MANAGEMENT BOARD CONTENTS CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGER · Mr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad Mr. Abdul Baqi Arshad...

MANAGEMENT BOARDMr Munir-ud-din Shams (Chairman)

Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary)Mr Naseer Ahmad QamarMr Mubarak Ahmad ZafarMr Mirza Fakhar AhmadMr. Abdul Baqi Arshad

CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGERMansoor Ahmed Shah

EDITORIAL BOARDBasit Ahmad

Bockarie Tommy KallonFareed Ahmad.Fazal AhmadFauzia BajwaMansoor Saqi

Mahmood HanifMansoora Hyder-Hanif

Navida ShahidSarah Waseem

Saleem Ahmad MalikTanveer Khokhar

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORSAmatul Hadi Ahmad

Farina Qureshi

PROOFREADERSAbdul Ghany Jahangeer Khan

Shaukia Mir

DESIGN AND LAYOUTTanveer Khokhar

PUBLISHERAl Shirakatul Islamiyyah

DISTRIBUTIONMuhammad Hanif

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© Islamic Publications, 2007ISSN No: 0034-6721

Views expressed in this publication are notnecessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community

October 2007, Vol.102, No.10CONTENTSEDITORIALIntroduction to The Review of Religionsspecial editions on Khilafat.By Mansoor Shah – UK. ..................................... 2

ESSENCE OF ISLAM – Part 24 What is Revelation? A fascinating insight into Revelation by one who has experienced it first hand.Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) ...................... 3

KHILAFAT IN ISLAMOur curtain raiser review of the concept of Khilafat as presented in Islam. A Khalifa is aVicegerent and is appointed by God. Can Khilafatbe perpetuated by a corporate entity? What is thedifference between prophethood and Khilafat,Successors of the Holy Prophet(saw) and thePromised Messiah(as)?Fareed Ahmad – UK ........................................... 17

Coverphoto:Qadian.

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2 The Review of Religions – October 2007

EDITORIALCommencing with this issue, TheReview of Religions is publishing aseries of monthly special editionsleading up to our expanded edition inMay 2008, the first centenary of theestablishment of the institution ofKhilafat in the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity. The centenary itself, likeall other centenaries commemoratedby the community, is not a time ofpomp or merriment but one of sincerethanksgiving that this bountypromised to the true believers of Godhas taken root and continues toflourish.

Ever since the creation of man, it hasbeen the way of God that He has sentProphets who have served as spiritualteachers for the guidance of thosewhom the Prophet addressed. Somepeople follow this guidance and dogood works and others disbelieve andcontinue in their evil ways. Whensuch cruelties exceed all limits, God’spunishment descends upon them, as isset out in the Holy Qur’an:

He who follows the right wayfollows it only for the good of hisown soul; and he who goesastray, goes astray only to hisown loss. And no bearer ofburden shall bear the burden of

another. We never punish until Wehave sent a Messenger.(Ch.17:V.16)

...And as for those who disbelieve,disaster shall not cease to befallthem for what they have wroughtor to alight near their home, untilthe promise of Allah comes topass. Surely, Allah fails not in Hispromise. (Ch.13:V.32)

A sign of the latter days is that manwould have forgotten his Creator andwould have steeped to bestiality in hiscruelty. Past Prophets have foretoldthat there would be many disasters inthis age, no doubt a reflection ofpunishment man is receiving due tohis spiritual malaise. The above versehowever makes clear that God’spunishment is preceded by theappearance of His Prophet, so hasGod kept His promise and sent aReformer and a Warner that the worldso desperately needs?

The Promised Reformer and Warnerhas certainly appeared. His name isHadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as),Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity. He advent was alsoaccompanied by the glad tiding thathe would be followed by a Khilafat –

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the Second Manifestation of Divineglory contained in the verse in theHoly Qur’an revealed in Madinah:

Allah has promised to thoseamong you [the followers ofMuhammad(saw)] who believe anddo good works that He will surelymake them Successors in theearth, as He made Successorsfrom among those who werebefore them; and that He willsurely establish for them theirreligion which He has chosen forthem; and that He will surely givethem in exchange security andpeace after their fear. They willworship Me, and they will notassociate anything with Me. Thenwhoso is ungrateful after that,they will be the rebellious.(Ch.24:V.56)

If a person reflects upon the aboveverse, then he will realise that GodAlmighty has clearly promisedMuslims a permanent succession,since the verse does not restrict itselfto any particular time period. The onlyrequirement for them is to believe anddo good works, i.e. accept His Prophetand following his guidance.

The institution of Khilafat alsoreminds us that man is mortal, but suchlimitations have no bearing on God’sdesign that ensures the continued

success of His Prophets. Once aProphet has passed away, the brightlight of his teaching is enveloped bydarkness. His opponents think thatthis is the end of his chapter. In thisvacuum, the Prophet’s followers areimmersed in fear, but God manifestsHis glory once again. A bright moonappears that comforts the believers.The works undertaken by the Prophetare thus completed by his Successorsor Khalifasi who follow him asevidenced by the Khilafat Rashidah,the Rightly-Guided Khalifas whoappeared after ProphetMuhammad(saw).

As mentioned earlier there is no timelimit for Khilafat in Islam and itwould be a great folly to say that thisbounty was only limited to a period ofthirty years after the demise of theHoly Prophet Muhammad(saw). Manyverses of the Holy Qur’an andTraditions give Muslims the gladtiding of a permanent Khilafat. Islamis not a dead religion whose blessingsare confined to the past. Its blessingscontinue. The Mosaic dispensation,that was sent to guide the Israelites,had this blessing for hundreds ofyears so it would have been illogicalif the followers of ProphetMuhammad(saw), a Messenger whowas sent as a mercy unto all mankind,should have been deprived of thisblessing after a mere thirty years.

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EDITORIAL

The Review of Religions – October 2007

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Khilafat is a kingpin of Islamic unityand the driving force of a disciplinebased on absolute obedience andloyalty that alone can bring about thetrue progress of Islam. There aremany in the Muslim world, like theHizb-ut-Tahrir, who have tried torevive Khilafat but their attemptshave failed because they are trying toput the cart before the horse. Likemany before them, they believe thatGod spoke before but does not revealHimself anymore. But once youdeprive yourself this bounty, you donot merit any other and you certainlydo not merit Khilafat, as that is anoffice that provides a living exampleof communion with the Divine. It isalso a holy manifestation that isestablished only by a Prophet of Godand not by man. It is thereforeimpossible for this to be revived byhuman effort alone – it necessitatesDivine help and Divine converse.The perpetuity of this divine bountywas re-established, as prophesied bythe Holy Prophet(saw), by the PromisedMessiah(as) who is the prophet of thelatter days and was tasked withIslam’s revival.

Our special issues in this and the nextfew months will focus on the life,tenure and principal achievements ofthose who succeeded the HolyProphet(saw) and the PromisedMessiah(as). We are confident that our

readers will find these editions highlyinformative. By way of a foretasteread our lead article in this editionthat focuses on the concept ofKhilafat in Islam.

Mansoor Shah

i. The Arabic word for a Successor orVicegerent is Khalifa. The plural isKhulafa, but in these editions we havepermitted the use of the wordKhalifas. Another meaning of Khalifais a great King. A third meaning isthat Imam above whom there is noother Imam. According to Aqrab Al-Muwarid, one meaning of Al-Khilafa(the office held by the Khalifa) is Al-Amara (government or rule); or An-Niyaba, meaning to undertake a taskbeing performed by someone who isnot present then or who has died andhis work needs to be continued as hisdeputy or vicegerent or successor. Wehave used the word Khilafat in lieu ofthe slightly less well-known Arabicword Khilafa sometimes spelt asKhilafah for the institution or theoffice held by the Khalifa; we haverefrained from the anglicised use ofthe word Caliph unless part of aquotation.

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EDITORIAL


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5The Review of Religions – October 2007

What is Revelation? By revelation is not meantsomething that arises in the mindas a result of thinking andreflection, like that which a poetexperiences in writing his verses.He writes a verse and reflectsabout the next one and it suddenlyarises in his mind. This is notrevelation; it is a consequence ofthought and reflection, whichflows from the law of nature.Anyone who thinks about goodthings or evil things finds thatsomething arises in his mind inconsonance with his thinking andhis search. For instance, a goodand righteous person writes someverses in support of truth and

another one, who is wicked,supports falsehood in his versesand abuses the righteous. Each ofthem will produce some versesand it should be no matter forsurprise that the enemy of therighteous who writes in support offalsehood may, on account ofgreater practice, write betterverses than the other one. Thus, ifanything arising in the mind wereto be called revelation, a wickedpoet, who is the enemy of truthand of the righteous and alwaysabuses the truth and indulges inimposture, would be deemed therecipient of Divine revelation.Works of fiction contain manyaffecting passages and the minds

This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as), Hadhrat Mirza GhulamAhmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH,THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET(saw) and THE HOLY QUR’AN. Theoriginal compilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated intoEnglish, was collated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib, Allahhave mercy on him and reward him graciously for his great labour of love. Amin. TheEnglish rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, may Allah be pleasedwith him, and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume 1. All referencesthroughout, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an.

ESSENCE OF ISLAM: Part 24 – What is Revelation?

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of authors are able to produce aseries of writings on purelyfictitious subjects, but they cannotbe called revelation. If revelationwere the name of any idea arisingin the mind, a thief could be calleda recipient of revelation for he canthink of clever ways of robberyand ingenious plans of house-breaking and manslaughter crosshis mind. We cannot call all thisrevelation. This is the thinking ofpeople who have no clear notionof the True God, Who comfortsthe hearts with His converse andbestows the understanding ofspiritual knowledge on those whoare not familiar with it.

What is revelation? It is God’sconverse in living and powerfulwords with a chosen servant orwith one whom He desires tochoose. When this converse startsin an abundant and satisfactorymanner and is free from thedarkness of false thinking and isnot confined to a few scattered andincomplete phrases, and isdelicious and is full of wisdom andmajesty, it is the Word of God bywhich He desires to comfort Hisservant and through which Hemanifests Himself to him.

Sometimes a communication ismade only for the purpose of atrial and is not accompanied by allthe characteristic blessings ofrevelation. A servant of GodAlmighty is thereby tried whether

ESSENCE OF ISLAM – WHAT IS REVELATION?

The founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community was Hadhrat

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as).The founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community was HadhratMirza Ghulam Ahmad(as). In 1891,he claimed, on the basis of Divinerevelation, that he was the PromisedMessiah and Mahdi whose adventhad been foretold by Muhammad,the Holy Prophet of Islam (peaceand blessings of Allah be upon him)and by the scriptures of other faiths. The founder’s claim constitutes thebasis of the beliefs of the AhmadiyyaMuslim community.

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by tasting a little of revelation headjusts his circumstances to thoseof true recipients of revelation orfails to do so. Then if he does notadopt true righteousness, he isdeprived of the perfection of thisbounty and is left with only vainboasting.

Millions of good people receiverevelation but they have not all thesame rank in the estimation ofAllah. Even the Prophets who arethe recipients of clear revelationare not all equal in rank, as GodAlmighty has said:

These Messengers have Weexalted, some of them aboveothers: among them there arethose to whom Allah spoke [i.e.He gave them a new Law]; andsome of them He exalted bydegrees of rank. (Ch.2:V.254)

This means that some Messengersare superior to others. It showsthat revelation is pure grace and isnot the insignia of rank. Rankdepends upon the degree ofsincerity and fidelity, which isknown only to God. Revelationwhen accompanied by its blessedconditions is also a fruit of

sincerity and fidelity. There is nodoubt that if revelation takes theform of question and answer in aproper sequence and is cha-racterised by Divine majesty andlight and comprises hidden mattersor true understanding, then it isDivine revelation. For Divinerevelation, it is necessary thatthere should be converse betweenthe servant and his Lord as there isconverse between friends whenthey meet. When the servant asks aquestion and in reply hears adelicious and eloquent speechfrom God Almighty, in whichthere is nothing of his ownthinking and reflection and suchconverse becomes a bounty, then itis Divine speech and such aservant is dear to God. But thisdegree of revelation, which is abounty, and is living, pure, clear,and unsullied, is bestowed onlyupon those who march forward intheir faith, sincerity, righteousaction, and also in what is simplyineffable. True and holy revelationdemonstrates great wonders of theDivine. On many occasions, abrilliant light appears and alongwith it a majestic and shiningrevelation is conveyed.


