* The Islamic Caliphate

The Islamic Caliphate

- abu muQatil


Introduction

We have to believe, without any doubt, that Islam is one complete unit which can not be broken into parts or sections. Allah revealed it to derive people out of the darkness and bring them into the light. He, the Almighty, connected the issues of regulations of actions with those of Tawheed as (believing in Allah, the Day of Judgment, and the punishment of the Hereafter…etc). This is so obvious and clear in the Holy Qura'n. For instance, Allah says: "The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day". So, all Islamic regulations are linked to Tawheed and based upon it; the regulations of Jurisprudence are part and parcel of the actions of the hearts and limbs, and Tawheed is part and parcel of the actions of hearts too.Therefore, we do not divide Islam into fundamental issues and minor ones except for the sake of facilitation. By fundamental issues, we mean the issues related to the actions of hearts; and by the minor ones, we mean the issues related to the actions of limbs.What we are concerned with here, is the issue of Caliphate or Imamate. Is it one of the fundamental issues or the minor ones? In another words, is it from the issues of Tawheed or the issues of Jurisprudence? The truth is that it has aspects in both Tawheed, Jurisprudence and in history too. Therefore, all the predecessor scholars mentioned Caliphate in their books of Tawheed. So, we hardly find a scholar writing a book of Tawheed without mentioning, for example, that the first rightly guided Caliphs are four, and their order in the ladder of Caliphate is based upon their superiority and excellence in Islam. In addition, they state that the Caliph should be from Quraish, and whoever fights and revolts against him, Allah will punish him in the Hell-Fire. Moreover, they emphasize on the prayer behind the Imam whether he is pious or a transgressor (as long as he is not out of the fold of Islam), performing Jihad and pilgrimage with him, prohibiting to revolt against him and being obedient to him (not in doing sins). All the above-mentioned aspects are topics of research in the field of Caliphate. Furthermore, the scholars mentioned this topic in the books of Tawheed to reply and reason the innovations and the deviated beliefs like Shi'ism/Rafidah and Khawarij. The Rafidah (Shi'ites) believe in so many deviated things (for example):- The imamate is the main pillar of Islam, i.e. without believing in it, you are not a Muslim at all.- The infallibility of the Imams, i.e. they can never do sins, though they are human beings.- The Imams know the unseen world, i.e. in one way or another, they are Gods or at least they share Allah His own characteristics.- The idea of return/reversion.
And Khawarij believe in the disbelief (Kufr) of the sinful Muslim whether he is a caliph or a normal person. Accordingly, they believe in revolting against this caliph and overthrowing him (*for the sake of a major sin, not a clear kufr, for in which case, rebellion becomes allowed). The other thing that makes the Imamate linked to Tawheed is the denial of so-called Muslims that it is part of Islam. And this is one of the most contemporary dangerous issues related to Tawheed.Regarding the Jurisprudence aspects of the issue of Caliphate/Imamate, they are many:1- The conditions of the Caliph.2- How to choose the Caliph.3- Decisions makers (scholars) and their condition.4- Shura and its rules.5- Pledge of allegiance (Bay'ah) and its rules….etc.From a historical point of view, we study the lives of the four rightly guided Caliphs and the people who followed them, the events that took place during their era, and the results, signs and the Islamic rules derived from this.Consequently, the topic of Caliphate is a proof that Tawheed and Jurisprudence are linked to each other, and each of them is based upon the other. Therefore, Allah commands us to be obedient to the Imams, not to revolt against them and advise them, because this is part and parcel of Worship; and whoever does this will be rewarded, and whoever disobeys, he will be punished.This was a brief introduction about the Caliphate. And what I am going to talk about is:1- The definition of the Caliphate, both linguistically and Islamically.2- Its Islamic ruling.3- Re-establishing the Caliphate is an obligation.4- The purposes of the Caliphate.5- The Islamic ruling on "Ruling the world by rules other than Allah's".

