Approaching the West — Page 44
A pproaching the West—44 Ḥ a ḍ rat Ḥ usain, son of Ḥ a ḍ rat ‘Al ī , ‘Abdull ā h son of Ḥ a ḍ rat ‘Umar, ‘Abd-ur-Ra ḥ m ā n son of Ḥ a ḍ rat Ab ū Bakr, and ‘Abdull ā h son of Ḥ a ḍ rat Zubair. Their stand was that Khil ā fat could not be degenerated into a hereditary monarchy. Nevertheless, Yaz ī d, who did not have the moral integrity for being a Khal ī fah, inherited the kingship from his father in AD 680. Thus a new phase in the Isl ā mic history started, leading to kingship to be run by members of Umayyah family. This phase is distinct from “Khil ā fat. ” The caliphs were successful political leaders, but not necessarily men of moral integrity with full religious knowledge anymore; thus, hereditary monarchy eroded the true nature of Khil ā fat and it transgressed into royal Caliphate. In the words of Karen Armstrong, The Umayyad caliphs would gradually transform the disparate regions conquered by the Muslim armies into a unified empire, with common ideology. This was a great achievement; but the court naturally began to develop a rich culture and luxurious lifestyle, and became indistinguishable in many respects from any other class. (Isl ā m: A Short History, Karen Armstrong, p. 41) The Caliphate After the four “rightly guided” Successors to the Prophet, the “Caliphate” (or dynastic monarchies) started, and it remained among the Muslims for more than 1250 years. Mu‘ ā wiyah founded the Umayyad dynasty in 661, and his