Hafiz Yunus Omotayo, Missionary, Nigeria
We are currently passing through a challenging time in which humanity is stuck in precarious, tribulation-laden situations. Where, from Washington to Moscow, and from London to Beijing, the world is rife with a crisis of power imbalance and power struggles among the domineering world leaderships and powers, pushing the world to the brink of a world war.
True, we are living in a disturbing time where inhumanity is trumping over humanity and materialism over spirituality, where the forces of atheistic humanism and trans-humanism are seeking to ban the presence and influence of religion and of God from the world He, Himself, created. And, ultimately, where the growing global socio-economic and geo-political crises are deepening the experiences of instabilities and deprivations and lack of peace and security across the world, from Palestine and Ukraine, to Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, among others.
More particularly, it is such a difficult time where the Muslim world, declared by the Quran as “the best community raised for the good of mankind” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.113), is currently divided against itself, with each of its constituents at loggerheads with the other. It is presently wallowing in the whirlpool of moral, spiritual, intellectual, social, economic and political crises. More appallingly, it is locked in devastating intra-religious ideological skirmishes, inter-state and inter-community feuds and wars and inter-sect rivalries and hostilities.
This abysmal scenario highlights the question: why is our world, particularly the Muslim world, in disarray? And the answer is not far-fetched: it is, frankly, as a result of the absence of an Islamically established global leadership system within the mainstream Muslim world.
No doubt, in a demanding time like ours, there is no gainsaying the relevance of having conversations on an important injunction of Islam: the need to hold fast to the rope of Allah. This is an apt and compelling desideratum, whose importance, in turn, justifies the rationale and relevance of this write-up.
Rope, in the language of the Holy Quran, translates to habl. And habl, according to authoritative Arabic lexicons, means a rope or cord or anything with which a thing is tied or made fast; a bond or cause of union or link of connection, such as a bond of love or friendship; mutual connection by such a bond; a covenant or compact; an obligation by which one becomes responsible for the safety of a person or thing; a promise or assurance of security or safety; an artery, vein or verve (Arabic-English Lexicon by EW Lane). It also means alliance and protection (Aqrab al-Mawarid by Sa’īd al-Khauri al-Shartūti).
To safeguard and protect the Muslim world against the current abysmal state of its affairs, in the Holy Quran, Allah enjoins the Muslims thus:
“And hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah and be not divided; and remember the favour of Allah which He bestowed upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts in love so that by His grace you became as brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus, does Allah explain to you His commandments that you may be guided.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.104).
The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said that, “The Book of Allah (i.e. the Quran) is the strong rope of Allah which has been extended from the heavens to the earth.” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3788)
“Broadly speaking,” writes Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, in his exegesis of the foregoing Quranic verse, “there are three things which may be taken to have been here meant by the rope of God, by holding fast to which Muslims may remain united and be safe against disunion and disruption: (1) the Quran; (2) the Messenger of God; (3) the Successors to the Messenger of God.” (Five Volume Commentary [2002], Vol. 2, p. 433)
Of course, while the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (the practice) of the Holy Prophetsa would continue to remain preserved till the end of life on earth, the continuity of the physical presence of the Holy Prophetsa was not guaranteed by the law of death. Alternatively, however, through the wisdom and grace of Allah, the Muslim world was destined to continue to feel the presence of the Holy Prophetsa through the chosen Successors that would be appointed through the divinely established institution of Khilafat to lead the Muslim world, as long as the Muslims collectively fulfil the conditions set for its establishment. In this context, Allah declares:
“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.” (Surah an-Nur, Ch.24: V.56)
Alongside this promise of Allah, the Holy Prophetsa also prophesied:
“Prophethood shall remain among you for as long as Allah will. He will then cause it to end. Then a Khilafat (Caliphate) will be established in the footsteps of prophethood which will last for as long as Allāh wills. He will then cause it to end. Kinghood will follow which will inflict great pain and misery on its subjects. Its rule will last for as long as Allah wills. He will then cause it to end. After this, tyrannical monarchies will follow. Their rule will last for as long as Allah wills. Then He will cause it to end. The Khilafat will be re-established in the footsteps of prophethood. Thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa became silent.” (Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 5, Hadith 17939)
It is thought-provoking to note that, based on the foregoing Quranic and Prophetic prophecies, in the wake of the event of the death of the Holy Prophetsa and the ensuing atmosphere of heart-rending fear and grief that gripped the Companionsra, coupled with the heavy cloud of anarchy and uncertainties that had overshadowed the sudden headless state of the Muslim world of the time, the Companionsra did not let the day pass before electing a Khalifa of Rasul Allah (Successor of the Messenger of Allah).
