Caliphate: Implementation in Modern Time:

Caliphate Implementation in the Modern Time

Following points are noteworthy in this context:

System of Caliphate on the pattern Prophet-hood as a term is applicable to the establishment of state of Madina by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and also to the time of the rightly guided Caliphs, i.e. the first four caliphs of Islamic society/history after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). 

The Islamic caliphate will once again be established in the world according to the prophecies of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). 

However, the era of rightly guided caliphate will never be recreated as it was established for the first time. The substantiation of this argument would be as follows:

The age of rightly guided caliphate was an addendum or appendix of the age of the prophet hood itself and on Mohammad PBUH the institution of the prophet hood has come to an end.

The four rightly guided caliphs of Islam were trained and educated by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself, who had purified the souls of his companions to the utmost degree.

There was an unambiguous and clear cut hierarchy among the companions of the Holy Prophet PBUH as to who were the ten of them given the news of paradise in this life and who were the people of the first battle, “Badr” an so on.

Society at that time was tribal in character which meant that instead of having an adult franchise it was enough to take the opinions of elders of each clan.

Therefore, now, we should take the principles and ideas of the model of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the rightly guided caliphs, and then in- corporate these in the political institutions, that have been developed in the civilized contemporary world as a result of the continuous process of social evolution.

As far as the details of state and government functioning is concerned, there is no binding structure provided in fact, all the various forms of government that are in practice today are permissible in Islam. 

From the Islamic view point, it does not make much difference if the government is federal, con- federal, unitary, and rather it is parliamentary or presidential.

But there are basic principles and solid guidelines which are as follow with regard to the government frame work:

·      Sovereignty belongs to Almighty Allah alone.

·   No legislation can be done at any level which is totally or partially repugnant to the teachings of Quran and Sunnah; and

·   Full citizenship of the state is for Muslims only, while non-Muslims are a protected minority.