The Islamic Caliphate

The word Khilafah خلیفہ (Caliphate), came from the Arabic root word, 'Khalifah,' which means “Successor” i.e. someone who succeeds another person It also means: vicegerent, deputy , trustee.

Khalifatullah Allah Almighty made Adam (علیہ السلام) His vicegerent on earth۔ We read in the Holy Qur'an: وَاِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلٰۗىِٕكَةِ اِنِّىْ جَاعِلٌ فِى الْاَرْضِ خَلِيْفَةً ۭ Behold! when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a vicegerent on the earth." (2:30)

Traditionally been considered a shortening of either the term Khaliatu-Allah (“Successor of Allah”) or Khalifat-ur-Rasul (“Successor of Messenger of Allah Ta’ala”)

Definition of Khalifah/Khilafat 'Khalifah' or vicegerent is one who exercises the authority delegated to him by his principal, and does so in the capacity of his deputy and agent. Hence, whatever authority he possesses is not inherently his own, but is derived from, and circumscribed by, the limits set by his principal. A vicegerent is not entitled to do what he pleases, but is obliged to carry out the will of his master.

To govern a state by “Sharia’ah” is to rule through the Caliphate keeping in view the directions of Quran as under: وَاَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَآ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ اَهْوَاۗءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ اَنْ يَّفْتِنُوْكَ عَنْۢ بَعْضِ مَآ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ اِلَيْكَ ۭ فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاعْلَمْ اَنَّمَا يُرِيْدُ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يُّصِيْبَهُمْ بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوْبِهِمْ ۭ وَاِنَّ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ لَفٰسِقُوْنَ(سورۃ المائدۃ۔49) پس اے نبی ﷺ ، تم اللہ کے نازل کردہ قانون کے مطابق اِن لوگوں کے معاملات کا فیصلہ کرو ان کی خواہشات کی پیروی نہ کرو۔ ہوشیار رہو کہ یہ لوگ تم کو فتنہ میں ڈال کر اُس ہدایت سے ذرہ برابر منحرف نہ کرنے پائیں جو خدا نے تمہاری طرف نازل کی ہے ۔ پھر اگر یہ اس سے منہ موڑیں تو جان لو کہ اللہ نے ان کے بعض گناہوں کی پاداش میں ان کو مبتلائے مصیبت کرنے کا ارادہ ہی کرلیا ہے ،اور یہ حقیقت ہے کہ اِن لوگوں میں سے اکثر فاسق ہیں۔(49) Therefore, judge bet-ween them (O Muhammad!) by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their desires, and beware lest they tempt you away from anything of what Allah has revealed to you. And if they turn away, then know well that Allah has indeed decided to afflict them for some of their sins. For surely many of them are transgressors.

يٰٓاَيُّھَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اَطِيْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَاَطِيْعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَاُولِي الْاَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ ۚ فَاِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِيْ شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوْهُ اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَالرَّسُوْلِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ ۭ ذٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَّاَحْسَنُ تَاْوِيْلًا (سورۃ النساء۔59) Believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those from among you who are invested with authority; and then if you were to dispute among yourselves about anything refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you indeed believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and more commendable in the end.

History of Khilafah The first four caliphs are known to Islamic history as the “rightly guided caliphs”. They were all closely related to Muhammad(ﷺ), and were known for their personal qualities of leadership, and of Muslim piety. During their reigns, despite the challenges and instability that they had to deal with, the Caliphate grew from being a purely Arabian power into the largest empire up to that point in world history, covering territory from Egypt in the west to Persia in the east. 

The role models to Muslims after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are his four immediate rightly-guided companions (خلفائے راشدین).

The Prophet (PBUH) mentioned that it was imperative for any caliph after him to emulate him in the way he implemented the Islamic Law as well as ruling Muslims.

All Muslims are unanimous in their recognition that those four rightly-guided caliphs are the best human-beings after prophets and messengers.

They set a good example in leadership, adherence to the tenets of Islam, humbleness, etc.

The first four rightly-guided companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emulated him in the following aspects as well as others with regard to leadership:

Expansion of Islamic territory by The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr (RA) Abu Bakr (رضی اللہ عنہ), the first caliph, lives no more than two years after the death of Muhammad. Even so, within this brief time Muslim armies have begun their astonishing expansion, subduing the whole of Arabia and striking as far north as Palestine.  Abu Baker was faced with many oppositions, the most stubborn of which was rebellion in Yamama and peoples' recantation of faith.

Expansion of Islamic territory by The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Omar (RA) Abu Bakr (رضی اللہ عنہ) is succeeded in 634 by Omar (رضی اللہ عنہ) (another father-in-law of Muhammad), who in 638 captures Jerusalem. Six years later Omar is stabbed and killed in the mosque at Medina - for personal reasons, it seems, by a Persian craftsman living in Kufa.  Omar (RA) was the best Conqueror and the best administrator of State. Majlis ash-Shura (the consultative body)  

Expansion of Islamic territory by The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Othman (RA) Othman (رضی اللہ عنہ), chosen as the third caliph, is a son-in-law of Muhammad. By the end of his reign, in 656, Arabs have conquered as far afield as north Africa, Turkey and Afghanistan.  Hazrat Usman was called جامع القرآن compiler of Quran He united all the whole Muslim world on one Qirat that was in accent of Quresh.  

Expansion of Islamic territory by The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Ali (RA) Othman (رضی اللہ عنہ), like his predecessor, is assassinated - but this time by rebellious Muslims. They choose Ali (رضی اللہ عنہ), another son-in-law of Muhammad, as the fourth caliph.  

The islamic state and its principles

The islamic state and its principles 1. The Islamic state is set up consciously by an independent people who surrender, by free will and pleasure, to the will of Allah and accept to be his vicegerent as well as act in accordance with his guidelines and principles as enshrined in the Quran and the Sunnah.

The islamic state and its principles 2.It is a theocracy in that t rests sovereignty in the hand of Allah but differs from it in its application. In theocracy the priestly class grabs all powers whereas in Islamic state all the believers have the right to govern as vicegerents of Allah.

The islamic state and its principles 3. Islam agrees with democracy’s principle: government by the people. However, it is against the western concept of people’s sovereignty. The western philosophy of democracy gives people the right to legislate and regulate their lives as they want. But in ‘Islamic democracy’ if one as permitted to use this terminology, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary by the Shariah and can never go against it.

The islamic state and its principles 4. The Islamic state is an ideological state; hence it can be run only by the people who believe in its ideology. However, a people who do not believe in its ideology but are willing to live in its boundary and accept its laws, will be entitled to all the civic rights which the believers enjoy.

The islamic state and its principles 5. The Islamic state will provide equality to all its citizens regardless of their color, race language and their regional identity. Anybody wherever he/she lives is entitled to its citizenship if he/ she believes in its ideology and abides by its laws and principles.

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