Definition:

Linguistically, all the meanings refer to leading the people or being the head and being taken as an example.1- Al-Fayrouz Aabadi says in Al-Qamous Al-Muheet: "Imamate is derived from the infinitive word Amma [i.e. leaded (past tense)], we say: "He amma (leaded) them in the prayer"; and the Imam is every one who is taken as an example like a president …etc."2- Ibn Manthour says: "The Imam is every one who is taken as a leader and example by his people whether they are on the right path (pious) or astray".3- The writer of Tajul-'Arous says: "Imam means the wide road/open high way, as it is explained in the following verse where Allah said: "So, We took vengeance on them. They are both on an open high way, plain to see". This was the linguistic meaning of Imamate/Caliphate.
Islamically, there are so many meanings founded by our great scholars, and I am going to choose one of them. It is the definition of Ibn Khaldoun. He says: "Imamate/Caliphate means to motivate and stimulate the masses/people to consider their benefits in this life and in the Hereafter from an Islamic point of view. The benefits of the Hereafter, in Islam, is the criterion upon which we judge our situations in this life, i.e. what is beneficial for us in the Hereafter, from the situations of this life, should be considered. Simply speaking, the Caliphate/Imamate means to act, on this earth, on behalf of the OWNER (Allah) of this Din (i.e. Islam) in protecting Islam and ruling by His laws.""Motivating and stimulating the masses" excludes the Imams, judges and others, because every one of them has his own limits and restricted authorities.
"From an Islamic point of view" is a restriction to the authority of the Imam. Whatever decisions and actions are executed and undertaken by the Imam should be approved by the Shari'ah. In other words, he should rule the country by Allah's laws not by his desires, whims, personal achievements, bribes…etc.
"Their benefits in this life and in the Hereafter" points out the comprehensiveness of the Imam's responsibility; it is not restricted only to one of them, rather it includes both this life and the Hereafter.The word "Imam", as a singular form, is mentioned in the Qura'n in many different verses. Allah says: "He (Allah) said (to Ibrahim), "Verily, I am going to make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (to follow you)." And it is mentioned as a plural form, too. Allah says:"And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command".It is mentioned in the Prophet's Hadiths as well, where he says: "The Imam (Caliph) is in a position of charge, and he is responsible for his nation….."
And he said: "The Imams are from Quraish", i.e. the rulers or the caliphs.Accordingly, we understand that Imam, Caliph and Ruler are all of the same meaning. And to differentiate the Imam (Caliph) from the imam of the prayer, sometimes, we use a modifier. For example, we use (Great); so we say the Great Imam and the Great Imamate.(Part 3)Second: The Islamic Ruling of the Imamate.The importance of establishing the Caliphate is proved in the Qur'an, Sunnah and sayings of the Companions.
From the Qur'an, Allah commands Muhammed to judge among the Muslims with His rules where He the Almighty says: "So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that has come to you".And He says: "And this (He commands): Judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile you from any of that (teaching) which Allah has sent down to you".
When Allah addresses the Prophet , He addresses His slaves too, especially when there is no proof which makes the address restricted to the Prophet. In the above-mentioned verses, there is no proof, so we are directly commanded to rule by Allah's rulesFrom the Sunnah, the Prophet says: "Whoever dies without giving a pledge of allegiance (Bay'ah), he dies in a state of ignorance". This shows us that giving Bay'ah is an obligation. And since Bay'ah is not given but to the Caliph, so choosing the Caliph is an obligation too.All the Companions agreed upon the obligation of nominating a Caliph after the death of the Prophet even before burying him. Although the companions knew the Prophet's hadith about the acceleration of burying the dead, they chose the Caliph before burying him .All scholars of Islam, from Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jama'ah, agreed on the obligation (Islamically and logically) of nominating a caliph and establishing the Caliphate.
Sheikh Muhammed Al-Ameen Ash-Shanqeeti states: "It is obvious and clear that it is an Islamic necessity on Muslims to nominate a Caliph and give him Bay'ah so that they become one strong unit and implement Allah's laws on this earth".Another proof about the obligation of establishing the Caliphate is the sad and bitter situation that our Muslim nation lives. There is no way to re-establish our Glory that was founded by our great predecessors except by coming back to Allah and His religion and establishing the Islamic Caliphate that was destroyed by the enemy of Islam. We noticed that as soon as the caliphate was destroyed, the regulations were abandoned, Jihad was erased from the dictionary of Islam, and Islam was forgotten. We saw the humiliation and degradation of the Muslim Nation, the one great Caliphate became so many small and weak countries fighting each other; our women, sisters and daughters were raped and our treasures were sold or even presented on a golden platter to the kuffar by our so-called Muslim rulers.Third: Re-establishing the Caliphate is an Obligation.Dear brothers and sisters, after all the proofs that we mentioned above, it has become clear to us that establishing the Caliphate is an obligation. But what kind of obligation is it? Is it a collective obligation (fard 'ain) or an individual (fard kifaayah) one? The scholars answered this question saying that it is a collective duty like enjoining good and forbidding evil, performing Jihad and seeking knowledge. It should be executed by a group of people who are capable of doing it. If no one does, there should be two teams of people: a team of decision makers (scholars) to choose the Imam, and a team of nominated Imams. If they (the two teams) do so, no one of the Muslim nation is sinful. And if they do not, every individual of the Muslim nation is sinful.
Looking at the situation of our Muslim Ummah nowadays, we find no one carrying out this role. So, it becomes obligatory on every single individual to do his best to re-establish the Islamic Caliphate. Every one has to do as much as he can wherever his place is to return our Glory, supremacy and dominance underneath the flag and banner of Tawheed.


