The Reality of Khilafah — Page 57
C H AP T E R ON E—K HIL C H AP T E R ON E—K HIL A A FAH FAH 57 Allah is binding on the people of truth and their opponents alike. They are like soldiers of Allah, set to conquer the land of trans- gression and tyranny and to transform hardship into ease. These prophecies contain clear proofs that are like sharp spears vanquishing every challenger. They can lead every suspi- cious person to certainty and counter the opponents’ objections. Such also is the status of the verse of Istikhl a f which can drive away every critic and compel him to stop his criticism and attack. It manifests the truth to the enemies even if they hate to see it. This verse gives people the glad tidings of security and safety after a period of fear from the unjust oppressors. It is only the Khil a fah of Hadrat Ab u Bakr that completely fits this description. This is known to every scholar, for the Khil a fah of ‘Al i al-Murta da did not fulfil these prophecies of elevation, distinction and extraor- dinary success. His Khil a fah , in fact, teetered on the brink due to the attacks by the enemies of Islam. It was so weak that they caused it to fall into a bottomless pit without considering the rights of brotherhood. They had weakened his Khil a fah to the extent that it became weaker than a spider’s web and left its fol- lowers devastated. Undoubtedly, ‘Al i was the best example of magnanimity and generosity. He was divine proof for the people and the best exemplar of the time. Allah had illuminated him so that he would spread light in the world. However, the era of his Khil a fah was not the time of security and peace but a time of tribulation and conflict. People were in dispute about his Khil a fah and that of [Mu‘ a wiyah] the son of Ab u Sufy a n. They were so confused about which one was right that some considered both to be