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ISLAMIC HISTORY : THE FOUR RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS: ABŪ BAKR, ‘UMAR IBN AL-KHAṬṬĀB, ‘UTHMĀN IBN ‘AFFĀN AND ‘ALI IBN ABĪ ṬĀLIB
Published byINTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC SCHOOL MALAYSIABatu 8, Jalan Sungai Pusu,53100 Gombak,Kuala LumpurTel : +603-61884400 | Phone : +60 1155084400Email: [email protected]: www.iium-schools.edu.my
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-inPublicatin Data
Abdul Karnaen, 1982-
Islamic HISTORY : The Four Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abū Bakr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib / ABDUL KARNAEN.ISBN 978-967-26091-0-01. Muhammad, Prophet,-632--Companions2. Muhammad, Prophet,-632--Friends and associates3. Abu Bakr, Caliph,-6344. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, Caliph,-6445. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, Caliph, approximately 600-6616. Islam--History.7. Caliphs--Biography8. Islamic civilization9. Government publications--Malaysia.I. Title.297.09
Editor :
Asst. Prof. Dr. Abdul Gafur Arifin
Dr. Suzana Suhailawaty Md Sidek
Design & Printing :
i
ContentsContents iForeword viiiPreface xiSample of Work Scheme xivTransliteration Table xix
CHAPTER ONE: AL-KHULAFĀ’ AL-RĀSHIDŪN: INTRODUCTION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISLAMIC CALIPHATES AFTER RASŪLULLĀH S.A.W 1
Introduction 2Definition of al-Khulafā’` al-Rāshidūn, Khalīfah and Khilāfah 2Duties of al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn 3Names of al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn 3Ways of Appointing al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn 4The Islamic Caliphates after Rasūlullāh s.a.w 5The timeline of Islamic caliphates after the demise of Rasūlullāh s.a.w 6Questions 10
CHAPTER TWO: ABŪ BAKR AṢ-ṢIDDĪQ R.A (11 - 13 AH/ 632 – 634 CE) 11
Early life (Makkah and Madinah Period) 11His Name, Lineage, Kunyah, and Titles 12His birth and physical description 12His Family 13His conversion to Islam and Da’wah 13His Hijrah to Madinah 15His participation in the Battles and other sides of his life in Madinah 15Questions 17
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Becoming a Caliph 18The demise of Rasūlullah s.a.w 19The Courtyard of Banū Sā’idah, Pledge of Allegiance to Abū Bakr r.a andAbū Bakr’s qualifications to become a caliph 19The split between Sunni and Shī’ah 21An expedition to Syria Border 21Questions 22
Achievement (Part One: Administration and Governmental Matters) 23Political Sector (Government, Character of Government, Advisory Council, Secretariatand Local Administration) 24
The government of Abū Bakr. 24The character of Government. 24Advisory Council 24Secretariat 25Local administration 25
Social Sector (Social Justice and Women) 25Social justice 25Women 25
Economic Sector (Economic levies, Annuities and Economic prosperity of the people) 26The economic levies 26Annuities 27The economic prosperity of the people 27
Military Sector (Commander, Composition of the army, Offer to the enemy,Victories and its causes) 27
Commander 27The composition of the army 27Offers to the enemies 28Victories of the Muslims 28Causes of Muslim Victories 28
Questions 29
Achievement (Part Two: Expedition to Syria, handling the apostate andQur’ān compilation) 30
The Expedition to Syria 31Abū Bakr r.a handled widespread apostates 32The Compilation of the Qur’ān 33Questions 36
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Battle and Death 37The Battle of Yamāmah: The four main causes 38
The Strategy used by Abū Bakr r.a in this battle 39The death of Abū Bakr r.a 40Questions 41
CHAPTER THREE: ‘UMAR IBN AL-KHAṬṬĀB R.A (13 – 23 AH/ 634 – 644 CE) 42
Early life (Makkah and Madinah Period) 42
Early life background (name, kunyah, family, and characteristics & personalities) 43His conversion to Islam 43His Hijrah to Madinah 45Questions 46
Becoming a caliph 48Questions 50
Achievements 51Bait al-Māl 52Departments 52Advisory Council 53Provincial Administration 54Law and Judiciary 54Tax Reform 55His pioneer achievements and some other developments 56
His pioneer achievements 56Some other developments 56
Questions 57
Conquests and Battles 58The Roman Empire 60
The battle of Yarmūk 61The conquest of Damascus 62The battle of Ajnadin 62The conquest of Jerusalem 62The conquest of Egypt 63
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The Persian Empire 69The Battle of Cadisia/ Qādisiyyah 69The Battle of Nahavand 69
Questions 70
Death: Umar’s Assassination 72Questions 75
CHAPTER FOUR: ‘UTHMĀN IBN ‘AFFĀN R.A (23 – 35 AH/ 644 – 656 CE) 76
Early Life: Makkah Period 76Name, lineage, kunyah, nickname 77Becoming a Muslim 78Persecution and migration to Abyssinia 78Questions 79
