Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 304
304 AHMADIYY AT of Allah, under the guidance of Khalifatul Masih II and through the untiring and devoted efforts of its Principal, they were all successfully overcome and the College which was first re-established in Lahore, seven years later moved into its newly constructed buildings in Rabwah. On 8 November 1944 the Khalifatul Masih, in a speech stressing some aspects of Tahrik Jadeed, made an important pronouncement on the system of Khilafat. He said: Our system is based entirely on love and affection. We have no legal authority whereby we can enforce our directions. My per- sonal view is that in Ahmadiyyat Khilafat should always be distinct from political government. The function of the Khilafat should continue to be the supervision of compliance with the command- ments of the Islamic Law. Weare not yet in a position of political authority in the country, but even when such a time arrives the Khalifa should remain outside active politics and should at no time seek to take over the government of the country, lest a situation of juxtaposition between the Khilafat and political parties should arise and the Khilafat should become identified with a political party. In such a situation the Khalifa would cease to be in loco parentis towards the community. There is no doubt that in the beginning of Islam Khalifat and government we,re combined in one person, but that was under the compulsion of the then circumstances. The Islamic Law had not yet been fully enforced, and as its full enforcement was necessary, Khilafat and government were com- bined in the same person. According to our doctrine they can be combined and they can also be separate. In my opinion when the time comes when we are in power, the Khalifa should not seek to take the government into his own hands. He should remain outside government and should supervise the government so as to secure that government should follow the directions of the Islamic Law and should settle its policies and their execution in consultation with the Khalifa. The administration of the country should be left to the statesmen and the public services. If my point of view is followed the Khalifa should not take over the government of the country at any time and should confine himself to the supervision of the exercise of the moral qualities and the enforcement of the commandments of the Holy Quran.