“Khilaafat/Caliphate and khalifat-e-Nabi:
Is it based on Islamic Shari’ah and its Central Message?
OR
Just a fantasy of very Passionate but totally Unrealistic Muslim Ummah? Part Two
Is it based on Islamic Shari’ah and its Central Message?
OR
Just a fantasy of very Passionate but totally Unrealistic Muslim Ummah? Part Two
ABSTRACT
“God has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”.
The term Khalifa is used by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo right at the birth of humanity when HE declared to the Malaikaa at the creation of Adam: “AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.” As HIS deputy(khalifa) every man shall inherit the earth.
Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo has addressed the whole mankind and endowed it with khilaafat. In other words all human beings are “Khalifa of Allah” or representatives or successors of Allah on earth. We are required to implement HIS design and model of life in this world. But HE has decided to remain silent about the “prerogative, scope, authority, or manner of establishment of this Khilaafat”. Hence we meet the devil when we go into the details. There are strong differences of opinion about what are HIS directives, how to enforce it and who should execute it.
The Companions were at one stage fed up of the conflict and persecution they were suffering, and asked the Holy Prophet if anytime they could lay their swords off and live with peace and tranquility. The index ayah was revealed in its response. The vicegerency mentioned here was regarded as their inheriting the land of Makkah.
To start with, the index ayah declares: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ “God has promised”. Before announcing the promise, the ayah specifies the kind of folks who will be recipients of this pledge: الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنكُم وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ” to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds”. So the non-believers and the wrong doers are excluded from what is going to follow.
Allah Ta’aala has promised لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرضِ كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم. i.e. they will inherit the land as HIS vicegerent enabling them to use their power and authority. The phrase at the end of this segment كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم “as He granted it to those before them” is probably referring to the Children of Israel and the triumph and state of security granted to them.
The next promise is وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُم دينَهُمُ “that He will establish in authority their religion”. Which religion? The ayah specifies الَّذِي ارتَضىٰ لَهُم “the one which He has chosen for them”. This choice of Allah Ta’aala has been described elsewhere in the Quran thus: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion”. The Islam which is referred to here started with Prophet Adam and passed through Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others and ended with Prophet Mohammed. Thus the Children of Israel were the preceding Ummat-e-Muslimah.
As the ayah proceeds, yet another good prediction is promised وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ خَوفِهِم أَمنًا “that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace”
History stands witness that all these promises were fulfilled in a few years when Islam was firmly established even far beyond Hejaz establishing the largest empire of those days. Muslims were the torch bearer of civilisation for centuries. At this point Imam Ahsan Ilahi reminds us that this momentous transformation was the consequence of the Sunnate Ilahi—Divine Practice—in such circumstances. After “itmaame hujjat”—fulfilment and culmination of the mission—by a Prophet the rejectors are of necessity destroyed and liquidated and the leadership and politics is transferred to those who followed and responded to the Prophet as is obvious from the fate of the rejectors of Prophets Noah, Ibrahim, Lut, Shoaib etc. They were instantly terminated.
As far as the taweel-e-khaas—implication for the original recipients of the Quran—of the ayah studied until now is concerned, it is clear and complete. The ummah of those days brilliantly qualified for the promises mentioned here and history bears it out that it was implemented to the full. All the promises and pledges made therein were showered on them totally and absolutely. What about the taweel-e-aam—implication for present day Muslims? How does this ayah apply to you, me and the Ummah of today? It is debatable among the commentators whether this inheritance or vicegerency applies only to the Companions or includes later caliphs or extends in fact to all believers in general. Let us see form another perspective. Do we qualify for the promises of Allah Ta’aala made in this ayah? The Messenger is not with us. So we cannot and should not expect the miracles seen at the battles of Badr and Ahzaab. Nor should we expect the appearance of Sunnat-e-Ilahi referred to earlier. The Ummah now is on its own. Let us very closely analyse and assess the quality and degree of our Eemaan and the standard and calibre of our A’maal—deeds and actions. I think the answer is obviously in the negative.
