ASSIGNMENT:

INSTITUTIONS OF MUSLIM POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

SUBJECT:
MUSLIM POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
SUBMITTED TO:
PROFESSOR ADIL JAVED
SUBMITTED BY:
ZEESHAN MEHMOOD
ROLL NO:
181940
SEMESTER:
V
DEPARTMENT:
POLICATAL SCIENCE

DATED: NOV 4, 2020

 Institutions of Muslim Political Philosophy
1. Khilafat
The word Khilafat means succession, and the Khalifa is a successor to a Prophet of
Allah whose goal is to carry to completion the tasks of reformation and moral training
that were seeded by the Prophet. The community of followers of a Prophet of Allah
continues to nurture its faith and practices under the blessing of the institution of Khilafat
for as long as Allah wishes. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Allah had promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will
surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those
who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He
has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace
after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then
whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious. (Surah Al-Nur, Verse 56).

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) writes:

God Almighty does everything through wisdom and foresight, and there is always a
good reason and logic behind it. According to nature’s physical laws, man has only a
limited life span, but the task of reformation and training of society requires a much
longer time. So, Allah has established the system of Khilafat after the system of
Prophethood. The Khalifah continues and carries on the task of the Prophet. The seed
sown by the Prophet is protected and nurtured by the Khalifah till it becomes a strong
and sturdy tree. It shows that in fact Khilafat is an offshoot or branch of the system of
Prophethood, that is why the Holy Prophet (sa) says that after every Prophet, the system
of Khilafat is established. (taken from Welcome to Ahmadiyyat).

Just as Allah appoints a Prophet, it is He who appoints a Khalifa as well. He chooses

the person who is most eligible to become a Khalifa, and guides a group of pious
believers into manifesting His Will through a process of selection of the Khalifa. Thus, it
may apparently seem that the Khalifa is chosen by a group of pious people, but it is in
fact the Will of Allah that guides their faculties into choosing the Khalifa of His Choice.
Once a Khalifa is selected, he remains a Khalifa for the rest of his life as a living
testament to Divine Will.

Khilafat establishes the authority of Allah on earth, and the Khalifa strives to uphold that
authority within the community of followers. For the believers, Khilafat is an embodiment
of Allah’s Unity, as they choose to take divine authority through the person of the
Khalifa. The believers partake of the blessings of Khilafat by holding firm to their faith
and practices, united under him.

A Passage from the Quran on Khilafat

Allah had promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will
surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those
who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He
has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace
after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me.
Then who so is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious. (Surah Al-Nur, Verse
56)

Commentary:

The present verse embodies a promise that Muslims will be vouchsafed both spiritual
and temporal leadership. The promise is made to the whole Muslim nation but the
institution of Khilafat will take a palpable form in the person of certain individuals who
will be the Prophet’s Successors and the representatives of the whole nation. They will
be, as it were, Khilafat personified. The verse further says that the fulfillment of this
promise will depend on the Muslims’ observing the Prayer and giving the Zakat and on
their obeying the Messenger of God in all religious and temporal matters concerning the
nation. When they will have fulfilled these conditions, the boon of Khilafat will be
bestowed upon them and they will be made the leaders of nations; their state of fear will
give place to a condition of safety and security, Islam will reign supreme in the world,
and above all the Oneness and Unity of God – the real purpose and object of Islam –
will become firmly established.

The promise of the establishment of Khilafat is clear and unmistakable. As the Holy
Prophet is now humanity’s sole guide for all time, his Khilafat must continue to exist in
one form or another in the world till the end of time, all other Khilafahs having ceased to
exist. This is among many others the Holy Prophet’s distinct superiority over all other
Prophets and Messengers of God. Our age has witnessed his greatest spiritual Khalifa
in the person of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah.

The Qur’an has mentioned three kinds of Khalifas:

1. Khalifas, who are Prophets such as Adam and David. About Adam, God says in
the Qur’an: “I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth” (2:31); and about
David He says: “O David, We have made thee a vicegerent in the earth” (38:27).
 2. Prophets who are the Khalifas of another and a greater Prophet such as the
Isrealite Prophets who all were the Khalifas of Moses. About them the Qur’an
says: “We have sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light. By it did
the Prophets who were obedient to Us judge for the Jews:” (5:45).
3. Non-Prophet Khalifas of a Prophet, with or without temporal powers, such as
godly people learned in the Law. Their mission is to protect and preserve the law
from being tampered with (5:45).

Briefly, the verse under comment covers all these categories of Khalifas, viz., the Holy
Prophet’s rightly-guided Khalifas, the Promised Messiah, his Successors and the
spiritual Reformers or Mujaddids. Their mission, as the above verse says, is to protect
the Law and to bring back “the erring flock into the Master’s fold.”

