. In Arabic “khalifa” means “successor/deputy/vicegerent”, and “khilafat” is the dominion of a khalifa, or the institution that runs under the leadership of a khalifa. In English, “caliph” is the chief civil and political Muslim ruler regarded as a successor of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). But in the Holy Quran, the words khalifa (in singular) and khulafa or khalaa’if (in plural) have wider connotations than “caliph” and “caliphs” in English. For example, the Holy Quran uses the title of “khalifa on the earth” for the prophet Adam as “God’s deputy or vicegerent on the earth” (2:31); and yet we cannot call him as Caliph Adam in English. Similarly, David is called a “khalifa”, a vicegerent of God in the Holy Quran: ‘O David! We have made you a khalifa (vicegerent) in the earth; so judge between men with justice and follow not vain desires, lest it should lead you astray from the way of Allah.’ (38:27). But we never say “Caliph David” in the English language; he is called “King David”.

Moreover, in the Holy Quran the words khalaa’if and khulafa (plural of Khalifa) have been used for some nations or specific generations of mankind in the sense that God did a great favor to them and made them dominant over the earth: “And remember the time when He made you as khulafa (men who inherited God’s favor) after the people of Noah, and increased you abundantly is constitution.” (7:75). “And remember the time when He appointed you as khulafa (who inherited authority as a favor of God) after ‘Ad, and assigned you an abode in the land.” (7:75). But in English we do not refer to any one nation as “Caliphs” on the earth.

The Holy Quran specifically uses the term khulafa indicating a special favor of Allah to the people not only by granting them the worldly power, but more specifically as a spiritual reward for their righteousness. In this sense, the blessing of khilafat requires vigilance to retain it as it is also a test and a trail for righteous people. “And He it is Who has made you khalaa’if (successors to win favors of God) on the earth, and then exalted some of you over the others in degrees of rank, so that He may try you by that which He has given you.” (6:166). “Then We made you khalaa’if (successors) in the earth after them (the earlier destroyed generation), that We might see how you would act.” (10:15). “Who answers the distressed person when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil, and makes you khulafa (successors) in the earth? Is there a God besides Allah? Little it is that you reflect.” (27:63). In this verse of the Holy Quran, the blessing of khilafat is closely connected with God’s answering the prayers of the distressed and removing a sorrowful state. Again, “Verily, Allah knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. Verily, He knows full well all that lies hidden in the breasts. He it is Who made you khalaa’if (successors/vicegerents) in the earth. So he, who disbelieves, will himself suffer the consequences of his disbelief.” (35:40).

In all these verses quoted above, the holy Quran lays emphasis on the moral, ethical and spiritual aspects of the believers as a required condition to have the favor of khilafat bestowed upon them. Therefore, in the Holy Quran, God’s promise to establish khilafat as a blessing for mankind is firmly rooted in the moral and spiritual condition of sincere believers. “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He had made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and He will surely give them in exchange security (and peace) after their fear: They will worship Me alone, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be rebellious.” (24:56).

In this specific sense, we make a distinction between khilafat and caliphate. Caliphate deals with civil and political rulers in Islamic history, but in khilafat, emphasis is on moral, religious and spiritual leadership of mankind. Khilafat deals with establishing the worship of One God, remaining prayerful and benevolent people, doing good works, living without fear by maintaining peace and security. Therefore, a political ruler who might be called “Caliph” may not be a Khalifa in the true Quranic sense of the word.

In the famous collection of Ahadith Musnad Ahmad by Imam Ahmad bin Hambal, there is one prophetic Hadith narrated by Hadhrat Huzaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be on him.) said: “Prophethood will remain among you as long as Allah wills. Then khilafat on the lines of Prophethood shall commence, and remain as long as Allah wills. Then corrupt/erosive monarchy would take place, and it will remain as long as Allah wills. After that, despotic kingship would come, and it will remain as long as Allah wills. Then, the khilafat shall emerge once again based on the precept of Prophethood.” In this Hadith, the promise of khilafat is connected with Prophethood on two separate occasions. In between the two eras of khilafat, the reference to “the corrupt/erosive monarchy” and “despotic kingship” is what we would like term as “Caliphate”, although most of the Muslim monarchs and kings used the title “khalifa” for themselves. The Arabic words showing the relationship between khilafat and Prophethood are “khilafat -ala- minhaj-e-nabuwwat”, that is, khilafat on the lines of Prophethood. This means that a Prophet’s true Successors (Khulafa) would continue to follow the example of the Prophet and lead the believers in the same way as the Prophet guided them. This elucidates the principle that khilafat in fact is a continuation of the mission of the Prophet, and that the objectives of khilafat and Prophethood remain the same.