The ayah then describes the most distinguishing attribute of a Muslim: يَعبُدونَني لا يُشرِكونَ بي شَيئًا “They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me”. The ayah ends with a warning وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الفاسِقونَ “If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”. Since they do not meet God’s conditions, HIS promise will not apply to them. All the promises made in this ayah are conditional to الَّذينَ آمَنوا—“to those among you who believe”. Only those who have Faith will be the beneficiaries of this unusual gift. Is just reciting the Kalma enough to qualify for this promise? What is Faith, after all?. I cannot help quoting Sayyid Qutb from his remarkable tafseer “Fi Zilal al-Quran”—In the Shadow of Quran. He has a wonderful God given gift of gab; his definition of Faith is so effective, lucid and complete that I feel like copying it and pasting it right on to my brain.
December 26, 2018
Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:
“An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” — December 2018
Choose the section you have time, in the next 30 days to read this ayah:-
Prelude: Recurrent Primary Message 1st. Page
Starting Dua, a note & The Ayah 2nd. Page
A Short Summary: For the Busy Bee Two Pages
The Main Story: Recommended Four Pages
Footnotes: For the Perfectionist One Page
PRELUDE
From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.
In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran.
It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this generates a fruitful interactive discussion.
DUAA’
بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ
In the name of Allah, we praise HIM, seek HIS help and ask for HIS forgiveness. Whosoever Allah guideth none can misguide; whosoever HE allows to fall astray, none can guide him right. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone and we bear witness that Mohammed, SAW is HIS slave-servant and the Seal of HIS Messengers.
Further, we recall that Allah Ta’aala has declared in HIS Book1
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message (or remember or receive admonition) but men of understanding (or intellect)”
and we also recollect that he has warned us about the day of judgement2
“Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons (joy, pleasure).”
We realise, that there cannot be a greater boon or blessing or benefit than wisdom and we wonder if this should be a timely reminder to very many of us sincere and practicing Muslims who use our critical thinking to enhance the mundane for ourselves and our families but in matters religion we choose to
resort to blind following -- taqleed, doctrine of classical Sunni Islamic Fiqh.
(NOTE: I have filtered out the proofs and details into the Footnotes for those who have the time and interest for them. The main text will then be of reasonable length, hopefully for the busy majority. What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought. A caveat seems in order: If the ayah selected pertains to issues we face in our daily life with our family, friends, neighbours or peers it may affect us personally and lead to some self analysis and soul searching which in turn could be divisive and distressing. If taken in the right spirit, it can be a humble attempt towards finding the “straight path”.)
THE AYAH
Surah Al Nur (no. 24) Ayah 55
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنكُم وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرضِ كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُم دينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارتَضىٰ لَهُم وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ خَوفِهِم أَمنًا ۚ يَعبُدونَني لا يُشرِكونَ بي شَيئًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الفاسِقونَ
“God has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”.
A SHORT VERSION
“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i
I have discussed the issue of Khilaafat earlier in my blog. In conclusion I had stated: “So much for “khalifa-tun Nabi”, a totally human concept. We now have to deliberate on the meaning and message of وَهُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَكُم خَلائِفَ الأَرضِ “And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth”, a fully Devine proposition. Next time, Insha Allah. TO BE CONTINUED” I missed out somehow and never continued. I am doing it now.
To start with allow me to quote the initial remarks from that earlier blog:
“The term Khalifa is used by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo right at the birth of humanity when HE declared to the Malaikaa at the creation of Adam:3
“AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.”
