Blessings of Khilafat — Page 12
12 predecessor’s work for all practical purposes. If someone is a tailor, then the person doing the same work after him is his Khalifah , and if a student takes up the task of conducting a class in the absence of his teacher, that student will be called the Khalifah of the teacher. Likewise, one who succeeds the work of a Prophet is a Khalifah of that Prophet. If God grants kingdom to His Prophet, his Khalifah will also be entitled to it and God will surely vouchsafe the kingdom upon him. But if the Prophet happens to be without a kingdom, from where will it come for his Khalifah ? Because God had granted both the worldly and spiritual kingdoms to the Holy Prophet sa , his Khulaf a ’ too were granted both of these bounties. But now, as God has not vouchsafed a worldly kingdom upon the Promised Messiah as , with whom should his Khalifah fight to have one? Those who raise this objection have not duly reflected upon the word ‘ Khalifah ’. Would not such a person be considered a fool who, having seen people here wearing turbans, caps and clothes, should note down with him that humans beings are only classified as those who wear turbans, caps and clothes of a specific type? Then when he goes out and finds that people are not dressed as he had thought they should be, he starts proclaiming that the people he saw were not human beings since human beings have a specific dress code? What do you think of such a person? He is definitely a credulous fool. Similarly, if someone, having seen the Khulaf a ’ of certain Prophets concludes that Khulaf a ’ can only be of a particular kind and none other; can his statement be acceptable to any sane person? No, never! Such a person should rather ponder over the word ‘ Khalifah ’ and reflect upon its meanings. In this age, too, people have misunderstood the word ‘ Khalifah ’ on account of their being