The special marks and characteristics of these Khalifas are:

 They are appointed Khalifas through God’s own decree in the sense that the
hearts of believers become inclined towards them and they voluntarily accept
them as their Khalifas;
 the religion which their mission is to serve becomes firmly established through
their prayers and missionary efforts;
 they enjoy equanimity and peace of mind amidst hardships, privations or
persecution which nothing can disturb; and
 They worship God alone, i.e. in the discharge of their great responsibilities they
fear no one and they carry on their duties undaunted and without being
discouraged or dismayed by the difficulties that stand in their way.

The verse may also be regarded as embodying a prophecy which was made at a time
when Islam was very weak and idols were being worshipped throughout Arabia and the
Muslims being small in number feared for their very lives, and yet in the course of only a
generation the prophecy was literally fulfilled. Idolatry disappeared from Arabia and
Islam became firmly established not only in Arabia but also reigned supreme in the
whole world and the followers of the Holy Prophet, erstwhile regarded as the dregs and
scum of humanity, became the leaders and teachers of nations.

The words, “Whosoever is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious,” signify that
Khilafat is a great Divine blessing. Without it there can be no solidarity, cohesion and
unity among Muslims and therefore they can make no real progress without it. If
Muslims do not show proper appreciation of Khilafat by giving unstinted support and
obedience to their Khalifas they will forfeit this great Divine boon and in addition will
draw the displeasure of God upon themselves.
 (The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary, Vol. 4, pp. 1869-1870.)

Prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) – Khilafat

“Prophet Hood shall remain among you as long as Allah shall will. He will bring about its
end and follow it with Khilafat on the precepts of Prophet Hood for as long as He shall
will and then bring about its end. A tyrannical monarchy will then follow and will remain
as long as Allah shall will and then come to an end. There will follow thereafter
monarchial despotism to last as long as Allah shall will and come to an end upon His
decree. There will then emerge Khilafat on precept of Prophet Hood.

2. The Islamic Institution of Shura (Mutual Consultation)

Khilafat is the purest manifestation of Islamic leadership in the absence of a Prophet. As
has been expounded by Hazrat Shah Waliullah rh (d. 1762), a great saint of Islam, as a
representative of a Prophet, the Khalifa forms the living heart of the spiritual and
temporal body that is Islam and the Muslim Umma; further, that the Khalifa is the
recipient of Divine inspiration and blessing from Almighty Allah, which is in turn
circulated throughout the body of the Umma. (Izalat al-khafa ‘an khilafat al-khulafa, Vol.
1, p. 27)

This beautiful process has been described by the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi,
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, through the following vision:

“I saw in a vision that God’s bounties travel in the form of light to the Holy Prophet, on
whom be the peace and blessings of Allah, and are absorbed into his chest and
proceed thence in numberless tubes whereby they are communicated to every
deserving person according to his share.” (Al Hakam, 28 February 1903, p. 7)

While the true reality of Khilafat is bestowed by Almighty Allah on the Khalifa in order to
properly function, the wider institution of Khilafat is comprised of many authoritative
bodies and individuals all working to facilitate the support of the Khalifa in his objectives
as a representative appointed on earth by Almighty Allah. One such institution is Shura
or Majlis-e-Mushawarat, which enables the Khalifa to develop and grow the spiritual
status of Muslims and society at large through an assessment of the fluid opinions and
needs of the Umma and societies across the world.

Shura and Khilafat

As mentioned earlier, Shura is an integral feature within the institution of Khilafat and
Islam. Highlighting this point, Hazrat Umarra bin al-Khattab, the second Khalifa of the
Prophetsa, went so far as to say:
 ‫بالمشورة‬ ‫اال‬ ‫خالفة‬ ‫ال‬
“There is no Khilafat except [that it involves] consultation”
The natural evolution and development of any growing state dictates that its dominion
eventually expands over people of diverse societies and cultures. 

The dilemma thus faced by the early Islamic State was how to constructively ascertain
the collective and representative opinions, advice and proposals of the Umma. The
answer to this question is set out in the below verse of the Holy Quran in which Muslims
are instructed to consult with one another by way of Shura:

“And those, who hearken to their Lord, and observe Prayer, and whose affairs are
decided by mutual consultation, and who spend out of what We have provided for
them.”

This represents the core principle of Shura, yet there are also other benefits to this
institution of mercy. The following are some of these benefits as set out by Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih II(ra)

1. The Khalifa or the Amir comes to know the views of his followers

2. He is helped in arriving at a correct decision

3. Representative Muslims get an opportunity to think about, and take a personal

interest in, important State affairs, thus receiving most useful training in matters of
administration

4. The Khalifa is enabled to judge the mental and administrative capabilities of different
individuals, which helps him to assign the right work to the right person

5. It enables him to know the aptitude, aspirations and tendencies as well as the moral
and spiritual condition of the different members of his community, and thus he becomes
enabled to affect an improvement, wherever necessary, in his people.

The institution of Shura is, therefore, not something to be taken lightly; it is a living and
evolving entity that performs a key function in sustaining certain aspects of an Islamic
State. 

A second important function of Shura that we learn from the above is that it also
enables the Khalifa to measure the capacity of those who are at his disposal. For the
opinions made manifest during this process, coupled with the manner in which they are
articulated, present the Khalifa with a direct reflection of the capacity of his devotees,
the Muslim community as a whole and their aspirations – spiritual and temporal.