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What could be greater than arecipient of revelation conversingwith the Being Who is the Creatorof heaven and earth? The beholdingof God in this world is to conversewith God. By this, we do not meanthat condition in which some oddword, phrase or verse might flowfrom the tongue of a person withoutbeing accompanied by a directaddress. A person who has such anexperience is being tried. He castsabout like a blind one and does notknow the source of the commu-nication whether it is from God orfrom Satan. Such a one should haverecourse to lstighfar. But if a goodand righteous person begins toreceive Divine communicationwithout obstruction, a bright,delicious communication which isfull of wisdom, in majestic termsand in complete wakefulness, andthere has passed between him andGod Almighty a series of at leastten questions and answers in thecourse of which God accepted hisprayers a number of times andconveyed to him fine under-standings and informed him ofcoming events, then such a personshould be most grateful to God andshould be wholly devoted to Him,inasmuch as God has of His pure

grace chosen him out of all Hisservants and has made him heir tothe righteous ones who have passedon before him. Such a bountyoccurs rarely and is a matter ofgood fortune. Everything beside itis of no value.

Islam has always produced peopleof this rank and station. It is Islamalone in which God comes close toa servant and talks to him. Hespeaks inside him and makes hisheart His throne and draws himtowards heaven and bestows uponhim all the bounties that have beenbestowed upon those who havegone before. It is a pity that theblind world does not appreciatehow near a person can approach toGod. They do not step forwardthemselves and when some onesteps forward he is either dubbed aKafir or is deified and is put in theplace of God. (Islami Usul Ki Philosophy, RuhaniKhaza’in, Vol.10, pp.437-441)

Revelation Provides Comfort inDistress It is idle to assert that revelation hasno reality and is a vain thing, theharm of which is greater than itsbenefit. Such an assertion is made


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only by a person who has nevertasted this pure wine and does notdesire to have true faith. Such a oneis happy with his habits andcustoms and never seeks to find outto what degree he believes in theAlmighty God and how far hisunderstanding extends and whatshould he do so that his innerweaknesses are removed and aliving change takes place in hismorals, actions, and designs. He isnot eager to cultivate that lovewhich should make his journey tothe other world easy and wherebyhe should develop the inner qualityof making spiritual progress.

Everyone can understand that thisheedless life is ever pulling aperson downward, with hisrelationship with wife and childrenand with the burden of honour andgood repute, which are all likeheavy stones pressing himdownwards. He is in need of ahigh power, which, by bestowingtrue sight and true vision uponhim, should make him eager tobehold the perfect beauty of GodAlmighty. That high power isDivine revelation that providescomfort in distress. It enables aperson to take his stand joyously

and comfortably under mountainsof misfortunes. That ImperceptibleBeing, Who confounds the reasonand wisdom of all philosophers,manifests Himself only throughrevelation. He comforts the heartsof seekers and bestows con-tentment upon them and revivesthe half-dead ones by saying: I ampresent. It is true that the HolyQur’an contains all the guidance,but when the Qur’an leads aperson to the fountain of guidancethe first indication of it is that hebegins to experience conversewith the Divine, whereby arevealing understanding of highdegree and a visible blessing andlight is created and that cognitionbegins to be acquired whichcannot be achieved by blindfollowing or through intellectualtheories, for they are all limited,full of doubts, defective, andincomplete. We need to extend ourcognition directly, for the greaterour cognition the greater will beour eagerness. With a defectivecognition, we cannot expectperfect eagerness. It is a matter ofsurprise how unintelligent thosepeople are who do not considerthemselves in need of that perfectmeans of approaching the truth


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upon which spiritual life depends.

It should be remembered thatspiritual knowledge and spiritualunderstanding can be acquiredonly through revelation andvisions, and until we achieve thatstandard of light our humannesscannot acquire any trueunderstanding or true perfection.

Revelation is a Means ofSalvation We have been created for a greatpurpose, which is the trueunderstanding of God; on thatunderstanding depends oursalvation. It delivers us from everyimpure and doubtful way andleads us to the edge of a pure andclear river. It can be acquired onlythrough Divine revelation. When,being delivered entirely from ourego, we dive deep with an eagerheart into an unattainable Being,our humanness, having appearedin the court of Godhead, returnswith some signs and lights fromthat world. Thus that which theworldly ones look upon withcontempt is the only thing whichbrings a long-separated one in aninstant to his Beloved and bestowscomfort upon the lovers of the

Divine. It relieves a personsuddenly of all types of egoisticlimitations; until that true lightdescends upon the heart, it is notpossible that the heart should beillumined. The imperfection ofhuman reason and the limitationsof current knowledge bear witnessto the need of revelation. [Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in,vol. 3, pp. 326-329]

OBJECTION: The belief thatGod sends down His word fromheaven is utterly wrong for the lawof nature does not confirm it, nordo we ever hear a voice comingdown from above. Revelation isthe name given to those thoughtswhich arise in the minds of wisepeople by the use of reflection andobservation, and that is all.

ANSWER: A truth which is well-established and has been observedwith their own eyes by numberlessmen of understanding, and theproof of which can be found inevery age by a seeker after truth,suffers no harm by the denial of aperson who is bereft of spiritualinsight. If the thinking or defectiveknowledge of a person whoseheart is wrapped up in coverings


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fails to confirm it, the truth cannotbe considered as being outside thelaw of nature. For instance, if aperson who is unaware of thepower of attraction of a magnet,and has never seen a magnet, wereto claim that a magnet is only apiece of stone and that he hasnever witnessed any such power ofattraction in any stone, and,therefore, it is wrong to assert thata magnet has such a power for thisis contrary to the law of nature,then would his assertion cast doubton the well-established quality of amagnet? Certainly not. All that hisassertion would prove would bethat he is stupid and ignorant whoconsiders his own lack ofknowledge as proof of the non-existence of a reality and does notaccept the evidence of thousandsof people who have experience ofit.

It is not possible to hold that everylaw of nature should be capable ofbeing tested by every individual.God Almighty has created thehuman species with great diversityin their overt and covert faculties.For instance, some people possessvery good sight, others are weak-sighted and some are altogether

blind. When those who are weaksighted, find that those with goodsight have perceived a thing fromafar – for instance, they havesighted the crescent which theythemselves are unable to see-theydo not deny it and think that theirdenial would only expose theirweakness. The blind, of course,have nothing to say in such amatter. In the same way, those whopossess no sense of smell believethose serious and truthful peoplewho speak of good smell and illsmell. They do not doubt them forthey know that so many people donot tell lies and must be speakingthe truth, and that without doubttheir own sense of smell is lackingand that is why they are unable toexperience any smell.

Men also differ in respect of theircovert capacities. The capacitiesof some are of a low degree andare covered up by veils. Somehave from ancient times possessedhigh and clear souls and have beenthe recipients of Divine revelation.For the former to deny thepersonal characteristics of thelatter would be the same as if ablind one, or one with weak sight,were to deny the observations of


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one with excellent sight, or as if aperson lacking the sense of smellshould deny the experiences ofone with a sense of smell.

Then to convince a person whodenies the existence of revelation,there are ways like the ways ofconvincing a person who deniesthe observations of the overtsenses. For instance, if one who iscongenitally bereft of the sense ofsmell should deny the existence ofgood and foul smell, and shouldassert that those who claim such asense are liars or are mistaken, hecan be persuaded to admit hismistake in the following manner.He should be asked to select a fewpieces of clothing and rub somewith perfume and leave othersuntouched and thus test the senseof smell of a normal person, sothat by repeated experiences hewould be convinced both of theexistence of this sense of smelland that there are to be foundpeople who can distinguishbetween that which is fragrant andthat which has no smell. In thesame way, the existence ofrevelation can be proved to thesatisfaction of a seeker after truththrough repeated experiments.

When hidden matters and secretmysteries which cannot bediscovered through the experienceof reason alone are disclosed to arecipient of revelation, and arevealed book is found to containwonders which are not to bediscovered in any other book, aseeker after truth realises thatDivine revelation is an establishedtruth. If such a person possesses apure soul, he himself, by treadingon the right path can, to the extentof the illumination of his heart,have experience of Divinerevelation like the Auliya,whereby he acquires a certainknowledge of the revelationvouchsafed to the Messengers ofGod. For a seeker after truth whowould sincerely express a desire toaccept Islam, I am prepared toprovide this means of satisfaction.

‘If anyone should doubt my word,let him come to me with sincerity.Allah has the power to do what Isay and He is the Helper in everymatter’.

Fine Thought is not to beConfused with Revelation To imagine that the fine points thatare disclosed to people through


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reflection and observation arerevelation, and that revelation isnothing more than this, is an errordue to ignorance. Were it true thathuman thinking constituted Divinerevelation then man also couldhave discovered the unseen by theuse of his reflection andobservation. It is obvious thathowever wise a person may be hecannot disclose anything hiddenby merely reflecting on the matter.Nor can he exhibit any sign ofDivine power. His speechindicates no sign of God’s Powerand, however much he mightreflect, he cannot discover theunseen which is beyond his reasonand observation and his othersenses. Nor is his speech orcomposition of such a high degreethat no one can compete with him.Thus, there are enough reasons fora wise person to conclude thatwhatever a man might think inconsequence of his own reflection,or observation, cannot be the Wordof God. Had it been the Word ofGod, a person would have hadaccess to all that is unseen andwould have been able to expoundthose matters the exposition ofwhich depends upon Divinepower, inasmuch as it is necessary

that the Work of God and the Wordof God should disclose Divinemanifestations.

The Distinction betweenCreation and Command It may be asked from whom andwherefrom proceed the good andbad designs that arise in one’smind as the result of reflection andobservation? The answer is thatsuch thoughts are the creation ofAllah and not His command.There is a difference betweencreation and command. Bycreation is meant that GodAlmighty produces somethingthrough physical means andattributes it to Himself because Heis the Cause of causes. Commandis that which proceeds directlyfrom God Almighty without theintervention of any means.Revelation, which descends fromGod, proceeds from the world ofcommand and not from the worldof creation.

Thoughts that arise in people’sminds in consequence ofobservation and reflection allproceed from the world of creationin which the Divine poweroperates behind the veil of means.


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God has created men in the worldof means equipped with diversetypes of powers and faculties andhas invested them with thecharacteristic that when theyemploy their reflection in a goodor bad matter their minds alightupon appropriate plans. As it ispart of the law of nature that whena person opens his eyes he can seesomething and when he directs hisear towards sound he can hearsomething; in the same way whenhe reflects on the way of successin a good or bad design, some planarises in his mind. A good man byreflecting upon good designs,thinks of good things, and a thief,by reflecting upon the variousways of robbery, invents a plan tocommit robbery. Just as a man canthink of deep and devious evildesigns, in the same way when heuses his faculty in a good way, hecan think of good designs. As hisbad thoughts, however deep andeffective they may be, cannot beheld to be revelation, in the sameway his thoughts which he deemsto be good are not revelation. Inshort, whatever good thoughtsoccur to good people and whateverbad thoughts or designs arise inthe minds of thieves and robbers

and murderers and adulterers andforgers as the result of reflectionand observation are all the resultof the exercise of natural qualities,and because God is the Cause ofcauses, they are called the creationof God and not His command.They are the natural qualities ofman as in the case of somevegetables the quality of purgationor the quality of constipation andother qualities are natural to them.As God has invested other thingswith different types of qualities,He has invested man’s power ofreflection with the quality that ithelps man whenever he requiresits help in a good or bad design. Apoet who seeks to lampoon anyonefinds his mind working in thatdirection and he is able to producesuch poetry. Another poet seeks topraise the same person andcommendatory verses come to hismind. This kind of good or badthought is not the mirror of theDivine will and cannot be calledHis word. God’s holy word is theword which is far above humanfaculties and is full of perfectionand power and holiness. The veryfirst condition of its manifestationis that human faculties should beentirely suspended and rendered


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useless. There should be neitherreflection nor observation and theperson concerned should be deadlike a corpse. All means should becut off and God Almighty, WhoseBeing alone is actual and real,should cause His word to descendupon the heart of someone by Hisspecial design.

