In recent times not a day goes by without a new trial emerging and a new part of the Muslim Ummah facing tests. When we read the news of Muslims being oppressed in Palestine, Syria, Burma, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Yemen, Europe, CAR and so on, the situation can seem bleak with no respite in sight. However, it is at times like these when we must become closer to the Qur’an as it soothes the hearts and provides good news to the believers.
In most Muslim countries today the ruler and his extended family are some of the wealthiest individuals in the nation and in some instances even the world.
According to the official 2006 Forbes rich list of world leaders, the top three richest leaders are in Muslim countries.
Islam and Freedom of speech has become a contentious issue in recent times. The limits of what is, and what is not, acceptable speech is becoming a new battleground between Islam and the west. The issue came to a head in September 2005 a few days before Ramadan when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten printed insulting and blasphemous cartoons of our noble Prophet ﷺ.
The position of non-Muslims living under Islamic rule (dhimmi) is a widely misunderstood topic. Those wishing to attack Islam and its systems portray Islam’s treatment of the dhimmi as worse than its treatment of animals. Historical incidents where dhimmi suffered persecution at particular times are generalised and quoted out of context in order to back up their claims.
Abdul Waheed Majeed’s martyrdom operation where he freed hundreds of Muslim prisoners in Aleppo is condemned by Britain as ‘terrorism’. Yet there are many examples of British soldiers who undertook suicidal missions during WWII and they are labelled as heroes and receive the highest praise. One such example is James Conway, a British marine who undertook a suicide mission against the Nazis in WWII.
There are three reasons the Caliph cannot be removed by the army in a Caliphate.
1- The army is cultured in the Islamic ideology which it works to protect and propagate. Islam is the sole reason for its existence and what gives it motivation and life.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
“O you who believe! Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when He calls you to what will bring you to life!”
(Al-Anfaal, 8:24)
It is a contractual condition for the Caliph to be upright/just/trustworthy (‘Adl) and it is not allowed for him to be a transgressor (fasiq). The evidence for this contractual condition is from the Qu’ran where Allah سبحانه وتعالى stipulates that a witness must be upright.
There are seven contractual conditions that must be fulfilled before someone can become a Caliph of the Muslims. One of these is maturity i.e. above the age of puberty. The evidence for this is from the sunnah.
This timeline outlines the names of all the Caliphs. Later editions will also include important historical events that took place under each Caliph.
There is no dispute that the burial of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the best man who ever lived and greatest of all the prophets, was delayed. However, confusion may arise over the reasons for this delay and how to view the Sahabah’s actions who collectively consented to this delay. When answering this question it’s important we base our answer on textual evidence and not cite reasons from our minds.
Islamic Civilization 