Approaching the West — Page 27
A pproaching the West—27 eyes of the Muslim Ummah. Clearly, the so-called Khal ī fahs were far-removed from the moral and spiritual norms set by the Prophet and the early “Rightly Guided khulaf ā ’” to be serious contenders to the leadership of Muslims. None of them could claim the religious and spiritual leadership of the entire Muslim Ummah. The 36th Sultan, Ma ḥ m ū d VI, was exiled by European Allies, and after his death the Sultanate was abolished in 1922. However, his cousin, the Crown Prince ‘Abdul-Majid II, was elected by the Turkish National Assembly in Ankara as Khal ī fah. Later, on March 3, 1924, he was deposed and expelled from Turkey along with the rest of his family. This was followed by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) formally abolishing Khil ā fat for ever. ‘Abdul-Majid II, therefore, is considered to be the last political Khal ī fah among the Muslims. Ṣū f ī Orders and Nonpolitical Khil ā fat However, during the inherited monarchies, the moral and spiritual essence of Khil ā fat survived to some extent through the religiosity of conservative Isl ā mic Scholars (‘Ulam ā ), but mostly it was preserved and sustained by Im ā ms, Mujaddids (the religious reformers), Auliy ā (Saints), and especially the Ṣū f ī (the mystics) orders. The lavish lifestyle of the elite ruling class under the monarchical political rulers had caused a reaction, and many pious Muslims were led towards mysticism. Eminent Ṣū f ī leaders emerged since the eighth century, and with the passage of time this trend was further heightened. The