It should be understood that as thelight of the sun comes only fromheaven and cannot be producedinside the eye, in the same way thelight of revelation descends fromGod and by His design and doesnot arise from inside a person. AsGod truly exists and sees, hears,knows and speaks, His wordshould descend from Him andshould not be the product of man’smind. From our minds arise thesame thoughts, good or bad, whichdwell within us according to ournature, but God’s limitlessknowledge and boundless wisdomcannot dwell in our hearts. Whatgreater denial of God could therebe than for a man to think that allthe Divine treasures of knowledgeand wisdom and hidden mysteriesare present in our hearts and surgeup in them. This would mean thatwe ourselves are God and that

there is no Being outside of usWho is Self-Existing and pos-sesses Divine attributes, Whoshould be called God. For if Godtruly exists and His unlimitedknowledge is special to Him, ofwhich our hearts cannot be themeasure, then utterly wrong andsenseless would be the observationthat God’s limitless knowledgefills our hearts and all thetreasuries of His wisdom dwelltherein as if God’s knowledge islimited to that which is containedin our hearts. This would amountto a claim of Godhead itself, but isit possible that the heart of manshould comprehend all theexcellencies of the Divine? Is itpermissible that a particle shouldbecome the sun? Certainly not.

We have already stated that thecharacteristics of the Divine, likeHis knowledge of the unseen andHis comprehension of wisdom andother natural signs, cannot bemanifested by man. God’s wordshould be characterised by God’sGreatness, God’s Power, God’sBlessing, God’s Wisdom andGod’s Peerlessness. All thesecharacteristics are found in theHoly Qur’an, the proof of which


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we shall set forth at its properplace.

If those of Brahmu Samaj stillpersist in denying the existence ofrevelation, which comprehendsthe unseen and other proofs ofpower, they should study the HolyQur’an with full attention, so thatthey should come to know that inthis Holy Word surges a wholeocean of matters that are unseenand manifestations of powerwhich are beyond the strength ofman. If they should be unable,through lack of insight, to discoverthese Qur’anic excellenciesthemselves, they should read thisbook of ours with attention so thatthey might discover as a samplesome of the treasures of hiddenmatters and powerful mysteries ofwhich the Holy Qur’an is full.They should also know that asproof of the existence of Divinerevelation that descends from Godand comprehends hidden matters,there is another way that is openand that is that God Almightyalways creates from among theMuslims, who base themselvesupon the true faith, such peoplewho receive revelation from Godand disclose such hidden matters

the disclosure of which is notwithin the power of anyone exceptof God, the One, withoutassociate. God Almighty bestowsthis holy revelation only on thoseof the faithful who truly believe inthe Holy Qur’an as the Word ofGod and act upon it with fullsincerity and who believe inMuhammad, the chosen one(peace and blessings of Allah beon him) as the true and perfectProphet, who is better and higherand more exalted than all theProphets and is Khatam-ur-Rusul,and accept him as their guide.Such revelation is not vouchsafedto the Jews and Christians andAryas and Brahmus, but hasalways been vouchsafed to theperfect followers of the HolyQur’an and is now vouchsafed tothem and will continue to bevouchsafed to them. Though theprophetic revelation has been cutoff as no longer needed, therevelation that is vouchsafed to thesincere servants of the HolyProphet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him) will never be cutoff. This revelation is a grandproof of the revelation which isspecial to Messengership andhumiliates every opponent of


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Islam. As this blessed revelationwith all its blessing and honourand greatness and glory isvouchsafed only to thosehonourable servants who areincluded among the Muslims andare the servants of the HolyProphet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him). The followers ofall other sects are deprived of thisperfect light which carries thegood news of nearness to God andof acceptance by Him and of Hispleasure. Thus this holy revelationnot only proves its own existence,but also proves that the Muslimsalone are the people who areacceptable to God and who basethemselves on the true faith that allother people worship falsehoodand are misguided and are underthe wrath of God. Ignorant peoplewill say all sorts of things onhearing this and will shake theirheads in denial or will ridicule melike foolish and wicked persons.They should know, however, thatdenial and ridicule are not the wayof those who possess nobility andare seekers after truth, but are theway of those wicked people whohave nothing to do with God andtruth.

There are thousands of things inthe world which possess qualitiesthat cannot be understood byreason and are known only byexperience. It is, therefore, theway of the wise that when somequality of a thing is manifestedrepeatedly by experience they nolonger doubt its existence. He whopersists in denial after repeatedexperience is an absolute fool. Forinstance, rhubarb is a cathartic anda magnet has the power ofattraction and though there is noreason why they should possessthese qualities, yet when repeatedexperience manifests that theyhave these qualities, everyreasonable person has to admitthat rhubarb is a cathartic and amagnet has the power to attract. Ifanyone should deny this on theground that there is no reason forit, such a one would be con-demned as mad or insane. So wesubmit to the Brahmus and otheropponents that whatever we havestated concerning revelation,namely, that it is even now theexperience of perfect individualsamong the Muslims and isconfined to them and is not to befound in any others, is not withoutproof, but can be demonstrated to

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every seeker through test andexperience like thousands of othertruths which are being discoveredby these means. If anyone shouldbe truly a seeker after truth, weundertake to demonstrate this tohim provided he should make asincere promise in writing that, incase of proof, he would acceptIslam and should then turn to uswith sincerity and in good faith.

But if they turn away, thenremember that Allah knows themischief-makers well.(Ch.3:V.64)

(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, VolIII, pp.210-217, footnote 11(Amritsar, Safir Hind Press,1882, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1(London 1984))

Verse references to the Holy Qur’an item count ‘Bismillah...’ (In the Nameof Allah...) as the first verse of each Chapter. In some non-standard texts,this is not counted. Should the reader refer to such texts, the verse quotedin The Review of Religions will be found a verse earlier, i.e. at one verseless than the number quoted.

In this journal, for the ease of non-Muslim readers, ‘(saw)’ or ‘saw’ afterthe words, ‘Holy Prophet’, or the name ‘Muhammad’, are used. Theystand for ‘Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam’ meaning ‘peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him’. Likewise, the letters ‘(as)’ or ‘as’ after the name of allother prophets is an abbreviation meaning ‘peace be upon him’ derivedfrom ‘Alaihis salatu wassalam’ which are words that a Muslim utters outof respect whenever he or she comes across that name. The abbreviation‘ra’ or (ra) stands for ‘Radhiallahu Ta’ala anhu and is used for Companionsof a Prophet, meaning Allah be pleased with him or her (when followed bythe relevant Arabic pronoun). Finally, ‘ru’ or (ru) for Rahemahullahu Ta’alameans the Mercy of Allah the Exalted be upon him.

In keeping with current universal practice, local transliterations of namesof places are preferred to their anglicised versions, e.g. Makkah instead ofMecca, etc.

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IntroductionThe absence of any meaningful andauthoritative leadership is asignificant issue facing Muslimstoday. The world at large is in astate of turmoil, and Muslims inparticular are facing tremendousdifficulties – both as a result ofactions taken against them and as aresult of their own inability torecognise the signs and guidancecontained in the Holy Qur’an andthe Hadith.

Consequently, Muslims – whomore than anyone else should beassociated with peace and security– are struggling for peace in thisworld. Despite their historicachievements in spiritual andworldly affairs they are in a state ofloss.

The knowledgeable amongst themare yearning for leadership andunity that in reality only Khilafatcould provide, yet, paradoxically intheir own analysis and reasoning,they have closed the door to thepossibility of such Khilafat ever

existing. This is because they haverejected the possibility ofprophethood after ProphetMuhammad(saw) whereas khilafatitself is linked specifically toprophethood.

Khilafat in the Qur’anThe word Khalifa is an Arabicword that means ‘successor,deputy, vicegerent’1. It has beenused in several places in the Qur’anand according to the context itrelates to people in two ways –refers generally to a group ofpeople and the other to anindividual as a leader of others. Inthe first case it is often used to referto people as inheritors orsuccessors of a people beforethem2, whereas in the second itrefers to individuals as khalifastasked with leadership by God.

Can Khilafat be perpetuated by acorporate body?Some commentators claim that thetrue meaning of khilafat is itscollective term and simply means‘trusteeship’ with persons acting as

KHILAFAT By Fareed Ahmad – UK

in Islam

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individual trustees of God on earthor according to other commentatorsa group having a collectiveresponsibility to lead others. In thisregard they argue that as the wordkhalifa has been used as a plural insome verses in the Qur’an thisindicates that it refers to peoplecollectively rather than individuallyas khalifa. For example in SurahAl-Nur, Ch.24 verse 56 it states:

Allah has promised to thoseamong you who believe and dogood works that He will surelymake them Khalifas[Successors] in the earth, as Hemade Khalifas [Successors]from among those who werebefore them…

However, to take the above verse tomean that ‘khalifas’ refers topeople collectively reveals asuperficial and incompleteunderstanding of the Qur’an. Thereason for this is that usage of aplural in the Qur’an does notautomatically mean that it refers toall people. In his book AnExposition of Some CriticismsAgainst Khilafat-i-Rashida,Maulana Sheikh Mubarak Ahmadresponds to this issue by referringto Chapter 5 verse 21 of the Qur’an

in which Allah says:

And remember when Mosessaid to his people, ‘O mypeople, call to mind Allah’sfavour upon you when Heappointed Prophets among youand made you kings…

Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad thenexplains that:

‘Here the address is made to thepeople as a whole who arereminded of the blessings ofhaving been made kings andprophets, yet it is known thatnot all of the people had been soexalted and there had alwaysbeen a large populace ofordinary working people. Itproves therefore that promisesmade in a collective sense aredeemed fulfilled throughindividual beneficiaries…

‘In addition, the verse [in SuraAl-Nur] itself provides supportfor this interpretation where itsays: He will surely make themsuccessors in the earth as Hemade successors from amongthose before them. That is tosay, if in olden times acorporate body was given the

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responsibilities of Khilafat, oneshould expect the same patternemerging now, but if it wereindividuals who succeeded asKhalifas in the past, the samesystem would continuehenceforth. The words as Hemade successors havetherefore removed all doubtsabout the authenticity ofindividual Khilafat for good.’(An Exposition of SomeCriticisms Against Khilafat-i-Rashida by Maulana SheikhMubarak Ahmad, pp.9-10,London Mosque, 1979)

Maulana Sheikh Mubarak Ahmadfurther notes that following theHoly Prophet’s(saw) demise Goddemonstrated the true meaning ofkhilafat once again, as it was apattern of individual rather thancollective khilafat that followedand this could not have happenedhad it not been God’s will.

Another powerful argument thatstrengthens this interpretation isthat in the Qur’an God Himselfrefers to individuals as khalifaswho are tasked with leading peopleas is the case of Prophet Adam(as)

and Prophet Davidas)3. Add to thisthe understanding and inter-

pretation of the Holy Prophet(saw)

who understood the Qur’an thebest. He fully expected that afterhis demise a person who would bedesignated as a khalifa would leadthe Muslims.

The Holy Prophet(saw) said:

‘…I enjoin you to fear Allah,hear and obey even if your Amir[Leader] be an Abyssinianslave, for a time is coming thatthose of you who live after mewill see great disagreement.You must then follow myrightly guided Khulafa [caliphs]and me. Adhere to it and holdfast to it…’4

It is also reported that he proposedto name Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) askhalifa, but later retracted this onaccount of his trust in God5.

This tells us that the HolyProphet(saw), with full knowledge ofthe meaning of the word khalifa inthe Qur’an, understood it to meanindividual leadership. Had heunderstood khilafat to mean justtrusteeship then he would havenever even considered the issue ofleadership after his death, let aloneentertain the thought of naming an

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individual to lead as a khalifa afterhim.

It is, therefore, evident that the truekhilafat that has been promised toMuslims in Sura Al-Nur is on thesame grounds as before the adventof Islam i.e. one that is centred onan individual as a chosen leader ofthe faithful.

Khilafat and ProphethoodThis concept of khilafat isdeveloped further in the Qur’an.Hadhrat Mirza BashirudinMahmud Ahmad(ra) in his extensivecommentary on the Qur’an notesthat:

‘The Qur’an has mentioned threekinds of Khalifas:

1. Khalifas who are prophetssuch as Adam(as) and David(as).About Adam(as) God says in theQur’an, ‘I am about to appointa vicegerent in the earth,’(Ch.2:V.31) and about David(as)

He says:

‘O David, We have made thee avicegerent in the earth;...’(Ch.38:V.27).

[It should be pointed out that

even though David is regardedas a King and not a Prophet bysome Jews, the Holy Qur’anmakes it very clear that he wasa Messenger of God who wasgiven a revealed book - Ed].

