About Khilafat
After Prophethood, Khilafat is the most important institution in Islam. Khulafa are ultimately appointed by God through His Divine guidance. Though Khilafat had disappeared, it has been re-established as prophecied by The Holy Prophet, Muhammad sa.
The word Khilafat means succession, and the Khalifa is a successor to a Prophet of Allah whose goal is to carry to completion the tasks of reformation and moral training that were seeded by the Prophet. The community of followers of a Prophet of Allah continues to nurture its faith and practices under the blessing of the institution of Khilafat for as long as Allah wishes. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
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 whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious. (Surah Al-Nur, Verse 56).
Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra writes:
God Almighty does everything through wisdom and foresight, and there is always a good reason and logic behind it. According to nature’s physical laws, man has only a limited life span, but the task of reformation and training of society requires a much longer time. So, Allah has established the system of Khilafat after the system of Prophethood. The Khalifah continues and carries on the task of the Prophet. The seed sown by the Prophet is protected and nurtured by the Khalifah till it becomes a strong and sturdy tree. It shows that in fact Khilafat is an offshoot or branch of the system of Prophethood, that is why the Holy Prophet sa says that after every Prophet, the system of Khilafat is established. (taken from Welcome to Ahmadiyyat).
Just as Allah appoints a Prophet, it is He who appoints a Khalifa as well. He chooses the person who is most eligible to become a Khalifa, and guides a group of pious believers into manifesting His Will through a process of selection of the Khalifa. Thus, it may apparently seem that the Khalifa is chosen by a group of pious people, but it is in fact the Will of Allah that guides their faculties into choosing the Khalifa of His Choice. Once a Khalifa is selected, he remains a Khalifa for the rest of his life as a living testament to Divine Will.
Khilafat establishes the authority of Allah on earth, and the Khalifa strives to uphold that authority within the community of followers. For the believers, Khilafat is an embodiment of Allah’s Unity, as they choose to take divine authority through the person of the Khalifa. The believers partake of the blessings of Khilafat by holding firm to their faith and practices, united under him.
The guided Khilafat
The first four successors after the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw are known as the " Guided Khilafat".
Hadrat Abu Bakr Shiddiq ra (Period of Khilafat: 632-634 AD)
The personal name of Hadrat Abu Bakr ra was Abdullah, but based on his son’s name, Bakr, he was known as Abu Bakr. His father was known as Abu Qahafah and his mother as Ummul Khair Salma. He was born in 572AD in Mecca. He was a close friend of the Holy Prophet saw. He was the first among men to confirm the truth of the claim of the Holy Prophet saw and thus earned the title Siddiq. He was in the company of the Holy Prophet saw during his migratory journey (Hijrah) from Mecca to Medina. He was the only companion of the Holy Prophet saw in the Cave Thaur, where they both took refuge during this journey.
Following the Hijjatul Wida (The Last Pilgrimage), when the Holy Prophet saw fell seriously ill, he instructed Hadrat Abu Bakra ra to lead the daily Prayers. After the sad demise of the Holy Prophet saw, Hadrat Abu Bakr ra was elected as the first Khalifah. He had to deal with an extremely difficult situation which developed due to the sudden demise of the holy Prophet saw.
The first problem was that some of the tribes renounced Islam, simply because their tribal chiefs did not feel necessary to remain loyal to the successors for the Holy Prophet’’. Not only that but they started preparing to attack Medina to end the newly established institution of Khilafat. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra. After knowing their intentions, sent troops and succeeded in suppressing their rebellion.
The second major problem faced by Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq ra was that many people refused to pay the Zakat, which was essential for fulfilling the needs of the Islamic state and caring of the poor. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra vowed to collect Zakat from every one and took all the necessary measures to achieve this goal.
The most dangerous of all the problems was that a number of ambitious persons pretending to be prophets, started rebellion against the Islamic state. Musalima Kadhdhab and Aswad Ansi, raised large armies and captured some of the Muslim territories. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra was prompt to fight back these rebellious false prophets. Despite meager resources, Allah granted him victory against the mischief mongers.
One of the many great achievements of his Khilafat was the collection of the Holy Qur’an at one place. Although the writing and arrangement of the Holy Qur’an was done under the supervision of the Holy Prophet saw himself, yet it was written on various pieces of skin, leaves and slates. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra collected all these pieces of writings in one place, and re-organized the system of Huffaz, or those who committed it to memory, in a systematic way, for the preservation of the Qur’an.