In this ayah, the term khallafah - derived from the verb khalafa, means "he succeeded [another] “. So the literal meaning would be "establish on earth a successor" or a “vicegerent”. As HIS deputy man “ shall inherit the earth" (in the sense of being given possession of it) which makes him supreme on the earth. Man is declared as khala’if al-ard successor on the earth numerous time in the Quran4 ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
The Muslim community has very strong penchant for Khilaafat without, yes I feel without any clear concept of what does it mean? The Quran mentions it time and again. So it has to have great significance for us. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo has addressed the whole mankind and endowed it with khilaafat. In other words all human beings are “Khalifa of Allah” or representatives or successors of Allah on earth. We are required to implement HIS design and model of life in this world. This can be termed as the Moral and Spiritual Khilaafat; it is non-controversial in principle because it is the clear call of God Almighty. But HE has decided to remain silent about the “prerogative, scope, authority, or manner of establishment of this Khilaafat”. Hence we meet the devil when we go into the details. There are strong differences of opinion about what are HIS directives, how to enforce it and who should execute it. Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo has repeatedly declared that HE has made mankind HIS successors or HIS vicegerent/deputy on this earth. This is generally accepted by the mufassireen to mean power an authority on the earth. To do what? God Almighty, in HIS eternal wisdom does not specify it as one, two and three. HE wants us to dip into the Quran plus the practice and preachings of our Holy Prophet and ponder and deliberate for the answers. Little wonder, there are multiple responses and explanations. For the sake of brevity, allow me to quote one comprehensive view by the outstanding Islamic scholar and the first Foreign Minster of Pakistan, Mohammad Zafrullah Khan ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
The Companions were at one stage fed up of the conflict and persecution they were suffering, and asked the Holy Prophet if anytime they could lay their swords off and live with peace and tranquility. The index ayah was revealed in its response. The vicegerency mentioned here was regarded as their inheriting the land of Makkah.
To start with, the index ayah declares: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ “God has promised”. Before announcing the promise, the ayah specifies the kind of folks who will be recipients of this pledge: الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنكُم وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ” to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds”. So the non-believers and the wrong doers are excluded from what is going to follow. ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
Allah Ta’aala has promised لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرضِ كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم “ that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them”. The critical word indicating khilaafat on the earth is يَستَخلِفَنَّهُم . Let us dissect it carefully. …….Please see the Main Story…………In short, the word means they will inherit the land as HIS vicegerent enabling them to use their power and authority. …Please see the Main Story……“The phrase at the end of this segment كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم “as He granted it to those before them” is probably referring to the Children of Israel and the triumph and state of security granted to them.
The next promise is وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُم دينَهُمُ “that He will establish in authority their religion”. It is also transcribed as “He will make the religion to stand supreme” or “He will grant them the authority to practice their religion”……….Please see the Main Story………Which religion? The ayah specifies الَّذِي ارتَضىٰ لَهُم “the one which He has chosen for them”. This choice of Allah Ta’aala has been described elsewhere in the Quran thus:5
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion”.
Despite a little digression, I will include here the translation of Dr. Mohammed Asad for this ayah and his note on it. I feel it is very relevant and purposeful; ……….Please see the Main Story……The Islam which is referred to here started with Prophet Adam and passed through Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others and ended with Prophet Mohammed. Thus the Children of Israel were the preceding Ummat-e-Muslimah.
As the ayah proceeds, yet another good prediction is promised وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ خَوفِهِم أَمنًا “that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace”. This prediction and promise must be really assuring and very pleasing to the nascent Muslim Ummah who were subjected to horrible persecution. ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
Thus three promises have been given in this ayah to those who have Faith and perform righteous deeds according to God’s Law:
- As the Vicegerent of Allah they will inherit Power and Authority on the land
- The religion of Islam, chosen by HIM will be clearly established
- The Believers will live in internal and external peace and security.
It is said that this ayah was revealed about the time of the Battle of Ditch (khandaq) i.e. 5 Hijra. The Muslims were besieged in Medina by a ten times stronger force causing a state of suspense and danger. The degree of comfort and assurance to them by these prediction is obvious. The Muslims were living in a state of fear and uncertainty. History stands witness that all these promises were fulfilled in a few years when Islam was firmly established even far beyond Hejaz establishing the largest empire of those days. Muslims were the torch bearer of civilisation for centuries. At this point Imam Ahsan Ilahi reminds us that this momentous transformation was the consequence of the Sunnate Ilahi—Divine Practice—in such circumstances. After “itmaame hujjat”—fulfilment and culmination of the mission—by a Prophet the rejectors are of necessity destroyed and liquidated and the leadership and politics is transferred to those who followed and responded to the Prophet. This is clearly borne out by the fate of previous people mentioned in the Quran. The rejectors of Prophets Noah, Ibrahim, Lut, Shoaib etc. were instantly terminated as a result of their folly and replaced by the followers of Faith. In the case of our Holy Prophet, Allah Ta’aala had declared a shift in HIS modus operandi in Surah Tauba. The kuffar, if they persisted in their refusal will be annihilated by the swords of Muslims instead of any heavenly catastrophe. Fortunately the holy haram was spared of a blood bath as the Quraish entered the fold of Islam en masse.
