Izalatul Khafa'an Khilafatul Khulafa
Encyclopedia
Izalat al-Khafa'an Khilafat al-Khulfa (lit. 'Removal of Ambiguity about the Caliphate of the [Early] Caliphs') is a book by the Islamic scholar Shah Waliullah
in the Persian
.
) as this extraordinary book of Shah Wali Allah Dehelvi. This model of the khilafat was realized in history and concretized in the pious reign of the successors of the Prophet
Muhammad
immediately after his demise. In accord with the consensus of the majority of Muslim
scholars throughout the ages, Shah Wali Allah also recognises the constitutional pattern of statecraft developed by the earliest successors of the Prophet during the first three decades to be the ideal pattern of an Islamic state always and everywhere.
In Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa, Shah Wali Allah attempts to demonstrate the fundamental importance of this early model of Khiliifah, as one of the cardinal principles of Religion
. Explaining the purpose of writing this book in its preface, he says:
Therefore, although this work chiefly constitutes an argument for the normative value and authentic character of the early Khildfah, nonetheless the author in expatiating on this argument, has also delved deep in explaining the conceptual framework of the institution of khildfah in Islam. Hence, Izalat al-Khafa had generally been regarded as one of the main sources of Shah Wali Allah's political thought ever since its first publication in 1286 A.H.
their transmission and confirmation by these early authorities. Besides, no instrument of resolving the seemingly conflicting traditions is available to us except our reliance on their verdicts. In all the above areas, the early authorities have strictly followed the acts and utterances of these Caliphs. Also the compilation of the Qur'an and a consensus on its authentic reading was accomplished by the efforts of the early caliphs and under their supervision and guidance. Moreover, detailed rules with regard to the institution of the judiciary, the penal ordinances of the shari'ah and the provisions in other fields of public law are based on their opinions and rulings. From these premises, Shah Wali Allah arrives at the -0nc1usion that: "Whoever attempts to break away from this root (i.e. the early khilafah), he indeed seeks to obliterate the entire corpus of the Religious Sciences."
and Khilafah Khassah. Part one further deals with the arguments for the validity of the early caliphate
model and reconciles between the two apparently conflicting views with regard to the discretionary or mandatory character of khilafat. Part one also presents a detailed explanation of the relevant injunctions of the Qur'an
and the Hadith
on the basis of which Shah Wali Allah upholds the obligatory nature of the khilafah/Khilafat. He then defines various modes of installation of the khalifah/khilafat, his requisite qualifications, functions and duties and mutual relations between him and the people in general.
Shah Wali Allah then proceeds to discuss the main ingredients of the early normative model, i.e. khilafah khassah. This term has been adopted by Shah Wali Allah to denote the textual evidence in favour of the four immediate successors of the Prophet, as distinct from the Caliphs who came after them. He explains its mandatory character and substantiates it by citing a large number of verses and traditions that have a bearing on various aspects of the khilafah khassah.
Then he undertakes a historical appreciation of the role of khilafah in the growth, progress and advancement of Islam
's mission and the profound impact of its rich culture and universal civilisation on humanity, which was realised through the agency of khilafah during the various stages of its history.
In passing, Shah Wali Allah also surveys the rise and fall of the Muslim society during the different phases of caliphal history which, according to him, had always been commensurate with the degree of conformity or conflict between the pattern of khilafah and the criteria provided by the early normative model.
Again in the second part, Shah Wali Allah presents an in-depth study of the verses of the Qur'an and the Prophet's traditions that allude to the high status of the four caliphs in general and the first two among them in particular, either explicitly or implicitly. To this end, he not only interprets the relevant texts (nusus), but also marshals additional evidence from the generally accepted principles of jurisprudence with regard to the interpretation of texts to support and substantiate his contentions. In this process, he takes notice of the many objections, real as well as hypothetical, that can be raised against these interpretations and then refutes them. He also refutes many political and theological doctrines of the Shi'ah by adducing traditional and rational arguments and controverts their assertions that belittle the status of these Companions and Successors of the Prophet.
, Hazrat Umar
, Hazrat Uthman
and Hazrat Ali
- the four great calphs of Khulafa-e-Rashida(see:Rashidun Caliphate
). Further, he highlights their singular role in the reformation and guidance of the society and the expansion and promotion of the universal mission of Islam in their times. In addition to these aspects and dimensions of these personalities, Shah Wali Allah also throws light on the intellectual and academic contribution of the Companions of the Prophet, particularly in the fields of the Qur'an, Hadith, law, jurisprudence, international relations, Arabic language and spiritual guidance. All these constitute, according to Shah Wali Allah, an extension of the mission undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad
.
