CONTNUED FROM PREVIOUS:
I had stated in my last blog “However, as stated earlier we will take up the Quranic theory of خَلائِفَ الأَرضِ khalaif-u-Arz after we have deliberated on the general understanding of the human concept of Khalifat-u-Nabi. I had wrapped-up my piece with “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”. So let us go with it.
The Holy Text refers to and defines “Khalaa-iful Arz” on multiple occasions. We will discuss few of these ayahs, starting with:
[3]“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…………”
It is a long ayah; we are analyzing just the first segment of it which relates to the subject under discussion. The central Arabic term that needs clarification is لَيَستَخلِفَنَّهُم. Literally it means “cause them to be successors on earth”; in addition can also mean “to cause to inherit” or “to make vicegerents”. Practically it boils down to that “HE will cause them to accede to power and authority on earth”. Man has inherited this land from God Almighty and has power and authority over it. There are some mufassirs who have interpreted this as a succession from previous Prophets and their Ummah to the next in succession. The last cycle is from the ehle kitaab, previous ummate Muslimah to Muslims, the new ummate Muslimah. On the whole the issue is quite smooth so far. Enters major controversy with the attempt to decide what is this God given power and authority about?; who will wield this power and how?; what is its goal; is it moral or physical?
On the one hand, on the basis of controversial interpretations of the Quran, most of us have a suppressed malevolence against the Jews; they seem to be responsible for most of our tragedies. According to the eminent scholar Dr. Israr Ahmed a Jew was responsible for the fitna that ultimately resulted in the shahaadat of Sayyidna Usman. On the other, we seem to follow in their footsteps and behave as if we are the chosen people of God. Hence it is a common belief that the one-point-six billion Muslim Ummah will be the recipient of the promise of Allah in this ayah. No, unfortunately but certainly not. Note the condition preceding this promise: “to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds”. “This Qur’anic 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” defines and discloses the eminent scholar Dr. Mohammed Asad. In view of the importance of hammering into the present day Ummah that merely the label of belonging to the Muslim tribe is of no consequence at all and that what matters are our deeds and performance, let me borrow the forceful language and beautiful style of the outstanding scholar Sayyid Qutub in his tafseer of this ayah:
“God’s promise will always come true. 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.
Maulana Maudoodi strongly endorses this view: “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.”
As this concept and formula is central to the core Islamic teachings, allow me to quote another outstanding scholar of Islam, Mufti Mohammed Shafi “This promise is related to rectitude and firmness of faith, the righteous deeds and total obedience, and any difference in their degree will naturally make difference in the power and control of authority”.
Let us add the sweetness of Urdu to this message: جو لوگ پوری راست بازی کے ساتھ ایمان اور عملصالح کی راہ اختیار کر لیں گے ان سے اللہ کا وعدہ ہو چکا ہے asserts Maulana Amin Ahmed Islahi.
What is the purpose of this authority? Several answers are forthcoming: According to Dr. Asad “enable them to achieve, in their turn, power and security and, thus, the capability to satisfy their worldly needs.” Yousuf Ali states “that they will inherit power and authority on the land, not for any selfish purposes of theirs by way of favoritism, but in order that they may maintain God’s Law”. Pickthal, the eminent scholar is one of the group I have referred to earlier for he says “make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as HE caused those who were before them to succeed (others)………”. “The whole human race is Allah’s Khalifah (successor) on the earth as the authority is delegated by Allah to mankind” says Maulana Maudoodi. He continues “This power is to be used in accordance with and and for the purpose of God’s law. Hence only a pious and righteous believer can be a Khalifah”. The Maulana, in his characteristic imperious style goes a step further and declares “Now anybody who reads this verse in this context cannot have any doubt that the word Khilaafat has been used here for the government which discharges the responsibilities of Allah’s vicegerency strictly in accordance with Allah’s law, and not in accordance with mere physical laws of the world.”
To recapitulate, this ayah, sometimes referred to as the ayah of Khilaafat declares that mankind has inherited, as HIS vicegerent power and authority on the planet from his Lord Creator which is to be used in his private and collective life. The ayah does not directly refer to government or any particular form of administration. All our excitement and fantasy about Khilaafat is based on the interpretation, assessment and judgement of various scholars. Further down, the ayah states (I do not intend to discuss this in the present session)
“……….and that, of a certainty, He will firmly establish for them the religion which He has been pleased to bestow on them……”.