As far as the taweel-e-khaas—implication for the original recipients of the Quran—of the ayah studied until now is concerned, it is clear and complete. The ummah of those days brilliantly qualified for the promises mentioned here and history bears it out that it was implemented to the full. All the promises and pledges made therein were showered on them totally and absolutely. What about the taweel-e-aam—implication for present day Muslims? How does this ayah apply to you, me and the Ummah of today? It is debatable among the commentators whether this inheritance or vicegerency applies only to the Companions or includes later caliphs or extends in fact to all believers in general. Let us see form another perspective. Do we qualify for the promises of Allah Ta’aala made in this ayah? The Messenger is not with us. So we cannot and should not expect the miracles seen at the battles of Badr and Ahzaab. Nor should we expect the appearance of Sunnat-e-Ilahi referred to earlier. The Ummah now is on its own. Let us very closely analyse and assess the the quality and degree of our Eemaan and the standard and calibre of our A’maal—deeds and actions. I think the answer is obviously in the negative.
Nasr er al have made some challenging comments on this ayah in their modern tafseer The Study Quran: ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
The ayah then describes the most distinguishing attribute of a Muslim: يَعبُدونَني لا يُشرِكونَ بي شَيئًا “They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me”. These associates or partners may be in the form of deities or commonly though unknowingly human desires and ambitions. ……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
The ayah ends with a warning وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الفاسِقونَ “If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”. Since they do not meet God’s conditions, HIS promise will not apply to them.……………..Please see the Main Story…………..
All the promises made in this ayah are conditional to الَّذينَ آمَنوا—“to those among you who believe”. Only those who have Faith will be the beneficiaries of this unusual gift. Is just reciting the Kalma enough to qualify for this promise? What is Faith, after all?. I cannot help quoting Sayyid Qutb from his remarkable tafseer “Fi Zilal al-Quran”—In the Shadow of Quran. He has a wonderful God given gift of gab; his definition of Faith is so effective, lucid and complete that I feel like copying it and pasting it right on to my brain. See how you feel about it:
“It is, then, pertinent to ask about the nature of faith and the practical fulfillment of this promise by God. True faith, which ensures that God’s promise comes true, is great indeed. It influences all human activity and defines its direction. Once faith is well established in a person’s heart, it begins to manifest itself in the form of positive and constructive action undertaken for God’s sake and addressed to Him. It means full compliance with His orders in all matters, major and minor. It transforms a believer’s desires and inclinations so as to make them all in line with the Prophet’s guidance, because such guidance has been given to him by God.………….’’Please see the Main Story …………Sounds very long-winded but even this has to be incomplete because our noble Prophet has said that “Eemaan has seventy branches”.
........and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.
THE MAIN STORY
“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i
I have discussed the issue of Khilaafat earlier in my blog “Khilaafat/Caliphate and khalifa-tun Nabi: Based on Islamic Shari’ah and its Central Message? OR Just a fantasy of very Passionate but totally Unrealistic Muslim Ummah?
In conclusion I had stated: “So much for “khalifa-tun Nabi”, a totally human concept. We now have to deliberate on the meaning and message of وَهُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَكُم خَلائِفَ الأَرضِ “And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth”, a fully Devine proposition. Next time, Insha Allah. TO BE CONTINUED” I missed out somehow and never continued. I am doing it now.
To start with allow me to quote the initial remarks from that earlier blog:
“The term Khalifa is used by Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo right at the birth of humanity when HE declared to the Malaikaa at the creation of Adam:3
“AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.”
