ABSTRACT The khilafah. Islamic institution of governance based on the Quran and the sunnah infact signifies the succession of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), for the khalifah succeded in all his offices excepting that of his Prophetic duties which were a prerogaive of his not shared by anyone. It goes without saying that his rule was based on divine precepts and commands and though the descent of the Quran or for that matter wahy (revelation) was discontinued after his death, the khulafa-i rashidin followed in all respects the model and policy of their great divine predecessor, assuming quite rightly the title of the khilafah ala minhaj al-nubuwah for their rule. According to an authentic tradition that model Islamic rule lasted thirty years after the death of the Prophet (SAW) (11AH/632AD 41AH/661AD). Historically speaking, the khilafat-i rashidah was succeeded by the governance of the Umavi khulafa (41AH/661AD 132AH/750AD) which was succeeded in turn by the Abbasi khulafah (132AH/750AD 656AH/1258AD). These two successive periods of Muslim rule were not water-tight compartment as they are generally believed to be or projected by the historians. Historical process of growth and development as well as traditions and values establish beyond any doubt that the successive regimes were in fact continuation of the Islamic rule that was
originated by the Holy Prophet (SAW) and advanced and developed by his khulafa-i rashidin. But writers having no regard for the continual historical processes and Islamic precepts in general and orientalists whose sole aim to distort the Islamic history and civilization in particular dubbed the later periods of Islamic rule as the mulukiah (monarchy) and some synonymous terms like the imarah, the imamah and sultanah. Curiously enough, all these terms were coined by the Muslim rulers to identify their rule. Their whole argumentation is based on the causation of some political, administrative, financial or other changes that were brought about by the later Muslim rulers or by historical developments. A careful study of events that happened in the first phase of Islamic khilafah and their honest analysis shows that changes of all sorts have started taking place in the khilafat-i rashidah itself. For instance, the modes of election of all the first four khulafa were quite different and sometimes divergent from each other; and despite their divergence they all were treated as Islamic. Changes in other fields were also quite natural. Accordingly, the functions and duties of the rulers underwent a change but the basic texture remained one and the same i.e. to enforce the shariah and rule in accordance with the Islamic tenets. Therefore, the terms khilafah, imamah. imarah, sultanah etc. are not different to each other as their institutions or theories led to the same objectives. All of them could be regarded as Islamic governments provided the
rule should be in consonance with the Quran and the sunnah. Like the khilafat-i rashidah, ninety year rule of the Umavis generally followed the shariah and their successors Abbasis also normally practiced it from their seat at Baghdad in Iraq. The approach adopted in this study is dictated by the nature of the subject itself. For each of the issues covered, first an attempt is made to analyse and understand the concepts by referring directly to two basic sources of Islam i.e. the Quran and the sunnah Second, an analysis is made of the historical processes in order to examine the historical changes of the whole period. Third, the Muslim political and juristic writings regardig the issues that emerged since the Abbasi period have been discussed in the historical perespective. Chapter first initiates a discussion on the use of the term khilafah in the Quranic verses. The Quran shows that the term of the khilafah has not been used in the verses, but other synonym such as istakhlaf have been used; besides khalifah, khulafa and khalaif. The Quran also uses some other words of the same connotation such as malik, muluk, makkanah, waritha and some of their derivations. All the words derived from root word khalf, as used in the Quranic verses, mean the succession of latter people or generations to their predecessors. This line of argumentation has been adopted by Tabari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and some others among the classical
commentators and Thanawi, Maududi, Daryabadi, Amin Ahsan Islahi, Mufti Muhammad Shafi etc. among the modern writers. Chapter second emphasis on the bases and models of the rule during the Prophetic period, establishment of government at Madinah, after the hijrah, constitutional framework of the newly formed society at Madinah out of warring tribes/clans of Madinian population, muawkhat (virtual brotherhood) among the Muhajir and Ansar, concept of an ummah, establishment of fedral type society against the outsiders, Prophet's role as the head of the society and the supreme authority of the Madinian population including the Jews and their allies, principles of Islamic governance concerning the rights and duties of the rulers and the ruled. Chapter third draws a historical sketch of the rise of the institution of the khilafah after the Prophet (SAW). Election of Abu Bakar at Saqifah and the modes of the election of the other three khidafa-i rashidin i.e. Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Ali. Succession of Hasan b. Ali to the office of the khilafah, his abdication'of the khilafah in favour of Hazrat Muawiyah. Establishment of the Umavi rule their modes of election or nomination of their sons and brothers. The reservations of keeping the office of the khilafah within their own family, rise of differences within the Umavi family which paved a way for the Abbasis to succeed them. The procedures and modes of the election or nomination adopted by them. The decline of the khilafah at the
time of al-mutawakkil and the abolishing of the constitutional Islamic rule. Chapter fourth deals with the Muslim thinkers approach towards the changes and developments that took place in the course of Islamic history with special reference to the connotations of the khilafah, requirement of the institution of the khilafah, the system of election, obedience to the khalifah and its limitations and his deposition in case he abondons the shariah. The main thinkers whose views are generally taken into account include Baghdadi, Mawardi. Imam al-haramayn al-juwayni. al-iji, Taftazini, Abu Yala, Shahrastani, Qadi Abdul Jabbar. Ibn Hazni, Ibn Jama'ah, al-ghazzali. Ibn Taimiyah. Ibn Khaldun. Shah Waliullah and some modern thinkers such as Maududi. Hasan al-banna, Syed Qutub etc. Chapter fifth attempts at drawing a contrast between the political theories of different Muslim sects such as the Shia, the Khawarij. the Murjia and the Mutazila and the causes of the emergence of these sectarian attitudes with reference to politial edifice of Islam. To some up the present thesis discusses the concept of the khilafah and its evolution in its historical perespective. It is also appended by a list of all the great khulafa showing their mode of succession and short biographical notes on the celebrities of Islam discussed in the forgoing pages.