This firmly establish (tamkin) “relates to the strengthening of the believers’ faith as well as to the growth of its moral influence in the world” opines Dr. Mohammed Asad. Some of our prominent scholars who are rather belligerent and hawkish in their manners and temperament like Dr. Israr Ahmed and Maulana Maudoodi translate this into physical and political subjugation of the non-Muslim world. According to them, they are not qualified to rule over the land of our Lord because of their false and incorrect Beliefs and Doctrines. Only Muslims the bearer of the Truth — Haque — have a right to sovereignty. The non-Muslims will be allowed freedom of worship but as jizyaa paying subjects. Add to this outlook, irresponsibility, frank puerility and a penchant for wicked and perverse violence and lo Al-Qaida, ISIS and the likes are born.
To get a broader picture, let us examine additional four relevant ayahs
[4]“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalifah……………..”
As you will recall this ayah refers to the birth of man. Let me mention the various terms used by prominent mufassirs to relate the term Khalifah; this will clear some ambiguity: a successive authority; a viceroy; a vicegerent; my deputy; generations after generations; one who shall inherit it. In a nutshell, our Lord created the heaven and earth and then delegated HIS power and authority to Adam and through him to the whole Mankind to rule over it. This is implied in the expression “he shall inherit the earth” How do I discharge such immense responsibility, asks Man? Follow MY Book replies the Creator and strive to fulfill MY will and purpose in creation; make full use of the talent, skill and energy bestowed on you.Thus all human beings, in a matter of speaking come to be khalifah of God “denoting a universal human inheritance and responsibility”. “God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to hand over the earth’s affairs and destiny to man and give him a free hand to use, develop and transform all its energies and
resources for the fulfillment of God’s will and purpose in creation, and to carry out the pre-eminent mission with which he was charged” explains fluently Sayyid Qutb.
The next ayah
[5] I have selected:
“For, He it is who has made you inherit the earth, and has raised some of you by degrees above others, so that He might try you by means of what He has bestowed upon you. Verily, thy Sustainer is swift in retribution: yet, behold, He is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace”.
The word خَلائِفَ used in this ayah is the plural of khalifah, (the usual plural of which is khulafāh) and means, as we have learnt earlier vicegerent, deputy or successor of our Lord Creator. In Islamic political terminology , the word Khaifah in the singular is used as a label for the Head of the Islamic State.
We have learnt in the previous ayah that Adam was the first vicegerent of Allah as the first human. Allah Ta’aala has also also installed all humans that followed as vicegerents upon the earth. To bestow effective power, HE has made every thing on earth subservient to him. As I had hinted earlier, the Quran also relates this to a succession of one people or community that have been destroyed with another. Mufti Mohammed Shafidefines this ayah as “The sense of the verse is Allah Ta’ala who has let you inhabit places occupied by peoples before you.” What was your “private” property owned yesterday is now owned by other population. As we learnt from the previous ayah the Muslims are promised that if they believe and perform righteous deeds, God will make them vicegerents upon the earth.
The latter part of this ayah descries an important Divine design to judge and evaluate human behaviour. God Almighty has introduced all sorts of differences at all levels in various degrees between homo-sapiens; in wealth, health, honour, nobility, power and prestige and intellect. Our behavior and attitude with one another is carefully monitored here for scrutiny in the Hereafter. Hence I feel I should be extra careful and generous in my dealings with those apparently lower than me— those who serve me, impoverished and needy, the helpless and powerless, handicapped, illiterate and ignorant, simpletons and imbecile etc. They can be of great assistance for my entry into Jannah.
“Nay – who is it that responds to the distressed when he calls out to Him, and who removes the ill (that caused the distress), and has made you inherit the earth?Could there be any divine power besides God? How seldom do you keep this in mind!”
In the context of this ayah, inheritance refers to passing of the power from one community t0 another. The quraish are reminded here that they should learn a lesson from the overthrow of previous communities before a similar fate befalls them.
“He it is who has made you inherit the earth. Hence, he who is bent on denying the truth [of God’s oneness and uniqueness ought to know that] this denial of his will fall back upon him: for their [persistent] denial of this truth does but add to the deniers’ loathsomeness in their Sustainer’s sight and, thus, their denial of this truth does but add to the deniers’ loss.”
