Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 149
KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH 149 People forget Allah, the Almighty and turn away from divine commands. They are captivated by error and perversion, and darkness covers every part of the land. This then causes Allah, the Almighty to send a Messenger who reforms the people. He brings down the light of faith from heavens, and puts the people to whom the Messenger is sent on the path of truthful religion. But Khilafat comes at a time when there is a majority of believers and performers of good works in the nation. As such, Prophethood comes at the extermination of faith and acts of goodness, while Khilafat comes at a time when people are on the path of faith and doing acts of goodness. This is the reason that Khilafat starts when Prophethood ends, because faith and acts of goodness are placed on sound footing by Prophethood. So as the majority of people are those who are on the path of faith and righteousness, Allah, the Almighty blesses them with Khilafat. In the middle period when the world is neither totally devoid of pious people nor full of evil then it is deprived of both the favours because neither the illness is so severe as to demand a Prophet, nor is the moral health so perfect as to justify a Khalifah to lead them in good deeds.