. They include Tafsir
, Hadith
, Fiqh
, Usul al-Fiqh
, 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam
(scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar.
Shah Waliullah
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi was an Islamic scholar and reformer. He was born during the reign of Aurangzeb. He worked for the revival of Muslim rule and intellectual learning in South Asia, during a time of waning Muslim power...
in the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
Overview
In the Islamic tradition perhaps only a few works are as remarkable for having so comprehensively and systematically expounded the normative model of the Khilafat(CaliphateCaliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
) as this extraordinary book of Shah Wali Allah Dehelvi. This model of the khilafat was realized in history and concretized in the pious reign of the successors of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
immediately after his demise. In accord with the consensus of the majority of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
scholars throughout the ages, Shah Wali Allah also recognises the constitutional pattern of statecraft developed by the earliest successors of the Prophet during the first three decades to be the ideal pattern of an Islamic state always and everywhere.
In Izalat al-Khafa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa, Shah Wali Allah attempts to demonstrate the fundamental importance of this early model of Khiliifah, as one of the cardinal principles of Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. Explaining the purpose of writing this book in its preface, he says:
In this age, the heretic credulity of people has lent itself to the influence of the doctrines of the Shi'ah so much so that many people in this country entertain doubts regarding the validity of the installation of the Orthodox Caliphs. Therefore, Divine favour radiated the heart of this humble servant with a knowledge. It established with certainty the conviction that the accession to the caliphal office (khilafah) by these early elders of Islam was one of the cardinal principles of Religion. Without strict adherence to this principle, no other principle of the shari'ah could be sustained on any firm ground.
Therefore, although this work chiefly constitutes an argument for the normative value and authentic character of the early Khildfah, nonetheless the author in expatiating on this argument, has also delved deep in explaining the conceptual framework of the institution of khildfah in Islam. Hence, Izalat al-Khafa had generally been regarded as one of the main sources of Shah Wali Allah's political thought ever since its first publication in 1286 A.H.
Intellectual view points in the book
While Shah Wali Allah's treatment of this subject in the 'Buzur' and the 'Hujjah' is mainly metaphysical and juridical, his discussion in Izalat al-Khafa is focused on the actualisation of the sociopolitical ideals of Islam in history. From this historical analysis Shah Wali Allah derives the applied principles of state and government. There was another significant pragmatic motive in this academic undertaking on the part of Shah Wali Allah: it addressed an intellectual issue of contemporaneous relevance for his time. As we have noted in his own remarks cited above, Shah Wali Allah felt inspired to write this book in order to dispel the doubts cast on the institution of Caliphate under the influence of the 'Shi'a' theologians who questioned the validity of the early caliphal era as a normative model for the socio-political ideals of Islam in history. This perhaps explains why he chose to articulate his views in Persian, the 'lingua franca' of the Muslim intelligentia of India at that time. For a number of his other works, however, he preferred Arabic, as in the case of the Buzur and the Hujjah, apparently because these works were primarily addressed to specialists in the Islamic lore all over the Muslim world whose intellectual medium of communication had always been Arabic.Preface of
Izalat al-Khafa Explaining the significance of his endeavour in the preface of Izalat al-Khafa, Shah Wali Allah substantiates his contention that the conviction about the valid caliphal authority of the four early caliphs was one of the cardinal principles of Religion. In this connection, he argues that a large body of injunctions contained in the Qur'an was brief and summarily expressed. Their full understanding and wider ramifications compel recourse to explanations and commentaries of the early pious authorities (salaf salih). Further, for their interpretation we have to fall back on the traditions. These traditions cannot be admitted as an authentic record of the Prophet's exemplary pattern (sunnah) nor relied upon in juridical arguments, withouttheir transmission and confirmation by these early authorities. Besides, no instrument of resolving the seemingly conflicting traditions is available to us except our reliance on their verdicts. In all the above areas, the early authorities have strictly followed the acts and utterances of these Caliphs. Also the compilation of the Qur'an and a consensus on its authentic reading was accomplished by the efforts of the early caliphs and under their supervision and guidance. Moreover, detailed rules with regard to the institution of the judiciary, the penal ordinances of the shari'ah and the provisions in other fields of public law are based on their opinions and rulings. From these premises, Shah Wali Allah arrives at the -0nc1usion that: "Whoever attempts to break away from this root (i.e. the early khilafah), he indeed seeks to obliterate the entire corpus of the Religious Sciences."