The rest of the ayah helps us to understand the real significance and message of the term “inherit the earth”. The ayah is chastising the Quraish for denying the truth even though the title of vicegerency implies that they have been granted the faculty to choose between right and wrong, between good and bad. Also the power and authority given to them does not make them “real” owners but demands that they pursue the the policy and design of the real Owner, God Almighty. Alternately, they are reminded that they have succeeded previous nations of Nooh, Aad, Samood etc. and if they continue to follow in their footsteps they will also meet the same fate for our Creator’s precepts and principles are just and universal.
To sum up: Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo has made all humanity vicegerents/khulafaa on this earth. This gives us power and authority to rule over it according to the laws and designs of our Sustainer as enunciated in the Holy Text extending to both our individual and collective life. This would exclude, I suppose the non-Muslims from this privilege. He has warned that if we do not abide by HIS rules, HE will annihilate us and bring other “successors”. There is nothing in the Quran to justify the prevailing passion and excitement about Khilaafat as a model and form of government for the one-point-eight billion Muslims sprawling in about fifty seven countries across the world.
This brings us to a crucial and pivotal step in our search for the sources of our Deen. I hope I can clarify it correctly by the Grace of God. Allah Ta’aala has declared clearly and repeatedly that mankind is HIS successor and deputy. Hence this becomes completely binding on each and every Muslim. But God Almighty, as part of HIS design has not categorized the purpose, operation and application of this Power and Authority entrusted to humanity. The imaams, fuqahaa (jurists) and eminent Islamic scholars stepped in to plan out a course and road for us. This is totally a human endeavour. However great the personality and stature of a scholar, his opinions or fataawaa if you like are not binding on us. We are allowed to pick and choose, alter or reject. If and this is a big if, you have the necessary knowledge of the subject under discussion and the wisdom to apply it. Let us follow this approach to the topic of this article i.e. khilaafat. We have seen earlier in this article opinions at both the end of spectrum by equally qualified authorities. The renowned scholar Dr. Mohammed Asad says“ this relates to the strengthening of the believers’ faith as well as to the growth of its moral influence in the world.” On the other hand outstanding scholars like Israr Ahmed, Maudoodi and Sayyid Qutb interpret this ayah as a call for political and physical subjugation of non-Muslims. According to them, as we Muslims are the bearer of authentic Truth we alone have a right to sovereignty over the world. The non-Muslims are carriers of Batil – fabrication and falsehood – and so are to be subjugated to jizyaa paying class, subject to the Shari’ah Law. They will have full rights to observe their own religion, though. You have your pick. I will join Dr. Asad as he is following the over all goals, principles and modus operandi of our Deen. I wonder what these scholars figured about the reaction of non-Muslims, the infidels to their plan and ambitions. To attack the Muslims now while they have all the power and might with them or give them a chance to establish and reinforce? A quick reference to another related point. Any objective and mature analysis of Islamophobia (as against an emotional reflex action under a persecution complex) must factor in this program and strategy by powerful Islamic scholarship of Muslim supremacy over the world.
Historically also this claim of Khilaafat as a form of governance for the Ummah l is not borne out. After the four rightly guided Caliphs, it was purely dynastic monarchy, absolute and despotic and at times oppressive and violent. At one time we had three simultaneous “khilaafat” in Damascus, Spain and Egypt. The Abbasids replaced the Umayyads by deceit and brutality. The adoption of Islam by the Mongol ruler did not stop him from attacking the Seljuk Muslims for control over Egypt. The Fatimid dynasty was displaced from Egypt after an invasion by Salahuddin. We all are, I certainly am very justifiably proud of our centuries of super power status in the world when we were the torch bearer of civilisation. However it is not honest and authentic to give it the self proclaimed pious and sacred label of Khilaafat. The khalifaa came to be a purely Islamic political term for a Muslim ruler and monarch on par with sultan or amir. Once religious orthodoxy took us over and we gave up our passion for science and innovation (using a printing press was banned in Muslim lands under the punishment of execution for almost two centuries) we descended in our present deep intellectual stagnation. The British and Europeans took over and did more or less the same thing that we had been doing earlier. The only difference: we condemn it as Western Imperialism!
……..and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding–“fahm”–of our Deen, Aameen.
Dr. Khalid Mitha