In this ayah, the term khallafah - derived from the verb khalafa, means "he succeeded [another] “. So the literal meaning would be "establish on earth a successor" or a “vicegerent”. As HIS deputy man “ shall inherit the earth" (in the sense of being given possession of it) which makes him supreme on the earth. Man is declared as khala’if al-ard successor on the earth numerous time in the Quran4
“It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth:………..”
“……………and has made you inherit the earth…………………”
“He it is who has made you inherit the earth.”
“God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth, (Lit., "cause them to be successors on earth”) even as He caused [some of] those who lived before them to accede to it”
The Muslim community has very strong penchant for Khilaafat without, yes I feel without any clear concept of what does it mean? The Quran mentions it time and again. So it has to have great significance for us. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo has addressed the whole mankind and endowed it with khilaafat. In other words all human beings are “Khalifa of Allah” or representatives or successors of Allah on earth. We are required to implement HIS design and model of life in this world. This can be termed as the Moral and Spiritual Khilaafat; it is non-controversial in principle because it is the clear call of God Almighty. But HE has decided to remain silent about the “prerogative, scope, authority, or manner of establishment of this Khilaafat”. Hence we meet the devil when we go into the details. There are strong differences of opinion about what are HIS directives, how to enforce it and who should execute it. Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo has repeatedly declared that HE has made mankind HIS successors or HIS vicegerent/deputy on this earth. This is generally accepted by the mufassireen to mean power an authority on the earth. To do what? God Almighty, in HIS eternal wisdom does not specify it as one, two and three. HE wants us to dip into the Quran plus the practice and preachings of our Holy Prophet and ponder and deliberate for the answers. Little wonder, there are multiple responses and explanations. For the sake of brevity, allow me to quote one comprehensive view by the outstanding Islamic scholar and the first Foreign Minster of Pakistan, Mohammad Zafrullah Khan (we could ill afford to, but we did dump him just because he happened to belong to one of the Qadiani sects; an example of a common and widespread affliction of bigotry in the “Ummah”). He explains “As God’s sovereignty extends over the universe, the ultimate ideal of a state in Islam is a universal federation or confederation of autonomous states, associated together for upholding freedom of conscience, for the maintenance of peace, and for cooperation in promoting human welfare throughout the world………”
The Companions were at one stage fed up of the conflict and persecution they were suffering, and asked the Holy Prophet if anytime they could lay their swords off and live with peace and tranquility. The index ayah was revealed in its response. The vicegerency mentioned here was regarded as their inheriting the land of Makkah.
To start with, the index ayah declares: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ “God has promised”. Before announcing the promise, the ayah specifies the kind of folks who will be recipients of this pledge: الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنكُم وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ” to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds”. So the non-believers and the wrong doers are excluded from what is going to follow. Some mufasserin opine that the hypocrites are also excluded. Maulana Maudoodi, as per his personality brings this point rather strongly: “As has been hinted in the beginning of this discourse, this means to warn the hypocrites that the promise of Allah to bestow successorship in the land is not meant for those people who are Muslims only in name, but for those who are true in faith, pious in character, sincere in devotion and who follow Allah’s religion in letter and spirit eschewing every tinge of shirk. Those who lack these qualities and pay mere lip service to Islam are neither worthy of this promise nor its addressees. Therefore they should entertain no hope of having any share in it”.
Allah Ta’aala has promised لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرضِ كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم “ that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them”. The critical word indicating khilaafat on the earth is يَستَخلِفَنَّهُم . Let us dissect it carefully. An Arabic word can have multiple meanings; moreover the context in the preceding and following ayahs also may have a bearing on the meaning of a word. Hence this word has been translated differently which gets confusing. Reading all of them together does clarify the width in the meaning. Here are the various renderings for this word:
“grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth—surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth—of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power)—of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth—most certainly make them rulers in the earth—certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth—surely make you successors in the land—surely bestow power on them in the land—certainly make them (HIS) vicegerents in the land—of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth”.
