Al-Khilafah

مقدمة / Introduction

The Caliphate is a general leadership for all Muslims in the world to establish the rules of Islamic law and carry the Islamic call to the world. It is the same as the Imamate; the Imamate and the Caliphate have the same meaning. Authentic hadiths have been reported using these two words with the same meaning. Neither of them has a meaning that contradicts the meaning of the other in any Sharia text, whether in the Quran or the Sunnah, because they alone are the Sharia texts. The title given to the ruler in the Caliphate state is the Caliph, or the Imam, or the Commander of the Believers. These titles have been mentioned in authentic hadiths and the consensus of the Companions, as the Rightly Guided Caliphs were titled with them. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "If allegiance is pledged to two caliphs, kill the latter of the two," narrated by Muslim. And Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, say: "Whoever pledges allegiance to an Imam and gives him his hand and the fruit of his heart, let him obey him," narrated by Muslim. And Awf bin Malik reported that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "The best of your Imams are those whom you love and who love you, and who pray for you and for whom you pray," narrated by Muslim. As for the title Commander of the Believers, the first to be given this title was Omar bin Al-Khattab. Then its use continued for the caliphs after him during the time of the Companions and after them. Establishing a Caliph is an obligation upon all Muslims in all parts of the world. Carrying it out - like carrying out any obligation that God has imposed on Muslims - is an inevitable matter with no choice or leniency in its regard, and failure to carry it out is one of the greatest sins for which God will punish with the severest punishment. The evidence for the obligation of establishing a Caliph for all Muslims is the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Companions.