3. Sovereignty of Allah

Islam lays the foundation of all its systems, whether political, economic, social or any
other, on one fundamental principle — that the ultimate sovereignty and ownership
belongs only to God Almighty. As it is stated in Surah az-Zukhruf that:

That is, greatly blessed is Allah to who belong the kingdom of the heavens and the
earth. Similarly, all that is between them is also under His ownership and control. To
Him also belongs the knowledge of the last Hour — when all of these have served their
purpose and the time for them to perish has arrived. Ultimately, everything will be
brought back to Him.

In this verse Almighty God announces that the rules over the heavens and the earth and
whatever lies between the two is under His ownership and control. Furthermore, it is
God alone who knows the destined time when every living being, after fulfilling the
purpose of its creation, must face its end and return to Almighty Allah. In brief, this verse
lays down that the kingdom of the heavens and earth really belongs to God, and
everything that exists therein is destined to return to Him.

When a person is made responsible for a specific task, or is entrusted with something of
value, he is answerable to the one who entrusted him with those responsibilities; but a
person who regards himself free and unanswerable to anyone would be inclined to do
whatever he pleases. This verse of the Holy Quran is a reminder that all worldly
governments, kingdoms and powers are under God’s command and are granted to
human beings only as a trust. Man must not consider himself unaccountable just
because he has the power and ownership of material wealth that he is given in this
world. He may appear to have authority and ownership on the surface, but in truth he is
only holding a trust from God. Human beings are answerable before God that they
rightfully discharged the trust that was reposed in them.

4. EQUALITY IN ISLAM
Equality according to dictionary means The state of being equal, especially in having
the same rights, status and opportunities. 
One basic element in the value system of Islam is the principle of equality or equity.
This value of equality is not to be mistaken for or confused with identicalness or
stereotype. Islam teaches that in the sight of Allah Almighty, all people are equal, but
they are not necessarily identical. There are differences of abilities, potentials,
ambitions, wealth and so on. 

Importance
The importance of equality is simply to ensure that all people have the same rights as
each other person, that no person with any difference, no person with any disability, no
race, no sex, no man, woman or child would be treated any different to any other man
woman or child, in any country or anywhere in the world.
 
Islam does not differentiate any individual on basis of race, colour, or language
whatsoever except in terms of “taqwa”. 

Qur’anic Reflections
“O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you
into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other.” (Qur’an.Surah Hujurat 49:13)
 
Islam is a religion of justice.  Allah has said: “Truly God commands you to give back
trust to those to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, to judge with
justice....” (Quran 4:58) 

Hadith
Equality is also asserted in a tradition of Prophet Muhammad (May Allah honour Him
and grant Him peace), which states; "0 Mankind, your lord is one and your father is one.
You all descend from Adam, and Adam was created from earth. He is most honoured
among you in the sight of God who is most upright. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab,
no coloured person to a white person, or a white person to a coloured person except
by Taqwa (piety)”. Narrated in Musnad Ahmad 22978 and Al-Tirmidhi.
 
In another tradition, the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and grant Him
peace), was asked: "who among men is most favoured by God?' He replied: "A man
who does the most good to people."Al-Tabarani Al-Makasid Al-Hasanah, PP. 200-
201.

Principles
The foundations of this Islamic value of equality are deeply rooted in the structure of
Islam. It stems from basic principles such as the following:
i. All men are created by One and the Same Eternal God, the Supreme Lord of all.
ii. All mankind belong to the human race and share equally in the common
parentage of Aadam (Adam) and Eve.
iii. Allah is Just and Kind to all His creatures. He is not partial to any race, age or
religion. The whole Universe is His Dominion and all people are His creatures.
 iv. All people are born equal, in the sense that no one brings any possession with
him; and they die equal in the sense that they take back nothing of their worldly
belongings.
v. Allah judges every person on the basis of his own merits and according to his
own deeds.
vi. Allah has conferred on man, a title of honor and dignity.

5. Status of Minorities
Islam is a religion of mercy to entire humankind and mankind includes both Muslims and
non-Muslims. The Prophet of Islam (Peace and blessing upon him) is declared as
mercy in the Quran by the Lord Himself.
"And we have not sent you but as a mercy to all the worlds"
The Prophet (Peace and blessing upon him) provides humanity the meaning of mercy
as the practical concept of Justness, Fairness and Equality. It is also one of the aspects
of mercy that How Prophet provided justice to non-Muslim community.
The Holy Quran and Hadiths have made it very clear that Minorities should be treated
equally by the State following Islam. Fundamental rights are available to Minorities in
Islamic territories. Besides it they are having certain special rights for the protection of
their culture and religion. They have full right to profess and practice religion or faith of
their choice. The State will be duty bound to protect their place of worship. They will be
protected from all types of violence and aggression. The Quranic injunctions and
Prophetic traditions guarantee a society, where all citizens of the state enjoy equal
rights irrespective of their religion.