During the last days of his life, the Holy Prophet saw had raised an army to be sent against the Romans who had made some incursions into the Northern borders. This army was still in medina when the Holy Prophet saw passed away. As Hadrat Abu Bakr ra became Khalifah, the law and order situation within and outside the Medina became very delicate. In view of this grace danger, many Companions of Holy Prophet saw advised him not to send the army against Romans. But Hadrat Abu Bakr ra replied forcefully, “What authority has the Son of Abu Qahafah, to stop that which was started by the Holy Prophet saw. The Muslim army, under the command of Hadrat Khalid bin Walid ra, crushed a rebellion in Bahrain. Then the Persians were defeated, who had supported the rebels of Bahrain. The Muslim Army Also defeated the Roman forces in the battles of Ajnadan and Yarmuk, and thus the whole of Syria came under the control of the Islamic state.
Hadrat Abu Bakr ra passed away on August 23, 634 AD, after remaining ill for fifteen days. He was one of the ten blessed ones to whom the Holy Prophet saw had given the glad tidings that they had been rewarded the Paradise. He remained Khalifah for a little over two years.
(The Ahmadiyya Gazette, Majeed A. Mian, April/May 2000, p28-29)
Hadrat Umar Faru ra (Period of Khilafat: 634-644 AD)
His personal name was ‘Umar, Faruq was his title, and Ibn Al-Khattab, his family name. He was born in 581 AD in Mecca, and belonged to a noble family of the Quraish. He was a renowned businessman and used to lead trade delegations to Syria and Iraq. When the Holy Prophet saw announced his claim to Prophethood, Hadrat ‘Umar Bin Khattab ra became a fierce opponent of Islam. So much so that one day he took up his sword and left his house with intention of to kill the Holy Prophet saw. On his way, someone told him to first deal with his own sister and brother-in-law, who had already accepted Islam. He went straight to them and knocked at their door, he could hear the Holy Qur’an being recited inside the house. This made him furious and he started beating his brother-in-law, and wounded his sister who tried to protect her husband. His wounded sister said in a resolute voice, ‘Umar! You may beat us as much as you like, but we are not going to give up our faith. This made him calm down and he ask them to recite a portion of the Holy Qur’an for him. He was so moved by the Qur’anic verses that his eyes filled with tears. He went straight to the Holy Prophet saw and accepted Islam. As he was a strong, fearless and influential man of Mecca, he proved to be a source of strength for Muslims. This miraculous change in Hadrat ‘Umar ra was in fact the result of the Holy Prophet’s prayers.
Hadrat ‘Umar Bin Khattab ra was the second successor of the Holy Prophet saw. During his Khilafat, the Muslim had to fight a number of battles against Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. As a result of this, vast areas of these countries came under the Muslim rule. When the city of Jerusalem in Palestine was conquered by Muslim in 17 Hijri, Hadrat ‘Umar ra himself visited the city on the request of the Romans, and signed a treaty between the Muslims and the People of Jerusalem.
Hadrat ‘Umar ra Established a splendid system of administration for the Islamic state. Some of his main achievements in this field are:
- Establishment of Majlis Shura, a consultative body of advisor to Khalifah.
- Division of the whole Islamic state into provinces to facilitate administration.
- Establishment of a finance department and building of schools and mosques in different parts of the state.
- Introduction of Islamic calendar of Hijrah.
Hadrat ‘Umar ra was so anxious about the welfare of his people that he used to go around in disguise, in the city of Madina at night, to see himself if anyone was in need of help. Once, during his patrol at night, he observed a woman cooking something in a pot while her children were crying around her. He found out from woman that the children were hungry for two days and the pot was put on fire just to console them. He immediately went to the treasury, and himself brought all the necessary food items to the woman. On his way, one his servant offered to carry the load but he stopped him saying: On the Day of Judgment you will not carry my load.
The woman, who had not seen Hadrat ‘Umar ra before, was so pleased that she prayed aloud for him saying, May Allah make you the Khalifah in place of ‘Umar. On hearing this Hadrat ‘Umar ra started crying and without saying a word left the place.
