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Islam, then this article is fine. But if you’re interested in the exciting history of the Caliphate with all of its political intrigue, revolution, and warfare, you can purchase the entire lecture on CD.
from the Arabic word Khilafah, which means succession of leadership. Basically, the Caliphate passes from one ruler to the next when the successor ascends to power.
first mention of the word is in the Chapter of the Cow (Baqarah) where Allah (May He be praised and glorified) informs the angels: I am going to place a successor on the earth. This successor was of course Adam (peace be upon him), the first man, and by extension, all of mankind.
(Anam): He it is Who has made you successors on the earth, and He has raised you in ranks, some above others.
rule over all Muslims, the Caliphate itself has always signified unity and strength amongst the Muslims.
The Caliph is entrusted with a position from Allah as ruler over the Muslims, but the Caliph has no authority to change the rule of Allah. In fact, historically the role of interpreting Islamic law has usually been left to the Muslim scholars. The Islamic scholars were usually responsible for advising and counseling the Caliph in religious matters, while the Caliph dealt with political matters such as taxation and warfare. An exception to this relationship were the caliphate of the first four rulers of the Muslim world after Prophet Muhammad (May Allah be pleased with him). These Righteous Caliphs were considered the best and most knowledgeable men of their time, and they ruled on both political and religious matters. However, most Caliphs were only rulers, with the authority to enforce Islamic Law, but not to interpret it. There is a very good reason for this design. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him) has brought all the correct guidance we need in religious matters. Hence, the Caliph has no authority to change or alter anything dealing with religion. Since the Caliphate turned into a hereditary post (this in itself is un-Islamic) the ruler was rarely well versed in religion. Therefore, it was usually best for those in charge of the Caliphate to leave religious matters to the Islamic scholars, but take their advice and council when given. After becoming a hereditary position, several dynasties have controlled the Caliphate. Many of these were very powerful. Examples of powerful Caliphate dynasty include the Umayyad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Ottoman Caliphate. During the invasion of Baghdad by the Mongols, the Caliph was captured and killed along with most of his family. This is proof that while the Caliphate is important in Islam, it is not essential to the functioning of the religion. There have been about four phases to the Caliphate. The first phase is considered the highlight of Islamic expansion, government, and society. This phase is called the time of the Four Righteous Caliphs, or in Arabic, Al Khulafur Rashidun. This time begins after the death of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and ends with the death of Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. The first Caliph during this time was Abu Bakr. His caliphate lasted for about two years. Abu Bakr’s primary struggle was against the rebels and apostates that rose up against him after Prophet Muhammad’s death. With the brilliant leadership of Abu Bakr and his outstanding general Khalid Ibn Waleed, the fledgling Caliphate survived and emerged stronger than ever. After the death of Abu Bakr, began the Caliphate of Umar ibn Khattab. Umar’s caliphate lasted about ten years, and this was the epoch of all the Caliphates. Umar instituted several advances in government and legislation, and the Islamic world expanded from Eastern Arabia to include the entire Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Iran. The next Caliphate was that of Uthman ibn Affan. Uthman inherited much of the prosperity and stability that Umar instilled. However, after some time, the first strains in the Caliphate began to appear. Rebels rose up against Uthman’s Caliphate, eventually deposing and killing him. The most troubled caliphate of all was that of Ali ibn Abi Talib. After the assassination of Uthman, the Muslim world was thrown in turmoil. Ali had to deal with several rebellions, a fractured government, and insubordination from his governors. Ali spent much of his caliphate in battle. Eventually, he was assassinated also. After the death of Ali, Muawwiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan assumed the Caliphate. Despite his controversial ascension to rule, Muawwiyah did restore order to the Islamic Empire. He also moved the seat of the Caliphate from Medina to Damascus. Muawwiyah’s rule was also controversial as he was the first to pass the Caliphate to his son. From that point onward, the Caliphate became a monarchal position controlled by powerful dynasties. |
The Caliphate
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