The Holy Quran makes it clear that the main objective of Prophethood is the moral and spiritual development of mankind. With regards to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the Holy Quran declares: “We have sent to you a Messenger from among you, who recites Our Signs (ayaat) to you, and purifies you, and teaches you the Book and Wisdom, and teaches you that which you knew not.” (2:152).

This verse enumerates four functions of the Prophet:

1. Recital of God’s Signs (ayaat) to establish firmness of faith in the existence of One God and to worship Him alone.
2. Purification of souls by bringing a moral change in human conduct by creating mutual love, sympathy and unity among the believers and by eradicating sinful inclination from the hearts of the believers.
3. Teaching the Book (the Holy Quran) that contains Law and commandments of God to establish a just and benevolent society.
4. Teaching wisdom that underlies natural and social laws to increase human knowledge.

Indeed, these four objectives — related to spiritual, moral, social and educational enhancement of mankind — continued to be the main objectives of the righteous and “rightly guided” khilafat in the footsteps of the Prophet of Islam.

After leading his followers for 23 years on ‘the straight path’ of Islam, the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him) passed away in 632 AD. His companions elected Hadhrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as his first khalifa (successor) by a majority of votes. Hadhrat Abu Bakr continued to uphold the unity among the Muslims, leading them in following the principles of Islamic teachings in full obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Thus “khilafat ala minhaj-e-nabuwaat” was firmly established as predicted by the Prophet. After him, the next three successive khulafa – namely, Hadhrat Umar ibn al-Khattab, Hadhrat Uthman bin Affan and Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them all) – were among the most devoted and the closest companions of the Prophet. They carried on his mission under very difficult and complex circumstances. The Khalifa would lead the prayers as Imam-us-Salat. He would impart religious and spiritual knowledge to the fellow Muslims; maintain justice and piety in society, and remain above any party-politics. In addition, he administered all matters with mutual consultation known and ordained in the Holy Quran as Shura. He was also the commander-in- chief as Ameer-ul-Momineen.

One of the major tasks in the hands of the Khulafa of the Messenger of Allah was to preserve the text of the Holy Quran. When many hufaaz (those who commit the entire Quran to memory) were martyred in a battle, on the advice of Hadhrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), codification and compilation of the Holy Quran started under the directive of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He entrusted the work to Hadhrat Zaid bin Sabit (may Allah be pleased with him), a close companion of the Prophet who presented it in a complete book form to Hadhrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). At the death of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), the compiled Book passed in to the hands of Hadhrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who in turn bequeathed it to his daughter Hadhrat Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) the widow of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). It was the same copy that later formed the basis of the copies distributed on a large scale by the third Khalifa Hadhrat Usman bin Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him) to every part of the Islamic world.

In less than 30 years, from the deserts of Arabia, the Muslims reached Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Jerusalem, Egypt, Cyprus, and Tripoli in North Africa; Iran, Afghanistan, and Sind in India. The powerful Byzantine Empire in the North West and the ancient Persian Empire in the East were both defeated by Muslim soldiers. One of the standing orders of khilafat was that the conquered people were not to be forcibly converted to Islam. The Holy Quran clearly condemns compulsion in religion, and specifically respects the Holy Scriptures of the Jews and Christians, calling them ahl al-kitab, the People of the Book. They, along with Zoroastrians, Hindus and Buddhists were considered as Dhimmis (protected subjects). Muslims paid Zakat (annual tax to assist the poor), but the non-Muslim Dhimmis were exempted to pay Zakat. Instead, they paid a poll tax called Jizya. In return, their lives, properties, honor and freedom of religious practice were fully safeguarded by the Islamic government under khilafat.