In 644 AD, Hadrat ‘Umar ra was stabbed by a Persian slave, while he was offering his Prayers in Mosque. This proved fatal and he passed away at the age of sixty three on 26th of Dhul Hijjah, 23 AH. He was a truly great Khalifah whose period of Khilafat was undoubtedly a golden period in the history of Islam. He was one of ten blessed ones to whom the Holy Prophet had given the glad tidings that they had been rewarded the Paradise.
(The Concise Encyclopedia of islam, Cyril Glasse, Stacey International, London, 1989, p 408; Ahmadiyya Gazette, April/May 2000, p28-29)
Hadrat Uthman Ghani ra (Period of Khilafat: 644-656 AD)
Hadrat ‘Uthman Ghani ra was elected the third Khalifah by the council appointed by Hadrat ‘Umar ra shortly before his death. When Hadrat ‘Umar ra was on his death bed, he appointed a council to elect the next successor. The Council consisted of:
- Hadrat ‘Abdur Rehman bin ‘Auf ra
- Hadrat Talha ra
- Hadrat’Ali ra
- Hadrat Uthman Ghani ra
- Hadrat Sa’d ra
- Hadrat Zubair ra
Hadrat ‘Abdur Rehman Bin Auf ra was not willing to shoulder the great responsibility and opted out of the election in favor of the other five.
He was, therefore, appointed to seek a common census for the next Khalifah. Hadrat ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf ra took the opinions of the Council members and other prominent Muslims and the majority votes were in favor of Hadrat ‘Uthman Ghani ra . He was, therefore, declared as the elected Khalifah and everyone took the oath of allegiance at his hands.
Hadrat ‘Uthman Ghani ra belonged to the well Known family, Banu Umayya of the Quraish. His lineage can be trace back to the Holy Prophet saw in the fifth generation before him. His generosity for the poor was so well known that he earned the title Ghani.
Hadrat ‘Uthman ra embraced Islam through the preaching of his close friend, Hadrat Abu Bakr. He was the forth person to embrace Islam, but he faced much hardships as his uncle started persecuting him. He migrated twice, first to Abyssinia and then to Medina.
The Holy Prophet saw held Hadrat ‘Uthman ra in great esteem, and married his daughter, Ruqayyah ra to him. On her death, the Holy Prophet saw married his second daughter, Ummi Kulthum ra to Hadrat ‘Uthman ra. Thus, Hadrat ‘Uthman was called Dhunnurain, meaning the one with two lights.
During the Khilafat of Hadrat ‘Uthman ra the Islamic Empire expanded still further, A rebellion in Iran was crushed. In the north, the Romans were once again defeated by the Muslim forces led by Hadrat Amir Muawiah ra. Then the Romans came by the sea to invade Egypt, but were once again repelled by the Muslim forces. As a result of these battles, the whole of Iran, Asia Minor and Egypt came under Muslim control. It was during his Khilafat that a navy and an Islamic fleet were established.
During his Khilafat, standard copies of the Holy Qur’an were prepared from the ones compiled by Hadrat Abu Bakr ra and sent to all the provinces of the state. This was certainly his most important deed.
The Hoy Qur’an, as we see it today, was compiled during his Khilafat and under his direct supervision. The last six years of his Khilafat, however, passed in chaos and conflicts due to the conspiracies of certain groups including that of ‘Abdullah Bin Sabah, a Jew who had become a Muslim with an intention of weakening the Islamic state.
Hadrat ‘Uthman ra was then martyred on June 17, 656 AD, at the age of eighty-two, while he was reciting the Holy Qur’an . He certainly sacrificed his life for the integrity of Khilafat in the best interest of Islam. He was one of ten blessed ones to whom the Holy Prophet saw had given the glad tidings that they been rewarded the paradise.
(The concise Encyclopedia of Islam, Cyril Glasse, Stacey International, London, 1989, p 412; A book of Religious Knowledge, Waheed Ahmad, p.150)
Hadrat Ali ra (Period of Khilafat: 656-661 AD)
With the death of Hadrat Uthman ra,Astate of complete disorder and anarchy ruled in the city of Medina. After five days of political wrangling, Ibn Saba, leader of the Egyptian rebel group supported the cause of Hadrat Ali ra on the grounds that he was the rightful Khalifah in whose favor the Holy Prophet saw has madeAWill’. On June 23, 656AD, six days after the death of Hadrat Uthman ra , Hadrat Ali ra was chosen as the fourth successor of the Holy Prophet saw and the public swore allegiance at his hand one by one.