In short, the word means they will inherit the land as HIS vicegerent enabling them to use their power and authority. “This Quranic reference to God's "promise" contains an oblique allusion to the God-willed natural law which invariably makes the rise and fall of nations dependent on their moral qualities” suggests Dr. Mohammad Asad. The Quran has used the terms Khilafat and Istikhlaf, according to Maulana Maudoodi as meaning to bear the authority delegated by Allah. The whole human race, he asserts is Allah’s Khalifah (successor) on the earth in this sense, acknowledging Allah as the Supreme Sovereign and using HIS delegated powers and authority in accordance with HIS law. He maintains that only a pious and righteous believer can be a Khalifah, because he alone can discharge the responsibilities of Khilafat truly. On the other hand, a disbeliever and sinner cannot be Khalifah: he is rather a rebel against Allah, because he abuses the power and authority delegated by Allah. The phrase at the end of this segment كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم “as He granted it to those before them” is probably referring to the Children of Israel and the triumph and state of security granted to them.
The next promise is وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُم دينَهُمُ “that He will establish in authority their religion”. It is also transcribed as “He will make the religion to stand supreme” or “He will grant them the authority to practice their religion”. This "firm establishment" probably means that the faith of the believers will grow stronger and grow its moral influence in the world. In other words the Deen will take a firm hold on people’s hearts and will be the guiding principle for all their activities. Which religion? The ayah specifies الَّذِي ارتَضىٰ لَهُم “the one which He has chosen for them”. This choice of Allah Ta’aala has been described elsewhere in the Quran thus:5
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion”.
Despite a little digression, I will include here the translation of Dr. Mohammed Asad for this ayah and his note on it. I feel it is very relevant and purposeful; he does not render the words “Deen and Islam” literally but aims at its deeper meaning. His translation is as follows:
“Today have I perfected your religious law for you, and have bestowed upon you the full measure of My blessings, and willed that self-surrender unto Me shall be your religion”.
And his note for this ayah reads:
“According to all available Traditions based on the testimony of the Prophet's contemporaries, the above passage - which sets, as it were, a seal on the message of the Qur'an - was revealed at 'Arafat in the afternoon of Friday, the 9th of Dhu'l-Hijrah, 10 Hijrja, eighty-one or eighty-two days before the death of the Prophet. No legal injunction whatsoever was revealed after this verse: and this explains the reference to God's having perfected the Faith and bestowed the full measure of His blessings upon the believers. Man's self-surrender (Islam) to God is postulated as the basis, or the basic law of all true religion (din). This self-surrender expresses itself not only in belief in Him but also in obedience to His commands: and this is the reason why the announcement of the completion of the Quranic message is placed within the context of a verse containing the last legal ordinances ever revealed to the Prophet Muhammad”. The Islam which is referred to here started with Prophet Adam and passed through Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others and ended with Prophet Mohammed. Thus the Children of Israel were the preceding Ummat-e-Muslimah.
As the ayah proceeds, yet another good prediction is promised وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ خَوفِهِم أَمنًا “that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace”. This prediction and promise must be really assuring and very pleasing to the nascent Muslim Ummah who were subjected to horrible persecution. The Arabic word “amn” also means “freedom for fear” in addition to external peace and security. Hence this clause is assuring the struggling and suffering Muslims that very soon they will have both, communal external security and inner and personal confidence and conviction of safety and protection. It will be hard to ignore the immense impact of this assurance to the sahaabaa. For some commentators the change from a state of fear to (one of) security refers not to a change in status in this world, but it pertains to the move from this world to the Hereafter. (Nasr et al).
The Prophet’s Companions were for a long period of time in a state of fear. They could not put down their arms, even after the Prophet and his Companions had migrated to Madīnah, the city that served as the first base for Islam in history. Al-Rabī ibn Anas quotes Abū al liyah’s comments on this verse: “The Prophet and his Companions remained in Makkah for around ten years calling on people to believe in God and to worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him. But they did so in secret, as they were in a state of fear and were prevented from fighting. When they later migrated to Madīnah, God bid them to fight for their cause. This meant that they were again in a state of fear, wearing their body armour day and night. They persevered for as long as God willed. One of his Companions asked the Prophet: Are we to remain in fear for the rest of time? Will there come a time when we can put our armaments aside?’ The Prophet said: ‘It will not be long before any one of you can sit among a huge crowd without anyone carrying arms. Soon afterwards, God revealed this verse. The Prophet was able to establish his authority over the whole of Arabia and his followers were in a state of security. They put down their arms. Sometime later, the Prophet passed away, and the Muslims remained in security during the reigns of Abū Bakr, Umar and Uthmān. Then friction occurred between them and God allowed fear to creep into their midst. They had to employ guards. When they changed their overall stance, their conditions also changed.”