Concepts of Khilafah Ammah & Khilafah Khassah
After a brief preface, Shah Wali Allah divides this work into two parts. Part one discusses the conceptual foundations and legal and constitutional framework of the khilafat, with its two categories of Khilafah AmmahKhilafah Ammah
Khilafah Ammah is a type of Islamic governmental concept introduced by Shah Waliullah in his book Izalatul Khafa'an Khilafatul Khulafa.In that book he introduces a unique classification of khilafah into 'Ammah' and 'Khassah'...
and Khilafah Khassah. Part one further deals with the arguments for the validity of the early caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
model and reconciles between the two apparently conflicting views with regard to the discretionary or mandatory character of khilafat. Part one also presents a detailed explanation of the relevant injunctions of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and the Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
on the basis of which Shah Wali Allah upholds the obligatory nature of the khilafah/Khilafat. He then defines various modes of installation of the khalifah/khilafat, his requisite qualifications, functions and duties and mutual relations between him and the people in general.
Shah Wali Allah then proceeds to discuss the main ingredients of the early normative model, i.e. khilafah khassah. This term has been adopted by Shah Wali Allah to denote the textual evidence in favour of the four immediate successors of the Prophet, as distinct from the Caliphs who came after them. He explains its mandatory character and substantiates it by citing a large number of verses and traditions that have a bearing on various aspects of the khilafah khassah.
Then he undertakes a historical appreciation of the role of khilafah in the growth, progress and advancement of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
's mission and the profound impact of its rich culture and universal civilisation on humanity, which was realised through the agency of khilafah during the various stages of its history.
In passing, Shah Wali Allah also surveys the rise and fall of the Muslim society during the different phases of caliphal history which, according to him, had always been commensurate with the degree of conformity or conflict between the pattern of khilafah and the criteria provided by the early normative model.
The second part of Izalat al-Khafa
This part deals with those aspects of the lives of the four early caliphs which point to the singularly excellent virtues (fada'il) that make their political conduct an exemplary pattern in statecraft. Thus this work adopts a dual approach, one that combines the juridical and historical treatment of the subject. Further, it sets out to refute the political doctrines of the Shi'ah. This is not only the central theme of the book, but also the main motive of this study. Additionally, the book has a pronounced scholastic orientation.Again in the second part, Shah Wali Allah presents an in-depth study of the verses of the Qur'an and the Prophet's traditions that allude to the high status of the four caliphs in general and the first two among them in particular, either explicitly or implicitly. To this end, he not only interprets the relevant texts (nusus), but also marshals additional evidence from the generally accepted principles of jurisprudence with regard to the interpretation of texts to support and substantiate his contentions. In this process, he takes notice of the many objections, real as well as hypothetical, that can be raised against these interpretations and then refutes them. He also refutes many political and theological doctrines of the Shi'ah by adducing traditional and rational arguments and controverts their assertions that belittle the status of these Companions and Successors of the Prophet.
More description of Second part.......
Shah Wali Allah also presents, in the second part of Izalat al-Khafa', various authentic reports contained in the collections of traditions and in the annals of Islamic history. He supplements these reports with his profound analytical comments that go to prove the extraordinarily high moral, ethical and spiritual conduct of the early Caliphs like Hazrat Abu BakrAbu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
, Hazrat Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
, Hazrat Uthman
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....
and Hazrat Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
- the four great calphs of Khulafa-e-Rashida(see:Rashidun Caliphate
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
). Further, he highlights their singular role in the reformation and guidance of the society and the expansion and promotion of the universal mission of Islam in their times. In addition to these aspects and dimensions of these personalities, Shah Wali Allah also throws light on the intellectual and academic contribution of the Companions of the Prophet, particularly in the fields of the Qur'an, Hadith, law, jurisprudence, international relations, Arabic language and spiritual guidance. All these constitute, according to Shah Wali Allah, an extension of the mission undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
Other works
Shah Waliullah was a prolific writer and addressed a wide range of subjects related to Islamic studiesIslamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
. They include Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
, Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
, Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, Usul al-Fiqh
Usul al-fiqh
Uṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
, 'Aqa'id (beliefs), Kalam
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
(scholastics), philosophy, Tasawwuf (spiritual sciences), history, biography, Arabic poetry, and grammar.