Hadrat Ali ra was the son of the Holy Prophet’s saw uncle, Abu Talib. He was born in Mecca about twenty years after the birth of the Holy Prophet saw. When Hadrat Ali ra was born, the Holy Prophet saw himself became his guardian, as his father’s financial position was very weak.
Hadrat Ali ra stayed in the bed of the Holy Prophet saw the night when he Holy Prophet saw left Mecca for Medina. The Mecan leaders had planned to arrest and kill the Holy Prophet saw. The next morning, they were enraged when they found Hadrat Ali ra in the bed, instead of the Holy Prophetsaw.
Hadrat Ali ra wasAbrave and skilled warrior. He participated in almost all the battles along with the Holy Prophet saw. Hadrat Ali ra was married to Hadrat Fatimah ra who was the daughter of the Holy Prophet saw.
Soon after his election, Hadrat Ali ra moved the capital of the Muslim State from Medina to Kufa in Iraq, which was a more central place. After his election, he faced the popular demand of Muslims, including influential companions of the Holy Prophet saw, like Hadrat Talha ra, and Hadrat Zubair ra to immediately punish the murderers of Hadrat Uthmanra.
Hadrat Ali ra announced that his top priority was to restore law and order in the state, and only then he would be able to bring the assassins of Hadrat Uthman ra to justice. But Hadrat Talha ra and Hadrat Zubair ra did not agree with Hadrat Ali ra and started raising an army. Hadrat Aishah ra who was not aware of the real situation, also joined Hadrat Talha ra and Hadrat Zubair ra , in an effort to punish the assassins. The three led a small army towards Basra.
Hadrat Ali ra tried his best to avoid fighting and bloodshed, but all his efforts failed. Unfortunately, a battle took place between his forces and the forces of Hadrat Aishah ra. However, Hadrat Talha ra and Hadrat Zubair ra left their forces even before the battle, and were killed by some other opponents. Hadrat Aishah’s ra forces were defeated, but Hadrat Ali ra gave her due respect and took care of her safety. He sent her back to Medina in the escort of her brother, Muhammad bin Abu Bakr ra. The battle was called the Battle of Jamal (Camel) because Hadrat Aishah ra rode a camel during the battle. Later, Hadrat Aishah ra was regretful throughout her life to have fought against Hadrat Ali ra.
After the Battle of Jamal, Hadrat Ali ra urged Amir Muawiah ra, who had not yet taken the Bai’at of Hadrat Ali ra to submit to him in the best interest of Islam. But Amir Muawiah rarefused to submit on the pretext that the blood of Hadrat Uthman ra, who also belonged to family of Umayyah, must be avenged first.
Amir Muawiah ra, with the help of Amr Bin As ra, started raising an army. Hadrat Ali ra had no alternative but to advance towards Syria to fight Amir Muawiah ra. In July, 657AD, the two armies met in a battle at Saffain. There were heavy casualties on both sides, but the battle ended in an accord that the matter be decided by an arbitration committee. This consisted of Abu Musa al-Ash’ari ra, representing Hadrat Ali ra, and Amr Bin As ra representing Amir Muawia ra. Unfortunately, this arbitration ended in failure because Amr Bin As ra deviated from the decision agreed upon with abumusa al-Ash’ari ra.
A large group of people, who were basically against the proposal of arbitration, separated from Hadrat Ali ra and chose an independent Amir for themselves. This group was calledKhawariji, meaning `The Outsiders’. At first, Hadrat Ali ra tried to persuade them to submit to him, but failed. This led to a fierce battle in which most of the Khawariji were killed.
After this crushing defeat, the Khawariji planned to assassinate Hadrat Ali ra, Hadrat Amir Muawiah ra and Amr bin As ra. The latter two escaped from the attempts on their lives. Hadrat Ali ra was fatally wounded by his attacker, while going to the mosque for Fajr prayer. Two days latter, this courageous and pious Khalifah passed away on 20th Ramadan, 40 AH. Undoubtedly, Hadrat Ali ra sacrificed his life for the integrity of Khilafat. He was one of the ten blessed ones to whom the Holy Prophet saw had given the glad tidings that they had been rewarded the paradise.
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