Is a Muslim Caliphate possible today?

Caliphate system is possible these days only when we, the Muslims, follow Islam strictly and completely.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

Yes Khilafat is very much possible. In political terms, it is simply exercising the right to conduct the affairs of the state/ummah in compliance with shariah, as laid down by ALLAH.

But a few things need to be understood in this respect. First, Khilafat is not an individual's prerogative but a collective prerogative of the Muslim state. While prophets where there, for they were more supreme than their contemporaries, they were appointed by ALLAH as the Khalifas in their respective nations/ummahs. Khilafat then was vested in the Prophets and this continued till the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Since prophets were no more and a pristine deen/shariah was there to follow now, and the silsila of prophethood obsolete now, with ordinary men and women and a complete code of life, khilafat was to be treated as a collective concept where the whole Ummah chooses one man they consider best to serve as khalifah among them.

Contrary to the common belief that Khalifat is an autocratic or authoritarian system of government with one man rule, it is very democratic in nature, especially when seen in context of Islam's emphasis on equality in all the walks of life. Islam puts no restriction upon what should be the form of government. It can be parliamentary or presidential, federation or auntonomous units, anything! The only restriction Islam imposes is that the law of the land is to be circumscribed by Shariah, the basic rules laid down by ALLAH. Having a parliament or not, having one house or two houses, having executive and judiciary or not, this is all the concerned state's prerogative.

Another misconception about Khilafat is that there can be only one Khalifah in the whole Muslim world. This is not true. Today's world is divided into many states and nationalism is a concept very much still in place. In this case, every state can have its own khilafat. This is what I believe. Any correction shall be highly appreciated.

Another pertinent point is that people tend to refer to Khulafaye- Rashideen's era of Khilafat, declaring it the MOST successful model of the state. This unfortunately is not true. There is no shame in accepting one's shortcomings. Khulafaye Rashideen's structure of government was not very strong one. Various organs of the state were not very well defined and consistently overlapped. There was no written constitution. What they had was Shariah and they were fortunate enough to have been in the company of the best of men- Prophet PBUH- who had instilled in them such strength of character that with their sheer dedication to the cause of Islam and personal integrity that their era is considered to be the era of well-being of the common man. Khilafat is not at all about Khalifa's roaming in the streets at night to stay in touch with the people's afflictions. It was Sahaba's fear of ALLAH, the realization of the vested responsibilities and the love for their fellow men. In fact Hazrrat Umar (RA)'s era is considered to be the best (It is my own perception. I am open and respectful to any difference of opinion)when Arab became a welfare state. This does not mean that Umar (RA) was more pious than Abubakar (RA) as only ALLAH knows that, but it was because institutions began to develop in Hazrat Umar (RA)'s era. There were wide-ranging political and economic reforms which translated into a model state of that time.

After Khulafaye Rashideen, the office of Khalifa became more of a throne. Dynastic rule and squabble for power became the hall mark of Muslim politics and gains made during earlier rules were lost to inefficient and debached rulers. Rather than democratising the affairs and devolving the power, power concentration took place and a few dynasties ruled huge swathes of land ranging from Afghanistan to Algeria and Spain. The king of the dynasty was the de-jure Khalifa. Be it Umayyad dynasty or Abbasids, with the exception of a few able men, most of the rulers remained involved more in maintaing Harems and conquests rather than benefitting people.

If we possess character of Khulafaye- Rashidden, if we follow Quran and Sunnah in letter and spirit, plus if we adopt the fruits and gains of scientific revolution and couple it with the cause of Islam, there are no two opinions that Khilafat can not only be restored but lead to a prosperous future.

Any corrections shall be appreciated.

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"And how can man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his Gods?"

aoa sir...excellent post...i have read your post many times and still i want to read it more...every word is worth.....wow excellent...accepting our legacies....the true concept of khalifate....later on monarchy.... everything is more than perfect.and the way to achieve khilafat ..that is amazing..
quran and suunah with true spirit
plus advanced education...keep your horses ready wala concept
and the final righteousness
....thankxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx alot sir gee,,,,

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I CAN....I WILL

thanks for a useful and execellent post

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Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.