Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen – Khalifatul Masih I – The Way of the Righteous — Page 127
Hakeem Sahib's Election As First Caliph 127 because they are living under non-Muslim rule or for any other reason? ( History of Ahmadiyyat , v. 4, pp. 324-325) Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I ra , who had a complete knowledge and mastery on Muslim law and the history of jurisprudence, could alone tackle such questions. The gist of the replies of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I ra that appeared in Al-Hakam (December 21, 1909) is given below: Answer to the First Question: The Holy Qur'an is a complete code of life and it does not seek to destroy the differences of opinion of other religions but instead it upholds them. The basis of Islamic laws is laid down in the Holy Qur'an, but the obedience to these laws have been placed under the obedience of the ruler. Every Muslim is duty- bound to obey God, His Prophet, and then obey the ruler of the land, and if in obedience to the ruler of the land a Muslim finds a conflict, he need not follow the dictates in so far as his own personal and family affairs are concerned, or he may leave that country. In matters of the State, the obedience to the ruler has a prior level. The Holy Qur'an mentioned the fact that Prophet Joseph, who was an employee of the Pharaoh, followed the laws of the land. Answer to the Second Question: If the non-Muslim judge had been appointed by a non-Muslim ruler, then as a matter of fact, that ruler was the judge, and if not appointed by the ruler and the judge had been appointed under local tradition, even that would be accepted. In the Holy Qur'an itself, it is indicated that Prophet Joseph acknowledged the Pharaoh as a judge in one of the matters under dispute. Answer to the Third Question: What is Shariah Muhammadi? - This is a name given to the collection of commands mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, which include dictates of the Holy Prophet sa , dictates of the Caliphs of the Prophet, or of Companions and a ruling given by one of the four Imams. Apart from these rulings and findings of the decisions in civil and criminal cases, municipal and civil laws, military ordinances and others where no reference has been made to either the Holy Qur'an or the Hadith , it is very clear that there is complete freedom in tackling issues in accordance with local traditions.