2. Prophets who are Khalifasof another and greater Prophetsuch as the Israelite prophetswho all were the Khalifas ofMoses(as). About them theQur’an says:

...We have sent down the Torahwherein was guidance andlight. By it did the Prophets,who were obedient to Us, judgefor the Jews... (Ch.5:V.45):

3. Non-Prophet Khalifas of aProphet, with or withouttemporal powers, such as godlypeople [Rabbaniyyin] learned inLaw. Their mission is to protectand preserve the law from beingtampered with (Ch.5:V.45) [Byit did the Prophets, who wereobedient to Us, judge for theJews, as did godly people andthose learned in the Law;because they were required topreserve the Book of Allah, andbecause they were guardiansover it.]’ 6

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(The third category thereforeincludes the Khulafa-e-Rashideen(the Rightly Guided Khalifas) asthey were not prophets but were thekhalifas of the Muslims after theHoly Prophet(saw). Interestinglyenough none challenged theconcept of their khilafat as rulersand successors to the Prophet(saw),and this is not surprising since theymust have shared the Prophet’sunderstanding on this importantmatter).

From the above commentary it isevident that there is a fundamentaland unbreakable link betweenkhilafat and prophethood. Whenthe Qur’an talks of khalifas asleaders of people, we can see thatthe khalifas are intrinsically linkedto prophethood in that they areeither prophets themselves, orservants of prophets before them.In the former case, the prophethoodwill be proclaimed by the khalifa inquestion. For khalifas who followin the footsteps of other greaterprophets they will make clear whothat prophet is. The teaching orshariah that they seek to uphold andprotect will also reflect this link.

Examples of Khulafa who were notprophets can be found in the Mosaic

dispensation in which Joshuafollowed Moses(as) as his khalifa andPeter followed Jesus(as) as hiskhalifa.

After the demise of the HolyProphet(saw) this form of khilafat iscertainly evident in its early periodbecause Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) waselected as the first khalifa of theMuslims after ProphetMuhammad(saw). This blessedinstitution of khilafah remained withthe Muslims for twenty nine yearsuntil the end of the Khilafat ofHadhrat Ali(ra).

Before examining the relevance andpossibility of khilafat today it isworth taking a brief look at theperiod from Khilafat Rashida to thepresent time, and see how, if at all, itrelates to the teachings andprophecies in the Qur’an andHadith.

The blessed Khilafat Rashida(632CE-661CE)It is not intended here to give adetailed exposition of theachievements during this blessed erabut a brief review will suffice toshow that the khalifas during thisperiod were blessed by God andmanaged in very difficult circum-

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stances to set in place systems andpractices that provided lastingbenefits to Muslims.

Karen Armstrong notes thechallenges faced by the first fourKhalifas:

‘They were all men who hadbeen among the Prophet’sclosest companions, and hadplayed a leading role in Meccaand Madina. They are known asrashidun, the ‘rightly guided’caliphs, and their period of rulewould be just as formative asthat of the Prophet himself.Muslims would definethemselves and their theologyaccording to the way theyassessed the turbulent, gloriousand tragic events of theseyears.’7

These four Khalifas also left theirpersonal examples as an additionalsource of guidance and inspirationfor Muslims for generations tocome. [Detailed accounts to followin subsequent editions]

Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra) has manydistinctions including being one ofthe first friend of the Prophet(saw) toaccept Islam at the hands of the

Prophet(saw). But perhaps thegreatest distinction is that of beingthe only one of Khilafat Rashidawho has been mentioned in theQuran, though not by name but byinference. He was the one whoaccompanied the Prophet(saw) whenthey migrated from Makkah andwere forced to take shelter in a cavefrom the pursuing Makkans8.

His Khilafah lasted two years but itwas instrumental in uniting theMuslims after the immense voidleft by the demise of theProphet(saw). He guided the Muslimsthrough the Riddah (Apostasy)Wars – wars that were ‘entirelypolitical and economic’ althoughmany of the rebels felt impelled togive their revolts a religiousjustification9. Through this he wasable to secure the Arabianpeninsula. He also defended Arabiafrom the Persians as a result ofwhich a significant section of thePersian empire came under his rule.

He was known for his benevolenceand was not one to take brutalreprisals against his enemies. Hisefforts managed to ensure thatIslam survived with a renewedpledge of loyalty from the tribesthat had sought to break away. This

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was a huge achievement at such acritical juncture in Islamic history.

The second Khalifa was HadhratUmar Ibn Al-Khattaab(ra) whosekhilafah lasted for ten years (634-644). Under his noble rule Islammade huge strides in spreadingbeyond Arabia; in particular thePersian and Byzantine empirescame under Muslim rule, thusfulfilling a prophecy of theProphet(saw)10. It is important to notethat such progress was not madewith the intention of spreading thefaith of Islam by force. The Arabs‘were not impelled by the ferociouspower of ‘Islam’ nor was Islamimposed on its subjects at sword-point11. Its expansion was linked tothe growth of its domain which inthe earlier period was an inherentpart of the Khalifa’s responsibility,as he was the spiritual and politicalleader of Muslims. He wasaccountable for ensuring thetreaties with different tribes andempires were honoured and thatMuslim lands were defended.Many people embraced Islam, andthe spread of Islam at a fast pace.At the same time more peoplebecame aware of and respectedMuslims for permitting absolutefreedom of religion. Indeed, the

People of the Book were givenspecial protection alongsideMuslims.

Hadhrat Umar’s(ra) success inleading Islam through this period ofexpansion was reflected by anadditional title of being AmirulMomineen (Commander of theFaithful). He too retained a deepsense of justice and wisdom in hisleadership. For example after hisvictory in the battle of Jerusalem in637, he was invited to pray in theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre. Itwould certainly have been a sign ofvictory for Muslims and a defininga moment for the Christians of theirdefeat, yet he declined and chose topray elsewhere just to ensure thatChristians would not be offended.He was also passionate about thewelfare of his people.

He established many of theinstitutions that have since beenreplicated across the Muslimsworld including :

• the establishment of aconsultative council MajlisShura,

• the reorganisation of the entireState into provinces to facilitateadministration,

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• the establishment of a treasuryand an effective means forcollection and distribution offunds and resources,

• the introduction of the IslamicHijri Calendar,

• the establishment of courts ofjustice, State Allowances, ChildAllowances

• the construction of statebuildings and bridges,

• the formal development ofagriculture

Of all these perhaps the mostsignificant and important was theappointment of a committee toelect the next khalifa so ensuringthat khilafah itself would remain, aslong as people remained righteous.

He was succeeded by HadhratUthman(ra) and it was under hiskhilafat (644-656) that standardcopies of the Holy Qur’an wereprepared (from the ones compiledby Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra)) and sent toall the provinces of the state. Hewas well-known for his concern forthe poor and also is credited to haveestablished the first navy in theIslamic empire. He oversaw thecontinued expansion which in factreached its peak under his khilafat.

The last of the Rightly-GuidedKhalifas was Hadhrat Ali(ra) whowas also the cousin of the HolyProphet(saw). His khilafat (656-661)was faced with new challengesfrom various factions that hadsought to gain power forthemselves. Whilst the core ofMuslims remained firmly alignedto the Khalifa, the expandedterritories invited the challenge ofensuring the same degree ofspirituality of Muslims across theempire, and the strain wasbecoming evident. In fact thesechallenges were also prophesied inSura Al-Nasr in the Qur’an (the lastchapter to be revealed) in which thevictory of Islam was set outtogether with a note of caution as itincluded the telling phrase ‘andseek forgiveness’. It reads:

When the help of Allah comesand the victory and thou seestmen entering the religion ofAllah in troops glorify thy Lord,with His praise, and seekforgiveness of Him. Surely He isOft-Returning with compassion.(Ch.110: Vs.2-4)

If the glory and success of Islamwere being foretold then why theneed to seek forgiveness? We know

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Quotes about KhilafatProphet Muhammad(saw)

‘Prophethood shall remain among you as long as God wills. He willbring about its end and follow it with Khilafat on the precepts ofProphethood for as long as He wills…’(Masnad-e-Ahmad)

Hadhrat Abu Bakr(ra)

‘God has appointed me as Khalifa among you in order that I maycreate brotherly unity among you and establish the faith.’

Hadhrat Umar(ra)

‘Anyone who needs monetary help, should come to me, as God hasmade me the Treasurer and Disburser.’

Hadhrat Uthman(ra)

‘I am not going to part with this robe of Khilafat which GodAlmighty has bestowed upon me.

Hadhrat Ali(ra)

‘The people who have sworn their oath of allegiance to me are thesame who swore a similar oath to Abu Bakr, using the same formulaas before….The consultative voting was effected by Muhajirin andAnsar and once they agreed to the appointment of a Khalifa as theirleader, it attains the seal of God’s pleasure and approval.(All four quotes above from An Exposition of Some Crticisms Against Khilafat-i-Rashida, byMaulana Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad, Published by The London Mosque1979)

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that the victories and challengescertainly began during the lifetimeof Prophet Muhammad(saw) but thechallenges became a harsh realityduring the khilafat of HadhratAli(ra). The inability to meet thedemands of the moral training ofsuch large numbers of Muslimsmeant it was difficult for them toappreciate and adopt the finerqualities of Islam that would enablethem to attain social peace. It wasthis inability to cope with the sheernumbers joining Islam in such ashort space of time to which theQur’an pointed. It was impossiblefor the new Muslims to attain thesame high degree of understandingand righteousness. This createdgreat difficulties for the Ummah(followers). In particular theposition of the one Khalifa in anexpanded empire created a desirefor leadership amongst others andthis put them on a slippery slopeaway from the blessings ofkhilafah.

This deviation eventually led toMu’awiyah breaking away fromHadhrat Ali(ra) and setting himselfup as Khalifa in Jerusalem. Thiswas accompanied by the emer-gence of the Kharijites (the‘seceders’) who sought to

challenge the authority of theKhalifa and to press ahead withtheir own understanding ofleadership. An atmosphere ofhostility and contempt replaced thespirit of sacrifice and unity andthese positions continued to hardenuntil no hope was left amongstsome for a return to thebrotherhood that had prevailed atthe time of the Prophet(saw).

The golden thread that ran throughthe Khulafa-e-Rashideen andbound them together was theirunstinting loyalty to Islam, theirnobility of character and adherenceto the teachings and practices ofMuhammad(saw). They also did notlet anything detract them fromdefending the honour of the officeof khilafat and some made theultimate sacrifice in its defence.This loyalty enabled them to makegreat progress but they also facedgreat difficulties. Yet, despite this,they remained true to their faith andnever let personal ambitionencroach upon their holy mission.Indeed the Khilafat Rashida had nodesire to lead but as they had beenbestowed this position by God theyled with sincerity of heart knowingthat they were accountable to Himfor their tenure in office.

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But with the increase in Muslimpopulation and territory, anambition and desire for leadershipbecame irresistible to those whosought to obtain worldly honour.This is reflected in Mu’awiyah’sown words who said:

‘As for Abu Bakr he did notwant the world…As for Umar,the world wanted him but hedid not want it. As for us, wehave rolled over in it (like ananimal)’12

It may be worth remindingourselves here of the nobility of theearly Muslims that made themworthy of khilafah. The HolyProphet(saw) had carried out atremendous revolution in the Arabsand had transformed them from anidolatrous and tribally proud societyto a brotherhood based on the loveof God and service to humanity. Thesacrifices and moral example of theCompanions reflected an amazingdegree of spiritual advancement.People who were avowed enemiesof truth and were determined towipe out Islam became itsstaunchest allies who were preparedto sacrifice their lives for the sake oftruth and for the sake of Islam. Suchwas the moral and spiritual standard

of those Muslims. In that situationwe can see that it was inevitable thatGod’s promise of khilafah would befulfilled. It was fulfilled because ofthe very nature and rank of thecompanions.

Once people gave way to theirselfish ambitions for power thebounty of khilafah was taken fromthem. Having undoubtedlybenefited from the expansion ofIslam under the Khilafat Rashida,they were beset with difficulties, astheir focus shifted away from thepreservation of religious values thatwas characterised by the Khulafa.They, therefore, became unde-serving of the blessing of truespiritual khilafah.

This turn of events was inaccordance with God’s promise thatkhilafat was only promised to thosewho believed and did good deeds. Itwas, therefore, conditional on themremaining united as a body ofrighteous people who were devotedto God and His message. Once thatwas lost, so was the institution of ablessed khilafat.