The rapid expansion of Islamic domain created many challenges. There were mischief mongers who were busy creating discontent and disunity among the Muslims. Unfortunately, they succeeded in creating a military rebellion against the third khalifa, Hadhrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). A group of soldiers came to Medina (in 656 AD) from Fustat, Egypt, and murdered him in his house while he was reciting the Holy Quran. Demands to punish Uthman’s murderers were put to Hadhrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who was elected as the fourth khalifa, and this situation subsequently lead to civil wars. A close relative of Hadhrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), Muawiyya, the governor of Syria, confronted Hadhrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). After failed attempts at negotiations and arbitration, Muawiyya forcefully tried to depose Hadhrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), declaring him-self to be the caliph.

Some extremists, known as Kharijies (seceders), rebelled against Muawiyya and Hadhrat Ali both. Hadhrat Ali dealt with them harshly and crushed their armed rebellion. Later, one of the Kharijies killed Hadhrat Ali in 661, thus ending the era of the rightly guided Khulafa. By then, Medina the capital of the Prophet was no more the power center. Muawiyya, who had taken power by force, was the first military and political leader to initiate Caliphate in the sense of hereditary monarchy. Damascus was the capital of his kingdom. According to Professor Hitti, Muawiyya was not only the first, but also one of the best of the Arab kings. He was shrewd, diplomatic, cool and calculating. In his life-time, not only he nominated his own son, Yazid, to be the next ruler, but also made the subject take “Ba’it” (an oath of allegiance) to Yazid in various parts of the empire. He himself went to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this purpose. The only persons who refused to make Ba’it were Hadhrat Hussain son of Hadhrat Ali; Abdullah son of Hadhrat Umar; Abdur Rahman son of Hadhrat Abu Bakr; and Abdullah son of Hadhrat Zubair. Their stand was that Khilafat could not be degenerated into a hereditary monarchy. Nevertheless, Yazid, who did not have the moral integrity for being a Khalifa, inherited the kingship from his father in 680 AD. Thus a new phase in the Islamic history started, leading to kingship to be run by members of Umayya family. This phase is distinct from “Khilafat”. The caliphs were successful political leaders, but not necessarily men of moral integrity with full religious knowledge anymore; thus, hereditary monarchy eroded the true nature of Khilafat and it transgressed into royal Caliphate.

In the words of historian Karen Armstrong, “The Umayyad caliphs would gradually transform the disparate regions conquered by the Muslim armies into a unified empire, with common ideology. This was a great achievement; but the court naturally began to develop a rich culture and luxurious lifestyle, and became indistinguishable in many respects from any other class.” (Islam: A Short History, p.41.).

After the four “rightly guided” Successors to the Prophet, the “Caliphate” (or dynastic monarchies) started, and it remained among the Muslims for more than 1250 years. Muawiyya founded the Umayyad dynasty in 661, and his son, Yazid I, became caliph in 688. The House of Umayyad ruled the Muslim world for almost a century. In 749, the Abbasid (descendents of Prophet’s uncle Hadhrat Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib) overthrew the Umayyad and retained power for next five centuries. However, they suffered a great tragic setback when the Mongols attacked Baghdad in 1258, and the then Caliph al-Musta’sim was executed. Three years later, a surviving member of the Abbasid family was installed as Caliph at Cairo under the patronage of the Mamluk Sultanate; but this remained a “shadow”/titular Caliphate, and mostly limited to only ceremonial and religious matters.

The Turkish Ottoman Muslim rulers used the title “Sultan” for themselves, but the seventh Sultan of Ottoman dynasty, Mehmed II (1432-1481) and his son Selim I, claimed to be Caliphs to justify their conquest of Islamic heartland. In the beginning, they used the title “Caliph” symbolically, but it took a kind of permanency when the Ottoman Empire defeated the Mamluk Sultanate in 1517. The last Abbasid Caliph at Cairo, al-Mutawakkil III, was imprisoned and taken to Istanbul, where he reportedly surrendered the Caliphate to Selim I.

