02/02/2025
" K H A L I F A H " خليفة
(Episode - 1)
THE DIVINELY DESIGNED SACRED TITLE MADE FUN BY MUSLIMS TO CREATE HATRED AND DISTORT MUSLIM UNITY SINCE 632 AD
Khalifa, an Arabic word known by the term Caliphate in English, was first used by Allah for Nabi Adam (s), when Allah (SWT) told Angels that He is going to make Adam as Khalifah on earth.
Before Islam, the word Khalifah was used to describe a ' Successor selected by God '.
The word ,' Khalifah ', according to Quranic context, means a Leader who is honest, smart, knowledgeable, humble, kind, rational, intellectually adapt and just to the cause. A Khalifah in it's true sense is a leader who adheres to the Divine Books (Quranic teachings) with utmost accountability and responsibility and fears Allah's Laws in every thought and action. According to Muqeem Muhammad, a Muslim scholar (www.quoran.com), the word Khalifah has been used in the same context in:
Surah Baqarah(2:30-32).
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ )
Your Lord said to the Angelic Beings, "I am placing a khalifah on the planet earth." They said, "Will you place therein one who will commit evil therein, and shed blood, while we praise You, glorify You, and uphold Your absolute authority?" He said, "I know what you do not know."
Surah Baqarah Ayat 31
وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful."
Surah Al-Imran Ayat 32
قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ
Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers".
Allah (SWT) used the word ' Khalifah ' only two times in Qur'an, one for Nabi Adam (a) in Surah Baqarah (2:30) :
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَتَبِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ )
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a Khalifah (successive authority)." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."
Second time for Nabi Dawud (a) in Surah Sad (38:26):
يَدَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ
[We said], O David, indeed We have made you a Khalifah upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah. Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.
Besides using Divine status of Rasul and Nabi for Prophets, Allah has used the term Imam for Nabi Ibrahim (a) in Surah al-Baqarah (2:124) to guide people to live according to Divine teachings in this world and please Almighty Allah for living Hereafter:
۞وَإِذِ ٱبۡتَلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَٰتٖ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامٗاۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِيۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهۡدِي ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
[mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [Allah] said, “Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people.” [Abraham] said, “And of my descendants?” [Allah] said, “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.”
In this verse, the term 'IMAM' refers to a leader who is appointed by God and serves as an example for people to live life according to Divine principles and be imitated. Moreover Imamat can be awarded to selected people by Allah in the lineage of the Prophet for human guidance in the absence of Prophet as Nabi Ibrahim asked Allah in the above verse.
In following Quranic verses, Allah says that His Prophets, may be Nabi, Rasul or Imam do not speak on their own, they only say what is revealed on them by Him:
Surah al-Najm, verse 4,
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى
It is (what Prophet, Muhammad says) not but a revelation revealed,
and in Surah al-Araf, verse 203:
وَإِذَا لَمۡ تَأۡتِهِم بِـَٔايَةٖ قَالُواْ لَوۡلَا ٱجۡتَبَيۡتَهَاۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّيۚ هَٰذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ
And when you, [O Muhammad], do not bring them a sign, they say, “Why have you not contrived it?” Say, “I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur’an] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.”
and in Surah Yunus, verse 15;
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا اشْتِ بِقُرْءَانٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا أَوْ بَدِّلَهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَابٍ نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَى إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Bring us a Qur'an other than this or change it." Say, [O Muhammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
Since ISLAM is a Divine religion gradually laid down Divine principles called Shariah through four major Divine Books, the Zabur, Tawret, Injeel and finally Qur'an, Almighty Allah sent Divinely taught 124000 Prophets having Divine Crown of Khalifah, Rasul, Nabi or Imam to teach, guide and explain Divinely given Shariah or complete code of life, as Allah desires, to live according to wish of Allah to live with honor and dignity in this material short live world and secure a comfortable place in the Hereafter eternal world. Allah(SWT) will never leave this world without His representative for human guidance till Qiamat. In Surah al-Qasas ( 28:68 ), Allah says,
وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Your Lord creates whatever He wishes and chooses: they have no choice. Immaculate is Allah and exalted above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him].
Keeping in mind the Allah's decision, Prophet Muhammad (s), on the command of Allah, also made arrangement to continue guidance of human to come and stay on Islamic principles, teaching and explanation of Quranic verses after he passes away. On the revelation of verse 14 mentioned in Surah Ash-Shu'ara in Qur'an:
وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ
[26:214] And warn your nearest relations,
Prophet Muhammad (s) invited his close forty relatives for the first time in a feast called Dawat e Dul-asheera at the residence of his uncle Hazrat Abu Talib (a) to put the message of Tawhid, oneness of God, and his Prophethood. Prophet Muhammad (s) said,
" This (Ali) is my brother, my agent and my successor among you, so listen to him and obey him ( Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 6, Page 89 ).
In this meeting Prophet Muhammad (s) used two words to indicate his relationship with Ali(a) - AGENT means representative and SUCCESSOR. To explain the word 'Successor', Maulana Hafiz Syed Farman Ali quotes a Hadith while writing tafseer of verse 47 of Surah al-Hajr in Qur'an al Hakeem published by Imran Company, Lahore:
On a query by Ali(a) about description of the term 'SUCCESSOR' for him, Prophet Muhammad (s) said, " Ali you are guardian of Qur'an, my Hadith and would be with me along with Fatima ( in Hereafter). You (Ali) are my brother and companion".
( Continued )
