A Comprehensive definition of Khilafah

By ‘Allamah Sayyid Abu ‘l-Hasan ‘Ali al-Nadwi
Translated by Mohiuddin Ahmad

Shah Wali Allah al-Muhaddith al-Dihlawi in Izalat al-Khafa’ ‘an Khilafat al-Khulafa’ (Removal of Ambiguity about the Caliphate of the [Early] Caliphs) was able to define caliphate, because of his deep insight into the scripture (Qur’an) and the Sunnah, law (Shari’ah), theology (kalam) and history of Islam, in a comprehensive yet precise manner. The words used by him for delineation of the concept are extremely
suggestive. He writes:

Khilafah is the leadership of people united in a commonwealth which comes into existence for the establishment of religion including revival of religious branches of learning, institution of Islamic ritual observances, organisation of jihad and making necessary arrangements for the same as, for example, marshalling an army, remunerating the combatants and distributing the booty among them, creating a judicial system and enforcing the laws, curbing of crimes and removing public grievances, commanding the good (amr bi ‘l-ma’ruf) and forbidding the wrong (nahy ‘an ‘l-munkar) etc.. All these functions have to be preformed by it as if it were deputising and representing the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). (Izalat al-Khafa’, 1:2)

Shah Wali Allah goes on further to explain the term ‘establishment of religion’ in these words:

When we take a view of the matter inductively proceeding from the particular to general propositions converging on a universal principle covering all the categories, we reach the conclusion that at the highest level of Universal principle comprising the common as well as special categories (that is, the Universal of universals), it coincides with the truth that can be called the ‘establishment of religion’. All other classes and categories are covered by it. One of the subordinate categories is the revival of religious knowledge which consists of the teaching of the Qur’an and the Sunnah and admonition and sermonising. Allah says:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

He it is who has sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to purify them, and to teach them the scripture and wisdom, though they have been before in gross error. (Qur’an, 62:2) (Izalat al-Khafa’, 1:2-3)

(Saviours of Islamic Spirit Volume 4, Lucknow: Academy of Islamic Research and Publications, 2004, p. 188-9)