Thus three promises have been given in this ayah to those who have Faith and perform righteous deeds according to God’s Law:
- As the Vicegerent of Allah they will inherit Power and Authority on the land
- The religion of Islam, chosen by HIM will be clearly established
- The Believers will live in internal and external peace and security.
It is said that this ayah was revealed about the time of the Battle of Ditch (khandaq) i.e. 5 Hijra. The Muslims were besieged in Medina by a ten times stronger force causing a state of suspense and danger. The degree of comfort and assurance to them by these prediction is obvious. The Muslims were living in a state of fear and uncertainty. History stands witness that all these promises were fulfilled in a few years when Islam was firmly established even far beyond Hejaz establishing the largest empire of those days. Muslims were the torch bearer of civilisation for centuries. At this point Imam Ahsan Ilahi reminds us that this momentous transformation was the consequence of the Sunnate Ilahi—Divine Practice—in such circumstances. After “itmaame hujjat”—fulfilment and culmination of the mission—by a Prophet the rejectors are of necessity destroyed and liquidated and the leadership and politics is transferred to those who followed and responded to the Prophet. This is clearly borne out by the fate of previous people mentioned in the Quran. The rejectors of Prophets Noah, Ibrahim, Lut, Shoaib etc. were instantly terminated as a result of their folly and replaced by the followers of Faith. In the case of our Holy Prophet, Allah Ta’aala had declared a shift in HIS modus operandi in Surah Tauba. The kuffar, if they persisted in their refusal will be annihilated by the swords of Muslims instead of any heavenly catastrophe. Fortunately the holy haram was spared of a blood bath as the Quraish entered the fold of Islam en masse.
As far as the taweel-e-khaas—implication for the original recipients of the Quran—of the ayah studied until now is concerned, it is clear and complete. The ummah of those days brilliantly qualified for the promises mentioned here and history bears it out that it was implemented to the full. All the promises and pledges made therein were showered on them totally and absolutely. What about the taweel-e-aam—implication for present day Muslims? How does this ayah apply to you, me and the Ummah of today? It is debatable among the commentators whether this inheritance or vicegerency applies only to the Companions or includes later caliphs or extends in fact to all believers in general. Let us see form another perspective. Do we qualify for the promises of Allah Ta’aala made in this ayah? The Messenger is not with us. So we cannot and should not expect the miracles seen at the battles of Badr and Ahzaab. Nor should we expect the appearance of Sunnat-e-Ilahi referred to earlier. The Ummah now is on its own. Let us very closely analyse and assess the the quality and degree of our Eemaan and the standard and calibre of our A’maal—deeds and actions. I think the answer is obviously in the negative.
Nasr er al have made some challenging comments on this ayah in their modern tafseer The Study Quran: “This verse has also served as the locus for reflections on the question of the successors to the Prophet. For some Sunni commentators, it describes some or all of the period of thirty years subsequent to the death of the Prophet when the Muslim community was led by the four rightly guided Caliphs (al-khulafāʾ al-rāshidūn): Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī. Some have posed the question whether this inheritance or vicegerency refers only to the Companions or also to later caliphs and in fact to all believers in general. For some Shiites, this verse refers to the coming of the Mahdī and the vicegerents are the People of the House (ahl al-bayt), meaning the descendants of the Prophet. Alternately, some say that it describes the period of the reign of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar specifically, since after their rule Muslims became divided among themselves”.
