Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 141
KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH 141 “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works. ” indicate that God alone appoints the Khalifah because only He who made the promise can fulfil that promise. Some people make the mistake of thinking that this promise means that people appoint a Khalifah of their own choice, and that God will declare him to be His choice. But it is like the way of a teacher that I had who used to tell a boy that he was happy with, that “whatever money you are holding in your pocket is an award from me”. This mistaken notion amounts to rendering the promise of Khilafat to the same level; as if God says “Go ahead and appoint someone your Khalifah by your choice but consider him appointed by Me”. If this is the case then what is the prize? And how is this treatment distinctive that Allah, the Almighty has a special love with the Jam a ‘at which believes and does good works. One who makes a promise also fulfils it. Is it so that one who makes a promise has someone else fulfil it? The first thing mentioned in this verse is the advent of a Khalifah from Allah, the Almighty. All evidence points toward this. No one can become the Khalifah by his own desires. Similarly nobody can become the Khalifah by some connivance. The Khalifah is he whom God desires to be. Indeed, he will often become a Khalifah when the world considers it impossible. The second sign of a truthful Khalifah given is that Allah, the Almighty helps him in a manner similar to