The Umayyad, Abbasid and Ottoman dynasties ruled in multifaceted forms of administrations. At times, multiple Caliphates were running parallel to each other. Internal conflicts, rebellions and rivalries leading to oppression and bloodshed were not uncommon. Thus slowly and gradually, the institution of Caliphate lost much of its legitimacy in the eyes of the Muslim Umma. Clearly, the caliphs were far-removed from the norms set by the Prophet and the early Khulafa to be serious contenders to the leadership of Muslims. None of them could claim to be the spiritual and religious leader of the entire Muslim Umma. The objectives of Prophethood were mostly discarded. But in secular matters, cultural advancements were made in various sciences and arts creating a new and robust civilization. The moral and spiritual essence of khilafat survived to some extent through the religiosity of conservative Islamic Scholars (Ulama), but was mostly preserved and sustained by Aulia (Saints), Imams (spiritual and religious guides), Mujjaddids (religious reformers) and the Sufis (mystics).

The lavish lifestyle of the elite ruling class under the monarchical Caliphs had caused a reaction, and many pious Muslims were led towards mysticism. Many eminent Sufi leaders had emerged since the eighth century, and with the passage of time this trend was further heightened. The famous Sufi orders of Naqshbandiya, Qadriya, Yassaviyya, Suhrawardi, Shadilliyya, Badawiyya, Chishtiyya and Mawalawiyya were formed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The use of the title of khalifa became customary among the successors and deputies of the founders of the Sufi orders. For example, Qutb-ud-Din Bakhtiar Kaki (d.1235 AD) was a contemporary saint and the principal khalifa (deputy) of Muin-ud-Din Chishti (d.1236) — the founder of the famous Chishtiyya order. Farid-ud-Din Masud Gand Shakar (d. 1265) was a Khalifa (successor) of Bakhtiar Kaki. And his Khalifa was Nizam-ud-Din Aulia (d.1325) of Delhi, India. The Sufi leaders and their Khulafa exercised spiritual power over the hearts and minds of the people by laying emphasis on attaining nearness to God through esoteric doctrines, piety, and resistance to worldly temptations. They were saintly persons with faith in the power of prayer. They performed miracles and experienced true dreams, visions and Divine revelations.

During the World War I (1914-1918), the Turkish Ottoman Empire fought against Britain and her Allies, and was defeated. By the end of World War I, the Turkish Ottoman Empire was occupied by European allies, and its territories were divided among them. Mehmed VI, the 36th Sultan was exiled, and after his death the Sultanate was abolished in 1922. However, his cousin, the Crown Prince Abdul Majid II, was elected by the Turkish National Assembly in Ankara as ‘Caliph’. Later, on March 3, 1924, he was deposed and expelled from Turkey along with the rest of his family. This was followed by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) formally abolishing Caliphate and the shariah court system. Abdul Majid II, therefore, is considered to be “Aakhir Khalifatul Muslimeen” – the last Caliph among the Muslims.

When European allies decided to partition the Ottoman Empire territories, there was a strong reaction among the Muslims of the world. In late 1919, some Indian Muslim leaders started ‘Khilafat Movement’, to preserve the integrity of the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. A Khilafat Committee was formed with two goals to achieve: “First, to urge the retention of the temporal powers of the Sultan of Turkey as Caliph, and second to ensure his continued suzerainty over the Islamic holy places.” The Khilafat Movement was based on a non-factual premise that the Ottoman Caliph was the ‘Universal Caliph’ to whom all Muslims, everywhere in the world, owed allegiance.

