An Exposition of Some Criticisms Against Khilafat-e-Rashida — Page 5
AN EXPOSITION OF SOME CRITICI SMS AG AINST KHILAFAT - E - RASHIDA 5 oppressive and suppressive regimes would intervene before the draw of the second era. It is significant to note that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, specified no time limit for the second era, and this, coupled with the word s that “the Holy Prophet said no more” occurring in Huzaifa’s report could well be construed to mean that the second era shall last for a long long time, or perhaps for ever. This is certainly the view of Hazrat Ismail Shaheed who was one of the great thin kers and scholars of Islam. After a lengthy discourse in his book “ Mansab - i - Imamat ” he writes: “Khalifa Rashid is a person who holds the office of Imamat and effervesces divine prudence. Whosoever is bestowed with this office, therefore, is a Khalifa Rashid irrespective of whether he lived in earlier or present times or comes into being in later days. . . It is not correct to say that Khilafat - i - Rashida was confined to th e period of the first four Khalifas, or to its second era alone. ” (Mansab - i - Imamat, pp. 77 and 78). Khilafat - i - Rashida — - an Everlasting Era Apart from the Quranic verse of Khilafat and Huzaifa’s report of the Holy Prophet, the Promised Messiah, who is the exponent of Islam in this age, has confirmed the continuance of Khilafat - i - Rashida beyond the earlier era of thirty years. In Al - - Wassiyat , p. 6 - 7, he says: “Therefore, do not be grieved by that which I have told