The Purposes of the Caliphate.

The main, essential and crucial purposes are to rule the universe by Allah's laws (as He, the Almighty, commanded us) to enjoin good and forbid evil and eliminate every vice. Allah says:
(They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs.
All these purposes can be embodied into two major purposes; establishing Islam and ruling the universe by it.
*Establishing Islam means protecting and implementing it.First: Protecting Islam can be done as follows:- Spreading it and inviting people to it using every means we can: words, speeches, debates, essays, books, pamphlets, the sword...etc. Every means should be used when needed; and this is wisdom. - Fighting innovations by exposing their falsehood, pointing out their danger and purifying Islam from the fabricated hadiths and stories.- Protecting the core of Islam and the Muslim Capital, and reinforcing the forces on the borderlines of Islam.Second: Implementing Islam can be done as follows:- Motivating and stimulating people to accept it by the arousal of both interest (targheeb) and fear (tarheeb) at the same time.- Putting rules, regulations and punishments into effect.Fifth: The Islamic Ruling on Ruling the World by Rules Other than Allah's.Knowing the comprehensiveness of Islam in all aspects of life, we still have to know what the Islamic ruling on those who rule by laws other than Allah's is. Let's hear the answer from Allah where he says:
Have you not turned your vision to those who declare that they believe in the revelations that have come to you and to those before you? Their (real) wish is to resort together for judgment (in their disputes) to the Evil One, though they were ordered to reject him. But Satan's wish is to lead them astray far away (from the Right).
In this verse Allah negates the faith/Eman of those who rule by rules other than His, simply, because it is impossible for Eman and ruling by man-made laws to meet in one's heart; rather every one negates the other. A human being can not achieve the real Eman unless he/she knows, hates, points out, rejects, fights and disbelieves in Taghoot. Taghoot means (every thing, a human or not a human, that oversteps their limits)
Allah says:
Whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.And this is the meaning of Laa ilaaha illaal-Laah (there is no god but Allah).Allah says:
But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.Dear brothers and sisters, the above-mentioned verses emphasize the obligation of ruling the universe with Allah's laws revealed to our Prophet . There is no time for hesitation and reluctance. It is a serious matter; it is a matter of Islam or Kufr, Eman or Shirk and Paradise or Hell-Fire.Finally, we ask Allah, the Almighty, to guide us to the right path, help and support us to re-establish our Islamic Caliphate and reward us the best of rewards. Amen.What good and right I have done is only from Allah, the Almighty; and what evil and bad I have done is from myself and the devil, and I ask Allah's forgiveness.And our final prayer is to praise Allah, the Almighty, and may Allah have mercy upon his final Messenger .Was-salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatul-lahi wa Barakatuh