Concept of Khilafah in Islam

The Qur’an and the hadith imply a cohesive community of the believers in the message of Islam preached by the holy Prophet. The expressions ummah, millah and jama ah convey this sense of cohesion since these terms are nowhere employed in the scripture and the sunnah just for a mob or multitude of people which never leave any lasting impression in the history of nations and civilizations. The Qur’an rather speaks of bygone nations and distinct communities - sometimes giving the reasons for their prowess and domination,, weakness and defect, incompetency of large numbers, wrongs being committed in the, presence of righteous persons, ascendancy of the evil and suppression of the people—which demonstrate that a disorganised mob, howsoever numerous, has never had any worth or utility.

The great objective Islam has in view comprises the creation o f a new type of relationship between the Creator and the creature and transformation of this bond into the life of the people in order to build a healthy social structure. It also wants to create a wholesome atmosphere in which peace reigns supreme .and offers the fullest opportunity to the individual to discharge his obligations to God as well as to his fellow beings. It wants to create conditions in which man is enabled to develop himself morally and spiritually without being required to waste his energies and talents in removing the obstacles or fighting the disruptive forces which are inevitable in a disorganised society or very often result from man-made laws or an autocratic rule, or else man’s lust for power. A social set-up avoiding these pit-falls requires a God given law having its roots in the over lordship of God and a human caliphate to actualize the Divine will. Such a God-given law has, of necessity, to be absolutely just, impartial and faultless while the caliphate has to enforce it in its true spirit and avoid, as far as it is humanly possible, favouritism and partisanship in any form either through commission or omission.

In order to achieve these social and moral objectives the Prophet has given instructions which are meant to transform Muslims into an orderly and well-knit society under a chief having distinctive qualities. He looks after their needs and interests. He is elected in the light of broad and flexible principles laid down by the shari'ah. If he is the supreme administrator he is known as Khalifah or Amir-ul- Muminin or Imam but if he is a deputy nominated by the head of state or a locally elected executive to enforce the laws of shari'ah, or to act as a judge in their disputes or to organise the community's religious life, he is called an Amir.

The election of the caliph was a religious obligation so grave and urgent that all those companions of the Prophet who loved him most including Abu Bakr and members of the Prophet’s household gave it precedence over the burial rites of the departed Prophet. The same procedure was followed after the death of almost all the subsequent caliphs. Ever since the election of Abu Bakr as the first caliph in 10/631 to the martyrdom of the Abbasid Caliph Mu'tasim Billah in 656/1258 the world of Islam never remained without a caliph except for a short period of three months and seven days when Caliph Mustarshid Billah was imprisoned on the 10th of Ramadhan 529/ 24th June, 1135 by the Saljukid Sultan Mas’ud. But it was such a shocking and lamentable experience for the Muslims of the day that the whole city of Baghdad felt dejected and disconsolate. Ibn Kathir writes about this event:

 “It gave the people of Baghdad cold shivers and everyone felt extremely agitated. Certain persons dismantled the pulpits in the mosques, discontinued offering congregational prayers and women came out oi their houses bare-headed lamenting and weeping at the imprisonment and hardships of the caliph. People in other cities took the cue from citizens of Baghdad and the outcry spread rapidly to different regions. Malik Sanjar who gauged the gravity of the situation, advised his nephew to reinstate the Caliph and Malik Mas'ud followed his advice.”

The elegy by poet S‘adi of Shiraz, belonging to a city far distant from the centre of caliphate, on the martyrdom of Caliph Mustasim Billah reveals the intensity and depth of regard Muslims had for the caliph. The elegy opens with the couplet:

For it has seen the kingdom of Must‘asim cruished. The heavens would better shed the tears of blood.