7.1.1 DEFINITION OF KHILAFAT, mafhuum al khilafat

Discussed here is khalifat al llaah ala al ardh and not khalifat rasuul al laah. The former is generic for all humans and the latter is only for political leaders. Success of the human as a khalifah is judged by 2 criteria: preventing evil, mani’u al fasaad, and preventing the spilling of blood, mani’u safk al dimaau. Based on its criteria, khilafat has a very wide scope that embraces all human endeavors including relations of the human with the creator, with fellow humans, with other living things, and with the whole eco-system. Khilafat is an honor for humans who were set upon the earth to build a civilization. Allah prepared humans for the duty of khilafat: He made the earth subservient to humans, taskhiir al ardh li al insaan, gave humans an intellect and a free will. Khilafat is a trust, amanat and accountability.

7.1.2 ADAM AS THRE FIRST KHALIFAT

7.1.3 PROPHETS AS MODELS OF KHILAFAT

The Qur’an told the stories of various prophets as models of khilafat: Adam, Idris, Ibrahim and his sons (Ismail and Ishaq), Nuh, Salih, Shu’aib, Yunus, Lut, Hud, Musa, Harun, Daud, Sulaiman, Isa, and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them).

7.1.4 THE RIGHTEOUS, salihiin, & REFORMERS, muslihiin AS MODELS OF KHILAFAT

The righteous were Luqman, Dhi al Kifli, al Samiriyyi, Dhu al Qarnain, and Khidhr. Believing men are described in general by the Qur’an as the mujahidiin, the fearful of Allah, the callers to the good, the strivers towards the good, the truthful, the clean, and the believers. The Qur’an told stories of specific groups of believing men: people of the cave, the believing man from the village, a believing man from the people of Musa, and the believing man among the people of Pharaoh. The Qur’an described specific righteous women as the mothers of the believers, the wife of Ibrahim, the wife of Zakariyyah, the wife of Omran, the wife of Pharaon, the righteous woman, the 2 daughters of Shu’aib, Maryam, and the wife of Paharoh. The khulafa al rashidiin were among the righteous.  Scholar reformers all over the world were also models of khilafat.

7.1.5 THE TRANSGRESSORS AS FAILURE OF KHILAFAT

The transgressors are iblis, the taghoot, the rich and powerful, and the unbelievers. Iblis had arrogance. He refused to bow to Adam and subsequently led him astray. He is an enemy of humans. He causes waswasat in humans. He leads people astray. The Qur’an gave examples of taghoot such as Nimrod, Pharaon, Dhu Nuwaas. The rich and powerful were Qarun, Haman, Jalut, Abu Lahab, and Abu Jahal. The unbelievers were people of Lut, owners of the garden, companions of the garden, people of the elephant, the wife of Lut, wife of Nuh, and the carrier of firewood.