Ramadan, the Khalifa and an Ahmadi Perspective

This is Day 25 of Altmuslim’s #30Days30Writers series for Ramadan 2015.

By Qasim Rashid

Last year I discussed how Ramadan serves as yet another example of Prophet Muhammad’s truthfulness, by discussing his prophecy about Imam Mahdi and Messiah and its perfect fulfillment in Ramadan. This year I share Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy regarding true Islamic leadership, i.e. Khilafat.

ISIS terrorists claim their leader Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi is a caliph. I hoped Muslim leaders worldwide would condemn this so-called caliph by referring to Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy and the Quran’s teaching on how Khilafat would be re-established. Instead, Point 22 in the public letter to Bhagdadi merely states, “It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims.”

The full explanation includes Hazrat Umar’s (rz) tradition, which certainly demonstrates the importance of consultation with other Muslims before one accepts a Khalifa. The tradition speaks nothing of the office of the Khalifa or how one becomes a Khalifa.

Meanwhile the Qur’an is explicitly clear on how Khilafat is established:

“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.” Qur’an 24:56

A detailed commentary on this verse is available here. Unmistakably this verse demonstrates that only God Himself establishes Successors (Khalifas) to Prophets, does so among those who do good works, and blesses those who accept the Khalifa peace and security instead of fear.

Immediately we see how ISIS contradicts this verse. First, al-Bhagdadi is self-appointed — God did not make him a Khalifa. Likewise, ISIS terrorists have done nothing but harm humanity, while Islam requires service to all humanity. Finally, ISIS terrorists live in constant war, where as true Khalifat gives peace and security in exchange for fear.

Meanwhile, the letter from Muslim leaders to al-Bhagdadi ignored this verse altogether. The letter also ignores Prophet Muhammad’s authentic hadith where he explained how Khilafat will be re-established:

… Abū Tha’labah al-Khushnī [came] who said ‘Oh Bashīr bin Sa’d, have you memorized the hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning leadership of the Muslims?’ Hudhayfah responded that ‘I have memorized the entire Jummah sermon [in which this was mentioned].’

Hudhayfah said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, ‘[My] nabūwwah (prophethood) shall remain among you as Allah wills it to remain, and then Allah shall cause it to end when He wills to end it. Then will remain Prophetic Caliphate (khilāfah ‘alā minhājin nabūwwah) and it will end. Then shall come despotic monarchy (mulkan ‘ādhan) and it will end. Then will appear coercive monarchy (mulkan jabrīyyah) and it will end. Then will appear Prophetic Caliphate (khilāfah ‘alā minhājin nabūwwah) again. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) remained silent.” (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal,  Awwal Musnad al-Kūfiyyīn, Vol. 4, #273).

Prophet Muhammad perfectly described what the Muslim ummah has suffered through during the previous 1400 years. Rightly Guided Khilafat was established on the precepts of Muhammad’s Prophethood. It then came to an end and despotic monarchial rule took place. And as we look at the Muslim world today, from Iraq to Syria, from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, we see nothing but coercive monarchial rule dominates.

Prophet Muhammad then completed the prophecy that once more, just as Khilafat would establish after his own Prophethood, Khilafat would re-establish on the precepts of a future prophethood. All Muslims agree that Muhammad was a Prophet, Khilafat was established after him, despotic rule then followed and coercive rule then followed and exists to this day.

So where is this khilafat, this Islamic leadership, on the precepts of prophethood that Prophet Muhammad promised?

Indeed, combing God’s Quranic promise and Prophet Muhammad’s prophetic promise, it is impossible to ignore the following facts: First, Khilafat will be re-established among the ummah. Second, God Himself will establish that Khilafat. Third, this promised Khilafat would be re-established just as it was first established –on the precepts of prophethood.

Well, why then did the letter world Muslim leaders wrote to al-Bhagdadi miss these clear Quranic and hadith injunctions? Perhaps it is because once more, Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy has been fulfilled down to the letter, a fact many Muslim leaders aren’t ready to admit.

In 1908, Syedna Mirza Ghulam Ahmad — who laid claim to be the awaited Messiah and Mahdi that Prophet Muhammad foretold (and thus a subordinate prophet to the Master Prophet Muhammad) — passed away. After Ahmad’s death, Khilafat was re-established on the precepts of prophethood, just as Prophet Muhammad promised and foretold 1400 years prior.

That Khilafat established in 1908 was the first time in Islamic history since the end of the Rightly Guided Khilafat, that any Khilafat was established upon the demise of a man who claimed to be God’s prophet. It is impossible that the blessing of prophethood and then khilafat could be bestowed on a false person, through a false prophecy, and still be successful.

On the contrary, this true Khilafat supported by the Quran & hadith was established in 1908 and has continued uninterrupted for now 107 years.

The current Khalifa is Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, fifth Khalifa of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. This true Khalifa leads the world’s single largest Muslim sect, with membership in tens of millions in 206 nations. Under the guidance of the Khalifa, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is also the world’s fastest growing Islamic sect.

This true Khalifa of Islam is uniting Muslims of all sects — Sunni, Shia, NOI and more, under one flag of peace. Ingrained in the Quran and hadith, this true Khilafat is an intellectual, spiritual and literal death blow to the barbarity and self-proclaimed falsehood that is Abu bakr al-Bahgdadi.

So this Ramadan we rejoice. We rejoice because we have yet another irrefutable proof of Prophet Muhammad’s truthfulness. And we rejoice because the Muslim ummah is once again blessed with the unifying power of Khilafat.

God has re-established Khilafat precisely as the Quran promises and exactly as Prophet Muhammad foretold. Muslims who accept this true Khalifa — whether they’re Syrian or Gazan, Egyptian or Saudi, whether they face persecution from other Muslims or not, all attest that for the first time in their lives they have peace and no fear.

They’ll also tell you that it is up to each individual to pray to God for guidance to seek that peace and discard their fear.

Indeed, there’s no better time to pray for God’s guidance than the final 10 days of Ramadan.

Qasim Rashid is an attorney and author of the #1 Amazon Best Seller on Islam, EXTREMIST. He’s a national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. Find him on Twitter @MuslimIQ and at facebook.com/TheWrongKindOfMuslim.