From Blessed Khilafat toTemporal RuleFollowing the death of Hadhrat

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Ali(ra) the Muslim community’ssense of spiritual unity quicklystarted to fade with differentfactions taking different directions.This resulted in the shift in style ofMuslim leadership from spiritualKhilafat to other forms of rule andas time went on the essence ofrighteousness diminished. Whilstthere was some useful progressunder subsequent caliphs, (e.g. somecommentators have creditedMu’awiya with providing politicalstability whilst leader) it was thechange in focus away from God thatwas their ultimate undoing.Mu’awiyah’s appointment of hisson, Yazid, as his successor revealsan inner weakness as he sought tosecure familial power rather thanreligious purity.

Undoubtedly, the failure ofleadership did not mean that allMuslims had abandoned Islam, butthey did not retain within them thepurity of heart and brotherhood tofunction as one body of faithful.Different groups elected their ownleaders and gradually they driftedapart despite sharing the same corefaith.

It is relevant to note here a hadith ofthe Prophet(saw) that had foretold of

this chapter of history. It is narratedin Masnad Ahmad that:

‘The Holy Prophet(saw) said:“Prophethood shall remainamong you as long as God wills.He will bring about its end andfollow it with Khilafat on theprecepts of Prophethood for aslong as He wills and then bringabout its end. Kingship shallthen follow and remain as longas God wills and then come to anend. There shall then be tyrannywhich shall remain as long asGod wills and come to an endupon His decree. ...” ’

This clearly states the shift in styleand spirituality of the leadership thatwas to follow. The noble andblessed khilafat was to be followedby forms of temporal rule and thendescend into dictatorship. This didnot mean that all subsequent leaderswould lack any spirituality orgoodness but the majority of themwould not be as mindful of theteachings of Islam and the Qur’an.From this point on, the leadershipwas mostly focused on securingpolitical rule and political gain andtribal or national interest rather thansecuring nobility and peace.

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What was predicted in theProphet’s(saw) hadith came to pass. Infact, it succinctly reflects the Islamichistory from 661 to the present day.

This is probably why when mostnon-Muslims think of the wordkhalifa or more accurately itsanglicised form Caliphate, theythink of those who led Muslims (andstill held on to the title of Khalifa)during the long period after theRashidun. It certainly has strongerpolitical connotation – somethingthat the history and record of those‘caliphs’ would bear out.

The orientalists also have played arole in emphasising the politicalnature of such rulers and wronglytarred all kinds of Muslim rulers,caliphs and the Khalifat Rashidawith the same brush. An example ofthis is found in Sir Thomas Arnold’sbook The Caliphate. He writes:

‘For understanding the status ofthe Caliph, it is importanttherefore to recognise that he ispre-eminently a politicalfunctionary, these functions donot imply the possession of anyspiritual powers setting himthereby apart from the rest of thefaithful.’13

When one considers the spiritualrank and moral character of theRashidun, the contrast with theabove could not be greater.

As noted, this misunderstandinghas prevailed to the extent that theword Caliph carries with it its ownmeaning with an emphasis on civiland political affairs rather thanmoral, religious and spiritualaffairs14: a concept which has over1300 years of history behind it,making it one that is hard tochange!

The span of the caliphate afterHadhrat Ali(ra) included the rule ofthe Ummayad Dynasty (661-750)and the Abbassid Dynasty (750 –1258). During the Abbassid era,from the tenth century onwardsMuslims established themselves indistinct regions, each with its owncaliph. Over time these includedthe Samanids, Hamdanids,Fatimids, Ayyubids, theMarmelukes and Moghuls. The lastera of caliphate, normally referredto, is that of the Ottomans whoserule lasted (nominally at least) until1924 although it had ceased to haveany meaningful power andauthority before then.

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However, it is important to remem-ber that not all Muslims sinceKhilafat Rashida had forgottenwhat Islam had taught them, formany continued to practise andbenefit from it. There were manywho became out-standing thinkersin their own right and whosecontributions have shaped themodern world in many ways.Furthermore there were alsospiritual reformers (mujaddids)who appeared in every century toguide Muslims aright, but the unityof the Ummah as a whole neverreturned to that which existedduring the time of the KhilafatRashida and certainly not to theunity at the time of the Prophet(saw).The undeniable fact is that just asMuslims lost the blessed KhilafatRashida, they have lost true unity.

This has resulted in there beingsuch a fragmentation amongst theglobal Muslim community – eachwith its own theology andinterpretation – that one wonders:is there any hope of turning theclock back and seeking to achieve atruly united Muslim Ummah? Theworld has come so far away fromthe time of the Prophet(saw) and haschanged beyond recognition that itwould appear to be nigh on

impossible. If the only dominancethat Islam was destined to gain wasone of numbers then whilst thatseems likely is there any merit insuch an achievement? CanMuslims today really attain peacewith so many disparate andcontending world views within theUmmah? More importantly arethere any clues that guide us to asolution for the modern world?

Khilafat and Muslims todayOne can sense the desperation ofMuslims at a lack of globalleadership. At a personal level,many know and understand theinner strength of Islam as containedin the Qur’an and the life exampleof the Prophet(saw) and the promiseof Islam’s ascendancy in securingand restoring global peace, yet thegap between this and the currentvacuum of leadership seemsunfathomable.

This also prompts the question thatif Islam was for all time then whereis the khilafat of Muslims today?After sending His perfectmessenger and showing the modelof khilafat in the era of KhilafatRashidan has God now abandonedMuslims completely? Moreimportantly can a group of

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disparate believers ever cometogether and elect a Khalifa?

Some in the last century, such as Dr

Allamah Sir Muhammad Iqbal,have argued that it will certainly bewithin the scope of Muslims tounite and progress as they have the

KHILAFAT IN ISLAM

SOME MUJADDIDS IN ISLAMThe following Mujaddids (Reformers) have appeared since the time of

Hadhrat Ali(ra). With the exception of the last, none claimed to be aprophet and khalifa of the Holy Prophet(saw)

Century Name Hijrah Dates Christian Era

1st Umar bin Abdul Aziz 60 - 101 717 - 720

2nd Ahmad bin Hanbal 164 - 241 780 - 855

3rd Abul Hasan Ashari 260 - 324 873 - 935

4th Abu Bakr Baqlani ? - 403 ? - 1013

5th Al Ghazali 450 - 505 1058 - 1111

6th Abdul Qadir Jilani 470 - 561 1077 - 1166

7th Ibne Taimiyya 661 - 728 1263 - 1328

8th Ibne Hajar Asqalani 773 - 852 1372 - 1449

9th Jalal-ad-Din as-Sayuti 849 - 911 1445 - 1505

10th Muhammad Tahir Gujarati 963 – 1014 1556 – 1605

11th Ahmad Sirhindi 971- 1034 1564 - 1624

12th Shah Wali Ullah 1113 - 1175 1702 - 1762

13th Ahmad Brelwi 1201 - 1246 1786 - 1831

14th Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) 1251 - 1326 1835 – 1908

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perfect Book. They would havelearnt from the past mistakes andthus eventually reach a state ofmaturity required to accomplishthis task. In this respect, someMuslims have tried to establishmovements and philosophies as adesperate attempt to unifyMuslims, but conventional wisdomgoes against such vain attempts atsuch a monumental challenge.Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru)

dismisses such philosophy in acharacteristically incisive manner:

‘If ‘maturity of man’ is taken tomean that he becomesindependent in drawing hisconclusions from the study ofscriptures, then there mustensue a perfect unity ofagreement on all the funda-mental aspects of religiousteachings. Alas, what weobserve in real life failsmiserably to support this view.Muslims, the proud recipientsof the last perfect Book, are noless divided among themselvesin the matter of interpretationthan are the peoples of all otherreligions. To what avail,therefore, is the so-calledmaturity of man? The history ofreligion proves that people once

split into sects and schismshave never been reunified byhuman effort alone. The sameinevitably applies to theMuslims today. Without theagency of a Divine Reformer,they cannot be assembled againunder the single flag of Unity.…

‘The existence of aboutseventy-two doctrinal divi-sions among them, despite awell-preserved Book and awell-documented record oftraditions, throws a dismal lighton the Iqbalian philosophy ofthe maturity of man.’

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru) thennotes:

‘Their differences are notmerely marginal. They aredeep-rooted, further multi-plying and proliferating as timegoes by. Add to this the moraldestitution prevailing in theMuslim world and the tragedyof their lifeless existencebecomes all the more pathetic.Commit their survival to thematurity of their intellect andperform ablution for theirfuneral rites, “ashes to ashes,

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dust to dust and earth to earth –Amen!”’15

What is also implied here is that ifit were possible then wouldMuslims not also come together onother critical issues and act as onebody with one understanding andone aim? The truth is that it is notpossible as they have drifted too farfrom the holy path. A single khalifafor the whole Ummah has notexisted for the past 1400 yearssince Hadhrat Ali(ra). Thisunderlines the scale of such a taskand the improbability of one beingelected now.

The solution to this conundrum isfound in the Qur’an itself and in theway that God has helped mankindbefore. As has been seen in thehistory of religion, it reaffirms thelink between khilafat andprophethood.

History tells us that once the linkwith prophethood is broken thenkhilafat cannot continue or emergeon its own. It is only through theinstitution of prophethood itselfthat the chain of khilafat is restored.The clearest historic precedence forthis is that of the Mosaicdispensation.

A closer examination of the Mosaicdispensation reveals that manyIsraelite prophets came to protectthe Mosaic Law. Many of themwere in essence the khalifas ofMoses(as). It is also interesting tonote that the last prophet of theMosaic dispensation was Jesus(as)

who was also the Messiah that waspromised to the Jews16. His missionwas one of purely reviving the truespirit and understanding of theMosaic law and not to add to it.17

He was therefore also anotherKhalifa of Moses(as). His adventhad nothing to do with the Jewishclergy at that time since they had nohand in his appointment to office.In fact they were strongly opposedto it as his drive to rejuvenate theMosaic Law was a direct challengeto their authority. Thus the khilafatof the Mosaic period was revivedby God through the advent of Hisprophet Jesus(as).

This is relevant to Muslimsbecause on several occasions theMuslims have been likened to theJews before them18 and this servesas a prophetic reminder also thatthe difficulties they face will besimilar19. This also gives hope inthe sense that it also sets out thesolution.

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At the time of Jesus(as) it was notwithin the scope of all the Jews tounite for the sake of spiritualadvancement. They had drifted toofar apart and consequentlyforegone their right to elect theirkhalifa. In the Qur’an we are toldthat khilafat is promised to thosewho believe and do good deeds –by which is meant that those whouphold the true spirit and teachingsand practices of God’s law. Thecondition of the Jews at that timewas far removed from this so itwas only out of God’s mercy and inthe fulfilment of His promise that aprophet (and khalifa of Moses(as))was sent to set them on the rightpath.

The same is the case with Islamand Muslims. A casual glanceshows the complete state ofdisarray and disharmony. Thosewho should be leading theircommunity towards peace are,with rare exception, failing to do soand instead lead for the sake ofpersonal gain or glory. So whereand how can God’s promise befulfilled today?

The obvious link is the issue ofprophethood. The greatness ofMoses(as) was not enough to save

and guide the Jews: At the end ofhis dispensation another prophethad been raised and sent by God.This also reflects the degree ofmercy and grace of God for theJews. It would, therefore, beunthinkable that God would not actwith similar mercy for the Ummahof the greatest Prophet,Muhammad(saw), especially as hismessage was for the whole world.

No doubt this is why Muslims havebeen taught two specific prayersthat were to act both as a warningfor them and also as a source ofcomfort and hope.

Prayers for Prophethood andKhilafatThe Qur’an sheds light on thismatter in its very first chapter. Al-Fatihah that is also known asUmmul Qur’an, (i.e. the Mother ofthe Qur’an) reveals God’s profoundwisdom. For in this small chapterhe has compacted an immensetreasure house of knowledge. Itholds the essence of the entiremessage, teachings and guidance ofthe Holy Qur’an. It is of littlesurprise, therefore, that a criticalproblem that was to face Muslimsof the latter days is dealt withupfront.

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Furthermore, being a prayer that isrecited over thirty times daily inregular prayers of a Muslim, Al-Fatihah has left little room forMuslims to plead ignorance to thesolution for their current problems.The key lies in verse seven inwhich Muslims pray to be guidedin:

…the right path - The path ofthose on whom Thou hastbestowed Thy blessings...