In 1920, a famous Indian Muslim scholar and leader, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, published a book called Masla-e-Khilafat (The Issue of Caliphate), in which he stated: “Without the Caliphate, the existence of Islam is not possible, the Muslims of India with all their effort and power need to work for this.” Surprisingly, the Muslim leaders of the Khilafat Movement then asked a Hindu leader, Mohandas Gandhi, to help them with what was purely an Islamic cause. To gain strength for his own political agenda, Gandhi willingly agreed to give his support to the Muslims in creating mass agitations and applying diplomatic pressure on British Government. However, the Muslim political leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah (who later became the founder of Pakistan) was opposed to Gandhi’s political tactics, and the Khilafatists used to jeer at him. However, when the Turkish Muslims under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk abolished Caliphate in 1924, the Indian Muslims were deeply hurt and humiliated and the Khilafat Movement collapsed.

Presently there are more than 50 countries with predominantly Muslim population, but all are without a Caliph. In 1979, following what was an “Islamic Revolution” in Iran, indeed the secular kingdom of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was replaced by a religious based power structure. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims to run the affairs of the state on Shia Islamic principles; but the Iranian religious leaders are unable to call for a global Imamate or Caliphate. They are waiting for the appearance of the “hidden Imam” who is the constitutional Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran!

Muslims are coming to the realization that the root cause for their failure in reviving Caliphate is the decline in their observance of religious practices and lack of spirituality. Several Islamic political parties and groups (including the militant al-Qaeda) are calling the Muslims to get united for the restoration of a global Caliphate; but apparently there is no agreement on its methodology. US President George Bush seems to be perturbed about such calls coming from the terrorist groups. He wants to “open a new chapter in the fight against enemies of freedom, against those who in the beginning of 21st century call Muslims to restore Caliphate and to spread shariah.” President Bush thinks that the so-called Jihadists/militants “hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call Caliphate, where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology…This Caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.” But the Ahmadi Muslims have full conviction that nothing like that shall ever emerge, and President Bush need not have any concerns about a rising Caliphate of this nature. According to the Prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him) the promised Khilafat on the precept of Prophethood (ala minhaj-e-nabuwwat), which is purely spiritual in nature, has already been established, since 1908, within the world of Islam under Divine Will. It is known as Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) -peace be on him – claimed to be the Imam of the Age, the Mahdi, and the awaited Messiah — a Prophet of God, but in full subordination to the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). He initiated the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in 1889. Though he lived in a small village, Qadian, in the Punjab, India, he claimed that his mission was universal – to revive faith in One God, to remove the love for materialism, and to unify all mankind. He declared:

“I have been sent to strengthen faith in God by proving He exists and by making His Being manifest to the people. The condition of faith has become so weak that the Hereafter is now taken as a mere fantasy, and the actions of men clearly show that the degree of certainty with which they believe in this world, and the sort of trust which they put on worldly means, they do not posses such conviction about God and the next world. They pay a lot of lip-service to God, but their hearts are dominated by the love of the world alone. Therefore, I have been sent so that Truth and Faith may again dominate, and fear of God may again be kindled in the hearts of men! These are the ends for which I have come!” (Kitab al-Barriyya, pp. 293-294.)

He admonished his followers:

“Be united, and give up all miserliness, rancor, jealousy and lack of compassion. There are two great Commandments of the Holy Quran. One is Unity, love and obedience of the Lord, hallowed be His name; and secondly, sympathy with your brethren and with the whole of mankind.” (Azala Auham, pp.446-452.).

“This age has become empty of true righteousness and purity. The way of the Holy Prophet, which is the means of purification, has been discarded. Now God Almighty desires that the time of Prophethood should be revived in this age, and the same righteousness and purity may be re-established. Thus the purpose of God Almighty in setting up this (Ahmadiyya) Community is that the lost understanding might be re-established in the world through this Community.” (Speeches, pp.21-22.)

To achieve these objectives, his methodology was clearly defined:

“This humble one is appointed by the Omnipotent and Most Glorious God to work for the betterment of mankind in the manner of the Israeli prophet of Nazareth, the Messiah, with extreme humility, meekness, modesty, love and courtesy. To those who are unaware of the right way, I am to show them the straight path through which they can achieve true Salvation, and feel in this very world the signs of having heavenly life, and experience the illumination of being accepted and loved by God.” (Tabligh Risalat, Vol. 1, p.11.).

