Rank & Authority of the Khalifa

Rank & Authority of the Khalifa
In this world we see, People makes thier own rules & regulations for thier own inventions. They consider different ranks for different kinds of people. They may be wrong. They may give high rank to such a person who is not high in status in the eyes of God. or They may give low rank to such a person who is high in status in the eyes of God. So, the acts and thoughts of the people may be wrong.

But when we talk about the Holy book Quran. we as an Ahmadi Muslims believe that Quran can never be wrong in any statement. If Allah has given high rank (status) to someone. No one can change it. So, Allah has given a special type of high Rank (status) and Powers (authority) to the person who is mentioned in sura al-nur verse 56. in the word "Khalifa".

That person is chosen by God, through election or without election of Muslims. in both cases the person is known to be the Khalifa and rejecting him will makes you Fasiq.

In case of election, a person is elected by a group of Muslims. But In case of without election. Person is identified by his works which he has done in favor of ISLAM. like, Mujaddids مجدد who appears at the beginning of every century, this is prophesiced by the Holy prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Mujaddid may be one or more than one at the same time. There are many Mujaddids who are appeared in the Ummah, like Hadhrat Shah Wali Ullah, Hadhrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Hadhrat Imam Al-Ghazali, Hadhrat Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Hadhrat Imam Abu Hanifa, Hadhrat Muhi’yuddeen Muhammad ibn Arabi and many more. (complete list can be found here). So, these all Mujaddids have the same rank, status and authority which is proved by the Quranic verse Sura Al-nur: verse 56. Because, they are included in the word "Khalifa". as Hadhrat Promised Messiah has said;

"It should be remembered that the mujaddids do not add anything to the religion, nor take anything away from it; they reinstate lost faith in the hearts. And to say that it is not obligatory to believe in the mujaddids is to deviate from the command of God because He says: "And whoever disbelieves after this, they are the transgressors" (24:56), i.e. after the sending of the khalifas, whoever remains a denier of them, he is among the transgressors".
(Shahadat ul quran. by Promised Messiah, page: 48)

It means Mujaddids are included in the word "Khalifa" mentioned in Sura Al-nur: verse 56. So, their status and Powers (authority) is not less than the Khalifas of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

We as an Ahmadi Muslims believe that our Khalifa is the Imam of the age. He is Hakm Adl حکم عدل. He is appointed by Allah. So the same attributes are applicable on the Mujaddids.

So, Khilafat is not something which is only limted with the Time of the Promised Messiah, or the time of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). It was exist throughout 14 hundred years, in the form of Mujaddids. as Promised Messiah said;

"The person who accepts the khilafat of only thirty years ignores its real object through his folly. He does not know that it was most certainly not God’s purpose that it is only essential to continue the blessings of apostleship after the Holy Prophet’s death through the khalifas for a mere thirty years, and after that He would not care a whit even if the world was facing destruction.""Can sound sense propose the despicable idea about the Merciful, Kind God, that He cared about this Muslim people for only thirty years and then left them wandering permanently, and the light which from ancient days He had been showing within the followers of previous prophets in the mirror of khilafat, He did not approve of showing for this people? Most certainly not."
(Shahadat ul quran. by Promised Messiah, page: 58)

So, the style of working or the mission of Mujaddid and Khalifatul-Masih may be vary. because one is a khalifa through election, and another is a khalifa without election. But thier status and rank and Powers (authority) is equal and same, because both are included in the word "khalifa" as mentioned in Sura al-nur verse 56.

So It is Allah who makes up the Powers (authority) and status of the Khalifa. It is not any Human, it is not any Prophet, it is not any reformer. It is only Allah.

Now, if some one ask, What are those Powers (authority) which Khalifa or Mujaddid can use it on the Muslim Ummah. Then the answer would be found in the islamic shariyah. We all know that Islam is a complete Deen. as Allah has said in the Quran. الیوم اکملت لکم دینکم so, the answer must be mentioned by "Complete Deen". Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said; that "After me, you will face some Ekhtelaf اختلاف in the Ummah. Sahaba ask; then what should we do at that time? Prophet said; Hold tightly my sunnah and the sunnah of Khulafa-e-Rashideen." So, this Hadith shows that the concept of Hadhrat Abu Bakr, Hadhrat Umar, Hadhrat Usman, and Hadhrat Ali about the Powers (authority) of the Khalifa, is the Best example for the future Khalifas. No one can say that Khulafa-e-Rashideen were Mistaken about the "Concept of Powers (authority) of the Khalifa". because, they were better aware about Islamic teachings more than us. So, the answer can be found in the Sunnah of Hadhrat Abu Bakr, Hadhrat Umar, Hadhrat Usman, and Hadhrat Ali. How did they implement Islamic Law and teachings in Muslims and non-muslims? How did they interact or deal with Muslims in various circumstances? We should try to find out their answers in their History and sunnah.