The natural question is what is thispath? This question has beenanswered in the Qur’an itself inChapter 4 verses 69-70 which state:

And We would surely haveguided them in the right path.And whoso obeys Allah and thisMessenger of His shall beamong those on whom Allahhas bestowed His blessings,namely, the Prophets, theTruthful, the Martyrs, and theRighteous and excellent com-panions are these.

In other words, it reveals that inorder to be one of those whoreceives God’s blessings Muslimspray to be guided in the path thatleads to the spiritual ranks of the

Prophets, Truthful, Martyrs andRighteous. It is not a selfish desirefor prophethood that is capturedand expressed here (sinceappointment of prophets is purelyGod’s preserve), rather it is a desireto be set on the noble path and forthe Ummah (since it states Guideus) to be of such purity that in itthere are people who reflect thequalities mentioned. This includesprophethood.

Since Hadhrat Ali(ra) we can citeexamples of Muslims who wereTruthful, Martyrs and Righteousbut what of Prophets? Can we citeeven a single one despite beingtaught this prayer? It is thisspiritual progeny of the Truthful,Martyrs, Righteous and Prophetsthat was promised to ProphetMuhammad(saw) in verse 4 ofchapter 108 Al-Kauthar, in whichGod declared:

Surely, it is thy enemy who iswithout issue. (Ch.108: V.4)

The Prophet(saw) was promised thathis progeny would be blessed somuch so that his spiritualsuccessors would be so superiorthan his opponents and would leavethem in awe.

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A further prayer is found in theDurood, the invocation of peaceand blessings on the Prophet(saw)

(also a part of salat in Islam). Thatprayers implores God that:

‘Bless, O Allah, Muhammadand his people as Thou didstbless Abraham and his people.Thou art indeed Praiseworthy,the Exalted.’

Again we can see that a parallel isdrawn between Abraham(as) (andhis people) and Muhammad(saw)

(and his people). The prayeracknowledges Abraham’s blessedprogeny that included the Mosaicdispensation, which consisted ofnot just one but many prophets andkhalifas.

So in the same way that prophetsand khalifas were deemed essentialby God to progress and protect theMosaic Law how could it be thatprophets and khalifas were notneeded for Muhammad’s(saw)

dispensation? Were the Rashidunsufficient for all time? Absolutelynot and this is the reason whyGod’s promise of khilafat in SuraAl-Nur is not fixed to any one timeperiod.

Numerous scholars supported thisview and one such scholar wasHadhrat Muhyiuddin Ibn Arabiwho observed:

‘From the study and contemplationof the Durood we have arrived at thedefinite conclusion that there shall,from among the Muslims, certainlybe persons whose status, in thematter of prophethood, shalladvance to the level of prophets, ifAllah pleases. But they shall not begiven any book of Law.’20

This proves that in seeking to securesimilar blessings in the dispensationof Muhammad(saw) similar bountiesare also being sought. Such bountieswould also serve to elevate thestatus of Prophet Muhammad(saw)

even more since the scope of theMosaic Law was limited to theIsraelites whereas the scope of theHoly Prophet(saw) and Islam isuniversal and for all time. Thismakes the task that much greatertoo.

Having taught Muslims theseprayers, Allah admonishes Muslimsto have firm faith in what is yet tocome (Ch.2:V.5) which is aprophecy that God will not leavethem or His religion rather He

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would revive His message in thelatter days.

Once the link to prophethood isrestored then Allah’s words makeclear that khilafat will continue,provided the community remainsrighteous.

So, keeping all this in mind, if welook at the decline of Muslims afterKhilafate Rashida and note the stateof Muslims today then can weconclude that the prayers of theprophet and of countless Muslimshave gone unanswered?

The answer is a definitive no andthere are two reasons. Firstly, theQur’an tells us of God’s promise. Itis impossible for Him to break Hispromise. Secondly the very hadiththat sets out the emergence ofKhilafat Rashida and the fate of thesubsequent leadership, also sets outa promise for the latter days. Toremind ourselves, the first part inMasnad Ahmad stated that:

‘The Holy Prophet(saw) said:“Prophethood shall remainamong you as long as God wills.He will bring about its end andfollow it with Khilafat on theprecepts of Prophethood for as

long as He wills and then bringabout its end. Kingship shallthen follow and remain as longas God wills and then come toan end. There shall then betyranny which shall remain aslong as God wills and come toan end upon His decree. ...” ’

This hadith then ended with apromise of God’s help:

‘“There will then emergeKhilafat on the precept ofProphethood” The HolyProphet said no more.’

It very clearly reminds us of thelink with prophethood. Truekhilafat was destined for Muslimsbut their decline and subsequentstate was to be such that it was notwithin their power to establishkhilafat. As God had done so withMosaic dispensation so would Heagain offer hope to mankindthrough the Holy Prophet’s(saw)

dispensation. Thus the blessed lightof khilafat of the latter days wouldonly be realised through the prismof prophethood that would appearto revive the true Islam. Thehallmarks of such a prophet wouldbe that he would be a Muslim, hewould be subservient to Prophet

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Muhammad(saw) and through him anew era of blessed khilafat wouldemerge.

The task for Muslims therefore is tosearch for one whose belief in Godand service to Islam was of suchhigh calibre and of such purity thathe became deserving of God’sblessings and manifested in himGod’s answer to our prayers for aspiritual guide and heir toMuhammad(saw). Furthermore thehadith and the Qur’an make clearthat at such a time a newcommunity of followers will ariseand devote themselves to serve forthe sake of righteousness and peaceto the extent that the bounty ofkhilafat that was lost to theMuslims for 1400 years is regained.

The question thus remains that hasthere been any such devotedservant of Islam who has claimedto be Divinely guided and who hasdeclared his prophethood infulfilment of these prophecies? Hashis arrival generated a similarresponse from the Muslim Ummahas the Jews responded to Jesus(as)

and his followers? And equallyimportantly, has such a noblepersonality, through his closenessto God, been chosen by God as the

one through whom the institutionof a blessed khilafat is restarted forthe sole purpose of upholding Islamand the honour of Muhammad(saw)?

Amazingly enough, in the whole ofthe Muslim Ummah – from thetime of Hadhrat Ali(ra) to the presentday – only one person has madesuch a claim and he and theKhalifas after him and thecommunity of followers haveprospered and flourished underDivine protection like no othercommunity since the period ofKhilafat Rashida. It is thereforeimperative to take a look at hisclaims, mission and community tosee how it matches the era of theProphet(saw) and the KhilafatRashida.

The Awaited Prophet Prophethood itself is a bounty for atrue believer, but it is none exceptthe select few that can ever attain it.With God’s final message of Islamrevealed to Prophet Muhammad(saw)

one thing was certain that any newprophet could only appear in hisUmmah for no new religion wasneeded, only a reformer to rekindleits true spirit. In the same way thatJesus(as) served the Mosaic Law theprophet of the latter days would be

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completely subservient to Islamand Prophet Muhammad(saw), and bea khalifa of Muhammad(saw) withthe stature and status of pro-phethood granted by God.Anything to the contrary would goagainst the tradition of God.

The sole claimant to prophethoodand to being the Messiah (as theMahdi in some Muslim texts)promised to Islam in the latter days(and indeed all religions) wasHadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)

(1835-1908). He was a well-respected and devout Muslim whothrough his writings such as theepoch making Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya invigorated theMuslims with a new sense of beliefand conviction and he energisedthem with the true understanding ofIslam. Islam was once moreresurrected as a living religion thatoffered hope and salvation for notjust Muslims but all who wished tobenefit from it. In his defence ofIslam he wrote over eighty books.He was equally critical of Muslimswho did not live by the trueprinciples of Islam. Thus, hismission was to remove themalpractice and revive therighteousness and purity that Islamoffered.

Like prophets before him, up to thepoint he received the Divine call,he made no claim to such spiritualstatus, and in fact recoiled at the ideathat he was even worthy of suchdivine accolade. He saw his serviceas nothing but a duty of a sincerebeliever and servant ofMuhammad(saw). It was only afterbeing blessed with converse withthe Almighty and being told timeand again in no uncertain terms thathe was the Messiah and Mahdi andthe prophet for the latter days that hestood forth and announced hisprophethood to the world andestablished the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity. He cared little for thehardships that were to face him (ofwhich there were many) insteadplacing his utmost trust in God atWhose threshold he now lay.

His claim to prophethood can bereadily seen in his followingstatements:

‘Since I myself have witnessedthe clear fulfilment of about 150prophecies, how can I deny thetitle of Nabi or Rasul about me?Since Allah the Most High hasHimself bestowed these titlesupon me, why should I forsakethem or fear anyone except

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Him? I declare in the name ofGod Who has sent me – andcursed are those who fabricatelies about Him – that he has sentme as the promised Messiah.’(Eik Ghalati ka Izalah, RuhaniKhaza’ian, vol.18, p.210)

‘I declare in the name of GodWho controls my life that he hassent me and he has granted methe title Nabi. He has called methe Promised Messiah, and hehas shown great signs for mytruthfulness which numberabout three hundred thousand.’ (Tatimma Haqiqatul Wahi,Ruhani Khaza’ian, vol.22,p.503)

There are numerous otherstatements of his that testify to hisclaim to prophethood on the basis ofDivine instruction, but he was alsoequally clear that his prophethoodwas not independent ofMuhammad(saw) rather it was only asa mere slave of the Holy Prophet(saw).He firmly believed in ProphetMuhammad(saw) as KhatamanNabiyyeen (Seal of the Prophets)and at every moment he would seekto preserve and defend the honourand greatness of the HolyProphet(saw). He was also clear that

any blessing that he had receivedwas purely because of his devotionto the cause of the Holy Prophet(saw)

and nothing else for it was his firmbelief that it was the only throughIslam and the Holy Prophet(saw) thatmankind could attain true peace.

He affirmed that:

‘I have received full measure ofthe blessing that were bestowedon the prophets and honouredones of God before me purely asa result of the Grace of Allahand not due to any merit of myown. And it was not possible forme to get this blessing if I didnot follow the ways of myMaster and Lord, the honour ofthe Prophets and best of themall, the Holy Prophet, may peaceand blessings of Allah be uponhim. So, whatever I achievedresulted from following his path.I understand – based on my trueand complete knowledge – thatno one can reach God withoutfollowing His Prophet(saw), norcan he have a share of theperfect understanding.’(Haqiqatul Wahi, RuhaniKhaza’ian, vol.22, pp.64-65)

And further:

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‘This eminence has been grantedto me because of my followingthe Holy Prophet(saw). Had I notbeen one of his followers andhad I not been following histeaching faithfully, I could havenever achieved this high statusof communion with Allah, eventhough my good deeds had piledup to the height of themountains. This is because nolaw-bearing prophet can ever beraised, but a non-law-bearingprophet can still appear. But hemust always be a follower of theHoly Prophet(saw). I am thereforea follower as well as a prophet.’(Tajalliyati Ilahiyya, p.24)

This should put beyond doubt hisresolute conviction about hisposition in relation to the HolyProphet(saw) and his claim toprophethood as well. Thisprophethood also had the aspect ofkhilafat of the Holy Prophet(saw). It isrelevant here to note the followinghadith in which when referring tothe advent of the PromisedMessiah(as) the Holy Prophet(saw)

instructed his followers that:

‘…he [the Promised Messiah]will be my Khalifa from amongmy followers after me…

Remember, anyone who gets thehonour of meeting him, he mustconvey my salam to him.’ (Al-Mo’jam Al-Awsat Lit-tabarani, Manismuhu ‘Isa. Al-Mo’jam-us- Saghir Lit-tabarani,Manismuhu ‘Isa)

On another occasion he said:

‘When you find the Mahdi,perform Bai’at (pledge ofallegiance) at his hands. Youmust go to him, even if you haveto reach him across iceboundmountains on your knees. He isthe Mahdi and the Khalifa ofAllah’(Sunan Ibn Maja, Kitab ul Fitan,Vol.2, p.1367)

On many occasions, the PromisedMessiah(as) also clarified that he wasalso the second spiritual advent ofJesus(as) and therefore underlining astrong similarity between hismission and the mission of theMosaic Messiah. The difference inemphasis was that whereas Jesus(as)

came to revive the Mosaic teachingsthe Promised Messiah(as) came torevive Islam.