He successfully initiated his mission, and a vibrant Community of believers was firmly established in his lifetime. On his death, on May 27, 1908, his first successor, Hadhrat Maulana Nur-ud-Deen (may Allah be please with him) was unanimously elected. He was entitled as Khalifa-tul-Masih to continue the mission of the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah. On his demise, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (1889-1965) was elected on March 13, 1914, to be the second Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at. He constituted an Electoral College for Khilafat elections, which has conducted smooth elections in 1965, 1982 and 2003 of the successors at the demise of Khalifa. Presently, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his strength) is the 5th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at. Thus, Khilafat is once again firmly established on the precept of Prophethood.

Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya is the bona-fide institution that has set goals to lead mankind on the path of righteousness, to bring Unity among the nations of the world, and to establish peace and security by safeguarding freedom, life and honor of all human-beings! The Ahmadiyya Khilafat is distinct in many ways from the so-called “Caliphate” of the past monarchies. The Khalifa is elected by means of and with the help of prayers on the basis of piety and righteousness. As the Holy Quran guides: “Verily Allah commands you to entrust authority into the hands of those who are best fitted to discharge it” (4:59), Khilafat is a responsibility to be entrusted to the most deserving person who is capable of serving God and His servants, devoting his time and faculties under the authority of the Word of God and examples set by the Holy Prophet of Islam. The Ahmadiyya Khilafat believes in promoting peace and harmony by reforming human character from within on moral basis. It rejects the use of force and violence in matters of faith. According to the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, the methods to propagate one’s religious convictions should always remain peaceful; that is, encouraging mutual dialogue and gentle persuasion among various faith traditions. It exerts to establish fundamental human rights at all levels, and promotes human dignity by developing potentials of each individual in society.

The Holy Quran makes mutual consultation (Shura) incumbent upon the leadership to utilize in making decisions on policy and administrative matters (3:160). The Ahmadiyya Khilafat, therefore, gives utmost importance to consultation between elected leaders and competent representatives of the Community. Shura is a vitally important process under Khilafat. At the same time, the members of the Community are fully trained to listen and obey the final decisions made by the leadership in conjunction with obedience to the Commandments of God and those of the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

The Ahmadiyya Khilafat differs significantly from the misplaced aspirations of some Muslim groups for political and militaristic dominance over entire world. The Ahmadiyya Khilafat is apolitical; spiritual and religious in nature. Thus, the Ahmadis do believe in the concept of “separation of the State and Church”. While respecting the will of the people to adopt varying political systems that may suit them for beneficent administration of their public affairs, it does not aspire for political authority. Though the ideal Islamic state calls for the head of the government to exercise both the secular and religious authority, the institution of Khilafat can and should remain focused on moral and spiritual matters, providing necessary guidance to the political leaders for the maintenance of justice and social harmony. (According to Islamic teachings)

While other Muslims wait for a Mahdi who would wage a “bloody” Jihad against the infidels, the Ahmadiyya Khilafat holds the motto of “Love for all, hatred for none.” Following the teachings of its founder, it believes and practices the Jihad which entails overcoming sinful temptations of one’s own self, remaining firm in faith, and improving the quality of social life. It abhors terrorism, and strongly rejects violence. It teaches loyalty to one’s country, and to respect and obey the law of the land where one lives. If laws need to be changed, it should be done through a lawful process, not creating lawlessness in any country. The Ahmadiyya Khilafat is fighting the good fight against ignorance, disease, hunger and immorality. By doing so, it upholds the conviction that it will remain the recipient of the Divine support as long as it is working under God’s Commandments.

To conclude, the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, has successfully emerged as the leading force among Muslims to follow the precepts set by the holy Prophet of Islam. It is engaged in establishing faith in the Unity of God all over the world. It teaches the Holy Quran, and promotes knowledge and wisdom. It is exerting to bring uniformity among the people belonging to various races and ethnic groups. It is promoting moral reformation of individuals, teaching mutual love and respect. Above all, the Ahmadiyya Khilafat is helping man to establish a living and loving relationship with God.

Source http://www.alislam.org/topics/khilafat/khilafat-and-caliphate.pdf