The Unity of Muslims — Page 39
39 this purpose, a conference was hosted in Lucknow. Reflecting on the matter, I realised that the Shias, Ahle Hadith, and Kharijites did not accept the Sultan of Turkey as their caliph. Similarly, Ahmadis held a different view, with their Head serving as the Khalifa. I wondered why all these groups would accept the Sultan of Turkey as their caliph and pledge to unite in his defence if he was attacked. I sent a delegation with a letter to attend the conference in Lucknow. I wrote that if you go to the British with the stated premise, they would note that Khawarij, Ahl-e-Hadith, and Shia Muslims do not accept Abdul Hameed as their caliph; so how can we claim he is the caliph of all Muslims? Instead, it should be said that most Muslims regard the Sultan of Turkey as their caliph, whilst the rest hold him in high esteem; and, thus, any action taken against him would be met with resistance from the entire Muslim world. I wrote that formulating the argument in this manner would serve the purpose. It would avoid provoking opposition from Ahmadis, Shias, or Ahle Hadith, as none would openly call for the Sultan’s demise. Even if such sentiments were held, they would be kept private, not expressed publicly. But Maulana Shaukat Ali had a fiery temperament. When the delegation presented