Pathway to Paradise — Page 17
PATHWAY TO P ARADISE 17 4. T hey worship God alone, i. e. , in discharging their great responsibilities they fear no one and they carry on their duties undaunted by the difficulties in their way. The Khalifa should fortify the spiritual organization set up by him and protect it from the enemies of Islam. Only a person whose life closely paralleled that of the Holy Prophet in terms of spirituality, piety and knowledge could be appointed his Khalifa. Accordingl y, Hazrat Abu Bakr, the closest companion of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), was named his first successor. Hazrat Abu Bakr was followed by three other close and worthy companions; Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Usman, and Hazrat Ali. These four Khalifas are known as the “rightly guided successors” (Khalifate Rashideen). After the passing of Hazrat Ali, many factions sprung up among the Muslims, and the appointment of the Khalifa became a dynastic succession of the ruling families. The institution of Khilafat was restored to its previous position in this century after the death of the Promised Messiah (peace be on him), with all the Divinely ordained conditions that accompanied the Righteous Khilafat. (See later in this chapter). SECTS IN ISLAM Anyone reading a newspaper or listening to the media today is aware that many different Islamic groups exist throughout the Muslim world. These groups, known as sects, differ with one another on the interpretation of some Islamic beliefs and their