Times of Ahmad: Perspective: A Vibrant Islamic Caliphate Has Existed for the Past Century

Since the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 — which was no longer anything more than a symbolic figurehead — the only active Islamic Caliphate that has existed in the world for the past century has been the Ahmadiyya Caliphate,

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times / Op-Ed
By Tayyab Pirzada | July 1, 2014

With the declaration of a global 'Caliphate' by the Islamist group “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) now known simply as “Islamic State”, questions probably arise in the Western minds of what actually constitutes a Caliphate and what it means for the Muslim World. A caliphate is seen as a direct successorship to the Prophet Muhammad, so it is first and foremost a theological authority akin to the Catholic Papacy. Caliphate comes from the Arabic word Khilafah which means ‘successorship’. It refers to the undisputed successor of the Prophet Muhammad who is to be obeyed by all Muslims.

What people may not realize however, is that a global Islamic Caliphate has existed for the past century and not in a fashion in which people may think. In fact, the only Caliph of Islam to date, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, recently actually publicly condemned ISIS’ actions in Iraq. As opposed to the extremist 'Caliphate' announced by ISIS, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caliphate espouses a motto of “Love for All, Hatred for None”, and is sorely needed by the rest of the Muslim World today.

Firstly, the primary sources of Islamic theology promise a Caliphate as a doctrinal obligation among Muslims. The Qur’an says that “God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will make them Caliphs (successors) on the earth” (24:55). The Prophet Muhammad also predicted the coming of “Caliphate on prophetic methodology”, and after that a sort of political Caliphs, and finally “Caliphate on prophetic methodology” again. Sunni Muslims see the Rashidun Caliphs, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali as fulfillment of the prophecy of Prophetic Caliphate, while Shia Muslims see their twelve Imams as fulfillment of the prophecy.

Since the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 — which was no longer anything more than a symbolic figurehead — the only active Islamic Caliphate that has existed in the world for the past century has been the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, and its head is known as the Khalifa-tul Masīh (‘Caliph of the Messiah’) in Arabic. Caliph V, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, is the fifth and current Caliph of Islam as accepted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called him a ‘champion of peace’. Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird as well as Liberal Part of Canada Justin Trudeau have both personally met him. He is the only Muslim leader to deliver a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels which was about “responding to the challenge of extremism.” He also delivered a speech at United States Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. attended by politicians of both Republican and Democratic parties, in which he outlined the Islamic solution to peace and condemned American foreign policy in which they extract resources from Muslim countries while initiating war.

He has also sent letters of warning to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran as well as the Grand Ayatollah of Iran, Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Pope Benedict XVI, President Barack Obama of the USA, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President François Hollande of France, Premier Wen Jiabao of China, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia urging them to create peace in the world to avoid a World War III, which he thinks is imminent from the current situation in the world.

He has recently also vehemently condemned the atrocities of ISIS and said recently in a press interview that “the actions and statements of ISIS, who pretend to represent Islam run entirely contrary to Islam.” He continued to state that:

“Extremist Islamic groups and the so-called Caliphate that extremists are trying to establish in the Middle East are a complete betrayal of the true peaceful teachings of Islam and will never succeed. These groups have attached their own cruel ambitions to an institution (Caliphate) that in reality seeks to champion the rights of all people.

Let me make it clear that the institution of Caliphate leading the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has no interest in power or government. Rest assured that true Caliphate has no worldly or political objectives.

So this is the Islamic Caliphate that has existed stably for over a century, and did not require any bullets or killing to establish! Rest assured the Western world does not need to fear from this Caliphate as it presents a motto of “Love for All, Hatred for None” and values the separation of church and state. Canada in particular, remembers when Caliph IV, His Holiness Mirza Tahir Ahmad – now deceased – on his visit to Canada said “may Canada become the whole world and the whole world become Canada!”

--------------------
Tayyab Pirzada a neuroscience student at the University of Toronto. He has been published as a regular writer to the editor in many national newspapers across Canada for the past three years, including the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, National Post, Globe and Mail, and others.

-- Perspective: Islam Caliphate Has Existed for the Past Century

This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Ahmadiyya Times.