He said:

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‘This humble one is appointedby the Omnipotent and MostGlorious God to work for thebetterment of mankind in themanner of the Israeli prophet ofNazareth, the Messiah, withextreme humility, meekness,modesty, love and courtesy. Tothose who are unaware of theright way, I am to show them thestraight path through which theycan achieve true Salvation, andfeel in this very world the signsof having heavenly life, andexperience the illumination ofbeing accepted and loved byGod.’ (Tabligh Risalat, Vol.1, p.11)

Further proof of the truth of hismission can be found in the fact thatit was at his hands that the blessedinstitution of khilafat was revived.His example and the example of thecommunity that responded to hiscall bore striking similarities to theperiod of Islam during the time ofthe Holy Prophet(saw) and theKhilafat Rashida. The direction inwhich he was taking his followers isalso an amazing reflection of earlyIslam. He said:

‘And here I am going to tell youabout the first thing that

develops in the heart as a resultof the honest and perfectfollowing of the HolyProphet(saw); so know it that it isthe righteous heart. The love ofthe world departs from theheart, and it desires an eternaland unending pleasure. Then, asa consequence of this righteousheart, a pure and perfect divinelove is acquired. And all theseblessings are received asinheritance from following theHoly Prophet(saw).’ (Haqiqatul Wahi, RuhaniKhazain, vol.22, pp.64-65)

What is intriguing about this is thathe set out the rejection of this worldas a means of attaining right-eousness. It is this spirit of devotionand love of God that was the key tothe blessings of khilafat in earlyIslam and it is the same that was tosecure it in the latter days. Thisquality was admitted by even thosewho had moved to underminekhilafat during the time of theRashidun. You may recall thatMu’awiyah himself observed thatwhilst the Rashidun did not wantthis world Mu’awaiyah and thoseof his ilk ‘rolled over in it (like ananimal)’. How telling that thePromised Messiah(as) who was the

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chosen one to revive khilafatstrongly cautioned his followers toremained focused on God and itsultimate accountability to Him,and use this as a means to pursuerighteousness, thus striking at theheart of the worldly ambition thathad removed this bounty fromMuslims in the first era!

Revival of KhilafatThis revival of khilafat by thePromised Messiah(as) is the finaland crucial piece of this jigsaw ofIslam’s revival. The manner inwhich he did this was to seek toensure that his followers wouldremain faithful to both the teach-ings and the spirit of Islam. Thisrequired them to strive with theirbody and soul for Islam and makethe necessary sacrifices. He wasaware that his immediate com-panions had received God’sblessings by sharing his companyand by learning Islam through hisexample but he also looked toprotect his community fromdrifting away for generations tocome.

This can be seen through hisprophecy and teachings for thecommunity that related to hisdemise and beyond. He foretold

that in line with God’s promise inSura Al-Nur, there was good newsfor the righteous in that they wouldsee a revival of khilafat, andprovided they remained true to theirfaith this bounty would remain withthem until the end of mankind.

His advent had demonstrated thefirst manifestation of God’s mercyfor this age, and assured them thatafter his demise God would blessthe righteous with the SecondManifestation of His mercy. Hewrote:

‘For it is essential for you to seethe Second Manifestation, too,and its coming is better for youbecause it is everlasting thecontinuity of which will not endtill the Day of Judgement. Andthe second Manifestationcannot come unless I depart.But when I depart, then Godwill send this secondManifestation for you whichshall always remain with you asit is promised by God inBarahin-e-Ahmadiyya.’21

He also made clear that it was underKhilafat that the global success ofIslam would be seen for he said:

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‘God desires to draw all thosepeople whether they belong toEurope or Asia who inhabitvarious habitations of the world,and who have virtuous nature, tothe Unity of God and unite men,His servants, in one Faith. Thisis the very purpose of God toachieve which I have been sentto the world.’22

To this end he urged followers toadopt a life of those who may bedeemed worthy of khilafat and thiswas set out in his Will (Al Wasiyyat).This focused primarily on thespiritual and moral values and theneed to be ever-vigilant in seekingGod’s protection from thedistractions of this world.

‘And, totally shedding all basedesires of the self, choose for thesake of winning the pleasure ofGod that path compared towhich no path can be narrowerand straiter. Do not fall in lovewith the pleasures of the world,for they take you away fromGod.’23

Added to this he urged people tomake an extraordinary sacrifice oftheir wealth and time for the sake oftheir faith. This was very much in

line with the Qur’anic teaching that:

Never shall you attain torighteousness unless you spendout of that which you love. (Ch.3; V.93)

It is this righteousness that wouldenable khilafat to be preserved andthat is exactly what happened.

Following his demise in 1908, hiscommunity, like the community ofthe Companions of the Prophet(saw),gathered and sought Divineprotection and blessings andelected a khalifa to continue therevival of Islam that was initiatedby the Promised Messiah(as). Thiselection of Hadhrat Hakim MaulviNooruddeen Sahib(ra) (who alsohappened to be the first person whoaccepted Hadhrat Mirza GhulamAhmadas) as a prophet and themessiah promised for the latterdays) was the final step in thefulfilment of God’s promise ofKhilafat for Muslims, for the finallink between prophethood andkhilafat had been restored andwould continue to flourish andprogress as long as the communityretained its righteousness and itsfaith in God.

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Khilafat Ahmadiyya – anotherera of Khilafat RashidaVery much mirroring the experienceand success of Khilafat Rashida thenew khilafat was blessed withimmense Divine help andprotection. It was a beacon of hopethat was destined to guide the wholeUmmah back to the right path and tothis day its progress and success inthe face of adversity reflects theDivine succour that it has beengranted.

If we take a glimpse at the history ofKhilafat Ahmadiyya then we cansee that the Khalifas indeed havebeen granted success as promisedby Allah. The Ahmadiyya Jama’athas grown at a phenomenal rate –unparalleled since the rise of Islamitself – and it has establishedmissions in the cause of Islam inevery corner of the world. Despitesevere persecution, Allah hasremained firm to His promise andgranted His Khalifas success uponsuccess. The call for unity – and theunification of mankind is only beingadvanced and achieved at the handsof Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.

The Khalifas have led the cause forraising the flag of the Unity of Allahand for the establishment of peace

the world over. Unity that wasmaintained during the precarioustime of Hadhrat Maulvi NurruddinSahib(ra), the foundations ofexpansion that were laid downduring the khilafat of Hadhrat MirzaBashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra), thewise counsel that guided andprotected the Jama’at and called forthe global service of mankindduring the time of Hadhrat MirzaNasir Ahmad(ru), the prolificexpansion and impact that wasachieved during the khilafat ofHadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru) andthe continuing success and nobleleadership, at a global level, ofHadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba),all make up a resounding portfolioof evidence of the truth of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and its ongoingsuccess in establishing the religionof Islam in all corners of the world.

If we compare this to the experienceof the Muslims over the same 100years who have failed to recogniseKhilafat – then we see a starkcontrast. Khilafat Ahmadiyya hasresulted in success reflecting thebenefits of Divine favour, whereasthe condition of Muslims who havedenied this khilafat has sufferednothing but continued fragmen-tation and frustration. This too is in

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line with the Qur’anic verdict whichwhilst assuring the success ofKhilafat, notes that such khilafatwill not be accepted by all for itadds a prophetic note of caution bysaying that,

Then whoso is ungrateful afterthat, they will be the rebellious.(Ch.24:V.56)

This assures us that efforts todisprove the blessed Khilafat andarrest its success will be fruitless asGod promises in the Qur’an in thefollowing verse of the same chapter,that,

Think not that those whodisbelieve can frustrate Ourplan...(Ch.24:V.58)

Thus, Khilafat Ahmadiyya standsunique in the world today in that itrepresents a community that hasrecognised the prophet of this ageand witnessed the khilafat thatfollowed it – exactly in line with thepromise made by God in theQur’an.

Duty of Muslims to the KhilafatHaving established the legitimacyof the institution of KhilafatAhmadiyya, it is relevant to note

that Muslims have a duty torespond to the call of the khalifa ofthis age.

The primary responsibilityaccording to the Holy Prophet(saw)

himself is to take the oath ofallegiance at the hands of theKhalifa. Once that has been done,the positions of Muslims today, asit was during the period of KhilafatRashida, is to hear and obey.Anything else would be tantamountto rejecting the instructions of theHoly Prophet(saw) for he is reportedto have said that:

‘Anyone who follows my Amirshall be regarded as havingfollowed me, but anyone whodisobeys my Amir shall beregarded as having disobeyedme.’ (The Promised Messiah(as)

published in Badr 2.6.1908)

It would be unthinkable that anyMuslim would wish to be countedas one who disobeyed the HolyProphet(saw). So obedience to hisKhalifa is an act of faith. In fact, itis such obedience that is thehallmark of a Muslim. It reflectsthe living response to theinstruction of the Qur’an to:

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Obey Allah and obey Hismessenger and those who are inauthority over you.(Ch.4: V.60)

The Qur’an also emphasises therequirement of obedience withreference to khilafat. This can begauged from the verses in Sura Al-Nur that contain the promise ofkhilafat. The concept of obedienceis mentioned not just once but seventimes in verses 52-57. This makesclear that obedience is a criticalfactor to the ongoing blessings ofkhilafat – for without this true unityis impossible. Indeed, Allah assuresthose who hear and obey24 that theyshall prosper.

In fact the first Khalifa of theAhmadiyya Jama’at, HadhratHakim Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib(ra)

made clear that one’s ego must besacrificed at the altar of Khilafat forit is the same ego that will otherwiselead to one’s downfall and leave onedeprived of God’s favours.

He described the state of a believerand his responsibility beautifullywhen he said that a person whomakes bai’at gives up all hisfreedom and high flights for thesake of another. In other words you

submit yourself to serve God bypresenting yourself at the service ofyour Khalifa25.

It is by obeying the Khalifa thatMuslims will be serving the causeof Islam for it is under Khilafat thatIslam was promised triumph.

Khilafat and the growth of theAhmadiyya Muslim Jama’atAhmadis consider themselvesfortunate to have witnessed therevival of khilafat following thearrival of the Prophet of this age andis have a proud history ofresponding to the call of theKhalifa, as success of the Waqf-Jadid and Tehrik Jadid Schemes, theNusrat Jehan Scheme, Waqf-e-Nauscheme have shown, to name but afew.

More recently the Khalifa hasemphasised the importance ofWassiyyat. It will surprise no-onethat even in this day and age whenmaterialism rules, Ahmadi Muslimsthe world over are responding withfull vigour to the call of the Khalifa.In the field of financial sacrifice, infact, a Muslim’s responsibilityshould be to reflect the example ofHadhrat Umar(ra) who said that:

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‘Had I possessed gold and silverequal to that of the whole earth,I would have given it in thecause of Allah to please Him.’ (Hadhrat Umar Farooq, by R AChowdhry, p.100)

Hadhrat Maulvi Nuruddin(ra)

himself set such a high example ofsuch service and piety that he waspraised by the Promised Messiah(as)

who said about him in his famouscouplet:

‘How fortunate would it be ifeveryone of the Communitywere Nur-ud-Din. So would itbe if everyone were filled withthe light of faith.’26

In fact if we study the lives ofKhalifas themselves, before theirkhilafat we will find in them modelsof how we should discharge ourresponsibility in serving KhilafatAhmadiyya, in line with theteachings of Islam.

The duty of obedience highlightsanother aspect of the nature of theinstitution of Khilafat, that itrepresents a bond between theKhalifa and his community. Thebond will remain as strong as thecommitment of the two parties

concerned. It is inconceivable tothink that a Khalifa will everdiminish in his responsibility as heis chosen and appointed by God. Forhis Jama’at to continue to benefitfrom Khilafat, therefore, it is crucialthat it too does not diminish in itsresponsibilities in remainingrighteous and serving the Khalifa. Infact, God is very clear that theblessing of Khilafat is only grantedto those who believe and do goodworks. The moment righteousness islost and obedience ends, thenKhilafat will be lost as well. So it isthe Jama’at’s duty to remainsteadfast in its faith and practices.

The spirit to serve khilafat must bethat of Hadhrat Mirza BashiruddinMahmud Ahmad(ra) who at the timeof the demise of the PromisedMessiah(as) declared:

‘If all others should leave youand I should be left alone, yet Iwill stand against the wholeworld and shall not heed anyopposition or hostility.’27

What dedication is captured in hiswords! This should be the spirit andsense of service to the Khalifa ofthe time!