In The Will, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi and the Founder of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, recapitulated the historic development that trailed the death of the Holy Prophetsa:
“This is […] what happened at the time of Hadhrat Abu Bakrra. The death of the Holy Prophetsa was considered untimely and many ignorant Bedouins turned apostate. The companions of the Holy Prophetsa were consumed with grief. At that critical hour Allah made Hadhrat Abu Bakrra stand firm and through him He once again showed a manifestation of His Power. Islam was thus saved from annihilation and His following promise was fulfilled, which said: ‘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. (Surah Al-Nur, Ch.24: V.56).” (The Will [1997], pp.9-10)
The institution of Khilafat was, thus, established to succeed and sustain the blessings of the Prophethood of Muhammadsa. Notably, beginning with the period of Abu Bakrra and through those of Umar bin Khattabra, Uthman bin ‘Affanra and Ali bn Abi Talibra, the affairs of the Muslim world were steered by a single Khalifa who safeguarded their moral and spiritual tenacity, administered justice, settled internal disputes and conflicts, maintained law and order, interfaced in their international relations with other worlds and spread the Islamic religion across the then known world. The Muslim world lived in happiness, peace and security, and gloried in prosperity, stability, development and progress.
It is indisputable that the above-noted historical fact, among other implications, clearly demonstrates a powerful point that underscores the necessity of Khilafat as a rope of Allah to which all members of the Muslim world must always cling. This is because not only does it connect humanity with the Divine, but it also facilitates the unity, cohesion, solidarity and brotherhood of the Muslim world under a divinely established leadership.
Sadly, the generations of Muslims that succeeded the golden epoch of the Rightly Guided Khilafat showed ungratefulness to and rebellion against the pristine Khilafat system earlier established. Consequently, the Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood was replaced by the despotic kinghood, and decades later, by tyrannical monarchies which extended for centuries, in different nomenclatures (Caliphate, Imamate, Sultanate), forms, scopes and regions, until 1924 when the Turkish Uthmaniyya (Ottoman) Caliphate was abolished by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. Today, over a century later, the mainstream Muslim world has continued to fail in its various efforts aimed at re-establishing Khilafat to bring back the ideal Islamic leadership system for Muslims and their unity, solidarity, cohesion, brotherhood, prosperity, peace, security and development in the world.
At this juncture, it is essential to note that, by the first decade of the 20th century – precisely on 27 May 1908 – when the sun of the ultimate collapse of the Turkish Caliphate was beginning to set on the horizon of its beleaguered empire, Allah the Almighty reinstituted Khilafat on the footstep of prophethood as earlier prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa. However, this time around, the fulfilment was divinely materialised within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat – an Islamic revival and Missionary movement established in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas in whose person the Quranic and prophetic prophecies of the advent of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi were fulfilled.
Ever since then, the world has continued to witness unbroken peaceful successions of five eras of the divinely chosen Khulafa (Caliphs), beginning with Hazrat Hakeem Noor-ud-Deenra (1908-1914), followed by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra (1914-1965), then Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh (1965-1982), Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh (1982-2003), and presently we are in the blessed era of the Fifth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, may Allah be his Helper.
Importantly, over a century since the institution of this Khilafat, it has established Islam in all corners of the world through the establishment of missions and mosques across 210 countries and territories. It has translated the Holy Quran into and published it in about 80 world languages. In addition, thousands of Islamic literary works have been published in various languages.
In 1992, this Khilafat established the first Islamic satellite TV channel (MTA) in the world and, thereafter, an Islamic website (www.alislam.org) to propagate the pristine, peaceful teachings of Islam. It has built over 30 hospitals and clinics and over 500 schools across many countries. Its international humanitarian NGO – Humanity First International – is recognised by the United Nations and has been providing humanitarian services globally, regardless of recipients’ religious, racial, ethnic or political backgrounds.
This Khilafat has continued to make its presence, influence and impacts felt across the world by constantly providing leadership direction to world governments, leaders and their citizens; proffering viable Islamic guidance aimed at solving contemporary issues; and establishing initiatives and schemes for world educational, religious, social, economic, political, communal, and environmental development, peace, security and progress. Above all, it has been striving vibrantly and impactfully to re-establish moral and spiritual values and to reunite humanity with its Creator, the Divine.
In light of this re-institution of Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood for the contemporary Muslim world, and the positive impacts it is perpetually making within and outside the Muslim world, it is imperative that members of the mainstream Muslim world should earnestly hold fast by this rope of Allah in our time in response to the divine commandment that Muslims should cling to the rope of Allah and be not divided.