The ayah then describes the most distinguishing attribute of a Muslim: يَعبُدونَني لا يُشرِكونَ بي شَيئًا “They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me”. These associates or partners may be in the form of deities or commonly though unknowingly human desires and ambitions. This stipulation brings out the fact the feeling of freedom of fear in the believers was the direct result of this quality: “intellectual and emotional refusal to attribute to anyone or anything but God the power to shape his destiny”. Nasr et al regard this as “an adverbial phrase in the Arabic language, meaning that it is a description of the believers’ state as they live in security”.
The ayah ends with a warning وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الفاسِقونَ “If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked”. Since they do not meet God’s conditions, HIS promise will not apply to them.
كَفَرَ (kafara) appears commonly in the Quran; committing any act of kufr does not make the person necessarily a kafir. It has been translated as who disbelieve and becomes an unbeliever. However it has also been rendered as ungrateful. On numerous occasions it means rejecting the point made in that particular ayah. الفاسِقونَ is a word translated differently depending on the situation and the translator. Some of the meanings given to this word are: defiantly disobedient, miscreants, rebellious and wicked, transgressors, a sinful person, rebellious, disobedient to Allah, the ungodly, truly iniquitous.
All the promises made in this ayah are conditional to الَّذينَ آمَنوا—“to those among you who believe”. Only those who have Faith will be the beneficiaries of this unusual gift. Is just reciting the Kalma enough to qualify for this promise? What is Faith, after all?. I cannot help quoting Sayyid Qutb from his remarkable tafseer “Fi Zilal al-Quran”—In the Shadow of Quran. He has a wonderful God given gift of gab; his definition of Faith is so effective, lucid and complete that I feel like copying it and pasting it right on to my brain. See how you feel about it:
“It is, then, pertinent to ask about the nature of faith and the practical fulfillment of this promise by God. True faith, which ensures that God’s promise comes true, is great indeed. It influences all human activity and defines its direction. Once faith is well established in a person’s heart, it begins to manifest itself in the form of positive and constructive action undertaken for God’s sake and addressed to Him. It means full compliance with His orders in all matters, major and minor. It transforms a believer’s desires and inclinations so as to make them all in line with the Prophet’s guidance, because such guidance has been given to him by God.
It is the sort of faith that fills people’s whole entity, their feelings, aspirations, natural inclinations, actions, movements, as well as their behaviour at home, in society and with their Lord. All these must be addressed or dedicated to God alone.
This is specifically mentioned here as justification for giving believers power and establishing them on earth: “They will thus worship Me alone and associate no partners with Me whatsoever.” Idolatry can take different shapes and forms, and can creep into a person’s mind through a variety of ways and means. The Quran makes it clear however that to address any action or feeling to anyone other than God is a manifestation of idolatry.
Belief in God is a complete way of life. It incorporates all divine orders including the provision of all means, taking all precautions and ensuring all that is necessary to fulfill the great trust of being in charge of the earth and building human life on it. So what does this involve in reality? It does not just entail being in power and forming a government. Rather it involves all this with the proviso that it is used for promoting sound human life and the implementation of the way of life God has chosen for mankind. It is only through such implementation that humanity can achieve the level of perfection that befits the species God has honored”.
Sounds very long-winded but even this has to be incomplete because our noble Prophet has said that “Eemaan has seventy branches”.
........and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.
Dr. Khalid Mitha
FOOTNOTES
(1) Surah 2/269
يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ
(2) Surah 102/8
ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ
(3) Surah 2/30
وَإِذ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلمَلائِكَةِ إِنّي جاعِلٌ فِي الأَرضِ خَليفَةً
(4)
Surah 6/165
وَهُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَكُم خَلائِفَ الأَرضِ
Surah 27/62 (part of ayah)
وَيَجعَلُكُم خُلَفاءَ الأَرضِ
Surah 35/37
هُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَكُم خَلائِفَ فِي الأَرضِ
Surah 24/56 (part of the ayah)
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنكُم وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرضِ كَمَا استَخلَفَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم
(5) Surah 5/3
اليَومَ أَكمَلتُ لَكُم دينَكُم وَأَتمَمتُ عَلَيكُم نِعمَتي وَرَضيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسلامَ دينًا