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Khilafat and WasiyyatEven to this day, the khalifacontinues to call his people torighteousness. Conscious of theimport of the blessings of khilafat,Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadreminds the Jama’at that simplyhaving accepted the messiah andkhalifa of the age will not besufficient before God. Acceptancewithout responsibility is notenough since with acceptance theresponsibilities have grownmanifold.28 This is precisely in linewith the Qur’anic instruction thatMuslims must be those who‘believe and do good works.’ Sothe good deeds cannot be separatedfrom the belief itself and only bycomplying with both aspects canMuslims be worthy of the bountyof khilafat.

It was for this purpose that hereminded the Jama’at of theblessed institution of Wasiyyat –i.e. of leading righteous lives andmaking exemplary sacrifices, for itis only through this that there isany chance of preserving thedegree of righteousness that makesman worthy of Divine favours.

The Promised Messiah(as) alsocommented on this and reminded

his Jama’at that it must put in aneffort as well as seek Divine favourfor it to benefit from anything.Only the foolish farmer prays for agood harvest without working onhis land and even after he hasworked he does not sit still andsimply pray to God. Rather he isever-vigilant that his work is notgone to waste.29 It is this attitudeand responsibility that will securethe future of Khilafat and the finalvictory of Islam.

ConclusionWords cannot capture howfortunate we are to live during thisblessed era. The institution ofkhilafat was foretold by God andpromised to the God-fearing. It isan institution that has proved itstruth time and time again andproved the truth of the PromisedMessiah(as) and the HolyProphet(saw). It is an institution thatis the only hope for the salvation ofthe world today. Muslims mustindeed hold fast to the rope ofKhilafat, respond to its every calland pray that its mercy extends forall time to come so that thepromise of God is fulfilled andlasting peace established in thisworld.

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In the end, let us remind ourselvesof God’s words:

Allah has promised to thoseamong you who believe and dogood works that He will surelymake them Successors in theearth, as He made Successorsfrom among those who werebefore them; and that He willsurely establish for them theirreligion which He has chosenfor them; and that He willsurely give them in exchangesecurity and peace after theirfear: They will worship Me, andthey will not associate anythingwith Me. Then who so isungrateful after that, they willbe the rebellious. And observePrayer, and give Zakat andobey the Messenger, that youmay be shown mercy.(Ch.24:Vs.56-57)

BIBLIOGRAPHY1. Islam: A Short History, by

Karen Armstrong, Published byPhoenix Press 2001

2. Fifty Key Figures in Islam, byRoy Jackson, Published byRoutledge 2006

3. The History of the Khalifas whoTook the Right Way, by Jalal

uad-Din as-Suyuti, Ta HaPublishers 2006

4. Islam in A Nutshell, by AmandaRoraback, Published by EnisenPublishing 2004

5. Key Words in Islam, by RonGeaves, Published byContinuum 2006

6. Muslims: Their ReligiousBeliefs and Practices, byAndrew Rippin, Published byRoutledge, 2005

7. Nubuwwat & Khilafat:Prophethood & itsSuccessorship, IslamInternational Publications Ltd,2006

8. Al-Wasiyyat (The Will), byHadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,Islam International Publications(2004). (First Published in Urduin 1905)

9. Introducing Islam, By ZiauddinSardar and Zafar Abbas Malik,Icon Books (2002)

10. Oxford Concise Dictionary ofWorld Religions, Edited by JohnBowker, Oxford UniversityPress 2000

11. Revelation, Rationality,Knowledge and Truth, byHadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru),Islam International Publications(1998)

12. Khataman Nabiyyeen,

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Published by The LondonMosque (1982)

13. An Exposition of SomeCriticisms Against Khilafat-i-Rashida, by Maulana SheikhMubarak Ahmad, Published byThe London Mosque 1979

14. Conditions of Bai’at andResponsibilities of an Ahmadi,by Hadhrat Mirza MasroorAhmad, Islam InternationalPublications (2006)

REFERENCES

1. Five Volume Commentary onHoly Qur’an, by Hadhrat MirzaBashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra)

note 1290, Ch10: v.15. Also seeLane’s Lexicon (Vol.1 p.702)definition of kh-l-f ‘He cameafter, or remained after another,or another that perished or died’also definition of khalifa‘Successor, vicegerent, orsubstitute’.

2. The Holy Qur’an, (Translationby Hadhrat Maulvi Sher Ali(ra)),Ch.7:Vs.70, 170; Ch.10:V.15.

3. The Holy Qur’an, (Translationby Hadhrat Maulvi Sher Ali(ra)),Ch.2:V.31; Ch.38:V.27.

4. Sunan-ut-Tirmidhi, Kitabul Ilmi

Babu ma Ja’a Fil-Akhdhi BisSunnah. Also Sunano AbiDawud, Kitab-us-Sunnati, BabuLuzumis Sunnah.

5. It is narrated in Bukhari, KitabulAh-Kam Babul Istikhlaf thatHadhrat Aisha(ra) said: ‘The HolyProphet said that he had intendedto call in Abu Bakr and hand himwritten testament for his khilafat,so that after the death of theHoly Prophet(saw), other claimantsto the office might not arise, butthen the Holy Prophet(saw) did notpursue the idea believing thatGod would not accept theelection of any other personbesides Abu Bakr as Khalifa, norwould the believers agreeotherwise.’

6. Five Volume Commentary on TheHoly Qur’an by Hadhdrat MirzaBahseeruddin MahmudAhmad(ra) , note 2360 of verse56 of Sura Al-Nur. (Also seenote 432A on Ch. 3 verse 80).

7. Islam: A Short History, by KarenArmstrong, p.21.

8. The Holy Qur’an, (Translationby Hadhrat Maulvi Sher Ali(ra)),Ch.9:V.40.

9. Islam: A Short History, by Karen

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Armstrong, p.22.

10. This relates to a prophecy madeby the Prophet(saw) when, as hemigrated from Makkah toMadinah, he was being pursuedby Suraqa bin Malik. After hishorse repeatedly stumbled,Suraqa gave up the chase and itwas then that the Prophet(saw) saidto him, ‘Suraqa, how will youfeel with the gold bangles of theking of Iran on your wrists?’.Later on Suraqa accepted Islamand when Iran fell to theMuslims during the Khilafat ofHadhrat Umar(ra), the Muslimsinherited immense wealthincluding the gold bangles thatthe king used to wear on Statefunctions. These were worn bySuraqa under the instruction ofHadhrat Umar(ra) in fulfilment ofthe Prophet’s(saw) prophecy.

11. Islam: A Short History, ByKaren Armstrong, p.25.

12. The History of the Khalifas whotook the right way, by Jalal ud-Din as-Suyuti, p.123.

13. The Caliphate, by Sir Thomas WArnold CIE, Litt.D., OxfordUniversity Press (1924), p.17.

14. Khilafat and Caliphate, By

Mubasher Ahmad MA LLB,published on www.alislam.org.See also:http://www.alislam.org/topics/khilafat/khilafat-and-caliphate.html

15. Revelation, Rationality,Knowledge and Truth, byHadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru),Islam International PublicationsLtd (1998) pp.682-683.

16. Jews at the time were expectingthree personalities, a Prophet, aMessiah (Christ) and Elijah. Johnthe Baptist was Elijah and Jesuswas the Messiah see John 1:20-21, John 1:41; Matthew 11:14,17:11-13.

17. Matthew 5:17-18.

18. ‘Abdullah bin Amar(ra) relatesthat the Holy Prophet(saw) said.“Surely things will happen to mypeople as happened earlier toIsraelites; they will resembleeach other like one shoe in a pairresembles the other to the extentthat if anyone among theIsraelites has openly committedadultery with his mother therewill be some who will do this inmy Ummah as well. Verily theIsraelites were divided into 72sections but my people will bedivided into 73 sections, all of

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them will be in the fire exceptone.” The companions asked,“Who are they O Messenger ofAllah,” The Holy Prophet(saw)

said, “They are those who will belike me and my Companions.”(Tirmidhi, Kitabul Eeman)

19. It is relevant here to note that aswith the Jewish clergy at thetime of Jesus, it was prophesiedthat the Muslim clergy too wouldoppose the Messiah and Khalifaof the time. Hadhrat MuyuddinIbn Arabi in his book Al-Fatuh-haat-i-Makkiyya Vol.3, Page 336says ‘At the time of theappearance of Imam Mahdi nonewould be his open enemy otherthan the divines – the religiousscholars, in particular.

20. Fatuhati Makiyya, Vol. I, p.545as noted in p.2 of KhatamanNabiyyeen published by theLondon Mosque, 1982.

21. The Will (Al Wassiyat),Published by Islam InternationalPublications 2004, p.7.

22. Ibid p.8-9.

23. Ibid p.9.

24. The Holy Qur’an, Ch.24:V.52The response of the believers,

when they are called to Allahand His Messenger in order thathe may judge between them, isonly that they say ‘We hear andwe obey.’ And it is they who willprosper.

25. Nubuwwat & Khilafat:Prophethood & itsSuccessorship, IslamInternational Publications Ltd,2006, p.37.

26. Badr, June 2 1908, as quoted inNubuwwat & Khilafat:Prophethood & itsSuccessorship, IslamInternational Publications Ltd,2006 p.42.

27. Ahmadiyyat: The Renaissance ofIslam, by Sir Ch. MuhammadZafrullah Khan Sahib(ra).

28. Friday Sermon of Hadhrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad(aba), 12 October2007.

29. Commentary on The HolyQur’an, Volume 1, Surah Fatihaby Hadhrat Mirza GhulamAhmad(as), Islam InternationalPublications, (2004), p.205.

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KHILAFAT EDITION 1

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) (1835 – 1908)‘I came from God as a Manifestation of His Power and I am anincarnation of God’s Power. And after I am gone there will besome other persons who will be the manifestation of the secondPower [of God].’ (Al-Wassiyyat)

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KHILAFAT EDITION 1

Hadhrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib(ra) (1841 – 1914)‘It is God Who has appointed me Khalifa, and He knows best.No one has the power to remove the Khalifa appointed by God.’(An Exposition of Some Criticisms Against Khilafat Rashida, by Maulana SheikhMubarak Ahmad, Published by The London Mosque 1979)

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Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra) (1889 – 1965)‘I swear by God at Whose command lies my soul and Who is theMaster of judgement, disgrace and accreditation that I am theKhalifa appointed by God.’(An Exposition of Some Criticisms Against Khilafat-i-Rashida, by MaulanaSheikh Mubarak Ahmad, Published by The London Mosque 1979)

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KHILAFAT EDITION 1

Hadhrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad(ru) (1909 – 1982)‘…Allah, the Glorious, has jealous regard for this station andoffice (of Khilafat) which he has bestowed on me.’ (Message of Love and Brotherhood to Africa, by Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad,Islam International Publications (2006) p.32. First Published 1970)

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Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru) (1928 – 2003)‘After the break up of the institution of Khilafat in early Islam, itis only the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at in Islam which has beenblessed with Khilafat… and the Khalifah plays the same role ofhead and heart as was played by the Holy Successors of the HolyProphet Muhammad(saw).’ (With Love to the Muslims of the World, by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, IslamInternational Publications (2006) p.45)

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Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (b.1950)‘Now in this time and age, Khilafat Rashida [Righteous Khilafat]has been established after the passing away of the PromisedMessiah…Rejoice! Now you shall always remain under directivesthat are based on goodness.’ (Conditions of Bait and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, by Hadhrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad(aba), Islam International Publications (2006) p.206)

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COMPETITIONKhilafat Centenary Article

The Review of Religions is running a competition for articleson Khilafat to be published during 2008.

The winning entry will receive a copy of The Review ofReligions in which the best article is published and it will bepersonally signed by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V!

Articles must be unpublished and original and between 4,000words and 7,000 words on one of the following topics:

1. The blessings of Khilafat in Islam2. The institution of Khilafat3. The impact of Khilafat Rashida or

Khilafat Ahmadiyya 4. The concept of Khilafat in religious thought

All entries will be judged by the Editorial Board and theBoard’s decision will be final.

To qualify for this unique opportunity entries must be fullyannotated with cross-references, relevant extracts of whichshould be supplied with the article for verification, andsubmitted in English in MS Word to reach The Review ofReligions office in London by 31st January 2008. You mustinclude your full contact details including name, address,telephone number and email address. Late entries will not beentertained. Unless prepaid postage is enclosed, unpublishedarticles will not be returned.

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MANAGEMENT BOARD CONTENTS CHIEF EDITOR AND MANAGER · Mr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad Mr. Abdul Baqi Arshad...

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