Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 216
216 KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH form. Having answered these basic questions I must now address one or two subsidiary objections. Is Promise of Khilafat limited to the Khalifah immediately succeeding the Prophet Another objection that is made about the promised Khilafat mentioned in this verse is that it only applies to the Khalifah who comes immediately after the Prophet, and not to a long chain of Khulaf a ’ following the first. The reply to this objection is that the Holy Prophet sa himself addressed the four Khulaf a ’ succeeding him as Khilafat-e-R a shidah. There is a Hadith: 40 i. e. “ Hadrat Saf i nah ra says that he heard the Prophet sa saying that: after him Khilafat would last in his ummah for thirty years. After it there would be kingdom. ” The period of four Khulaf a ’ is only thirty years. Since the Holy Prophet sa himself extends the period of Khilafat to four Khulaf a ’, who has the right to confine it to the first Khalifah? 40 Musnad Ahmad bin Hambal, Vol. 5, p. 222, by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hambal bin Hil a l bin Asad, published by Baitul Afk a r Ad-Dauliyya, Al- Ri ad , AH 1419, AD 1998. Note: Volume and page No. are according to Nuskha Maimaniyyah.