Source: ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.in

By Tayyab Pirzada

With the declaration of a global ‘Caliphate’ by the Islamist group “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) now known simply as “Islamic State”, questions probably arise in the Western minds of what actually constitutes a Caliphate and what it means for the Muslim World. A caliphate is seen as a direct successorship to the Prophet Muhammad, so it is first and foremost a theological authority akin to the Catholic Papacy. Caliphate comes from the Arabic word Khilafah which means ‘successorship’. It refers to the undisputed successor of the Prophet Muhammad who is to be obeyed by all Muslims.

What people may not realize however, is that a global Islamic Caliphate has existed for the past century and not in a fashion in which people may think. In fact, the only Caliph of Islam to date, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, recently actually publicly condemned ISIS’ actions in Iraq. As opposed to the extremist ‘Caliphate’ announced by ISIS, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caliphate espouses a motto of “Love for All, Hatred for None”, and is sorely needed by the rest of the Muslim World today.

Khalifa of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba)

Firstly, the primary sources of Islamic theology promise a Caliphate as a doctrinal obligation among Muslims. The Qur’an says that “God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will make them Caliphs (successors) on the earth” (24:55). The Prophet Muhammad also predicted the coming of “Caliphate on prophetic methodology”, and after that a sort of political Caliphs, and finally “Caliphate on prophetic methodology” again. Sunni Muslims see the Rashidun Caliphs, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali as fulfillment of the prophecy of Prophetic Caliphate, while Shia Muslims see their twelve Imams as fulfillment of the prophecy.

Since the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 — which was no longer anything more than a symbolic figurehead — the only active Islamic Caliphate that has existed in the world for the past century has been the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, and its head is …read more at ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.in

Additional Reading

True Khilafat is Spiritual Leadership and Has No Interest in Power or Government

Solomonic wisdom needed to establish Separation of Mosque-Church-Synagogue and State

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