Early Life: Madinah Period 80Hijrah to Madinah 81Staying close to the prophet Muḥammad s.a.w in Madinah 81His Social Life in Madinah 82
His marriage to Ummu Kulthūm r.a in 3 AH 82The death of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Uthmān 82The death of Ummu Kulthūm r.a 82His economic contribution to the establishment of the state 82
‘Uthmān at the time of Abū Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb r.a 83At the time of Abū Bakr r.a 83At the time of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb r.a 84
Questions 85
Becoming a Caliph (Part one: His selection as a Caliph) 86The method of selecting a new caliph 87The number of those appointed for the shūrā and their names 87The special tasks 88The time frame of the selection process 88The number of votes that were sufficient to elect the caliph 88Ruling in the case of a difference in opinion 88The role of ‘Abdurrahmān ibn ‘Auf r.a 88Permissibility of appointing someone as caliph even if there is someone else whois better than him 89Questions 90
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Becoming a Caliph (Part two: method of ruling and political direction) 91His Method of Ruling 92His Political Direction 92Questions 94
Achievements: Conquests 95The Conquest of Alexandria 96The Conquest of Armenia 97The Conquest and Events of Egypt 98The Conquest of Africa 98The Conquest of Cyprus and Rodes 99Questions 101
Achievement: Qur’ān codification 103The First Stage at the time of the Prophet s.a.w 104The Second Stage at the time of Abū Bakr r.a 104The qualification of Zaid ibn Thābit r.a 106The difference between the Qur’ān which was written at the time of the Prophet s.a.wand at the time of Abū Bakr r.a 106The Third Stage in the compilation of the Qur’ān at the time of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān 106Consulting the companions regarding the compilation of ‘Uthmān 107The difference between the compilation of Abū Bakr and the compilation of ‘Uthmān 107Questions 108
Barrier: ‘Abdullāh ibn Saba and his conspiracy 109Questions 113
The siege of ‘Uthmān r.a 114The Rebels’ Occupation of Madinah 115Allegations raised by the Saba’ites 115‘Uthmān’s response to some of their requests 116Fabricated Letter to Kill the Egyptian Delegation 116The beginning of the Siege 117Negotiation between ‘Uthmān r.a and the besiegers 117Questions 118
The Martyrdom of ‘Uthmān r.a 120The Course of Actions Adopted by ‘Uthmān r.a in Dealing with the Turmoil 121Why did ‘Uthmān r.a resolve not to resist or fight? 122Questions 123
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CHAPTER FIVE: ‘ALI IBN ABĪ ṬĀLIB R.A (35 – 40 AH/ 656 – 661 CE) 124
Early life (Makkah period) 124Name 125Kunyah 125His birth 125His family backgrounds 125The mother of ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib r.a 126The siblings of ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib r.a 126The wives and children of ‘Ali r.a 126His physical attributes 127Becoming a Muslim 127The narration on ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib became a Muslim 128Questions 129
Early life (Madinah period) 131His Hijrah to Madinah 132
Offering his life as a sacrifice for Rasūlullāh s.a.w 132Hijrah to Madinah 132
His marriage to Fāṭimah r.a 133‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib r.a in the period of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs 133
During the reign of Aṣ-Ṣiddīq r.a 133During the reign of ‘Umar al-Fārūq r.a 134During the reign of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān r.a 135
Questions 137
Becoming a Caliph 139Some flawed opinions 142
The Refutation 142‘Ali’s conditions for accepting the pledge of allegiance 143First speech of ‘Ali r.a after people gave their pledge of allegiance 144Some misconceptions in the matter of ‘Ali’s caliphate 144Questions 145
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Main Achievements: Financial & Judicial Institution, Governorshipand other Developments 146
The Financial institution 147The Judicial institution 148
The method followed by the rightly guided and noble companions 148Some distinguishing features of the judiciary 149‘Ali’s judicial style 150
The Governorship 150Other Developments 151
The development of Kūfah 151The development of Naḥwu 151
Questions 152
Turmoil and revolts 153The revolt of Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubaidillāh, Zubair ibn ‘Awwām and ‘Āishah r.a 155The revolt of Mu’āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān r.a 156The revolt of Khawārij/ Kharijite 157Schism: Banū Hāshim and Banū Umayyah 157Questions 158
The Battle of the Camel and the Battle of Ṣiffīn 159The Battle of the Camel 161The Battle of Ṣiffīn 161Arbitration between ‘Ali and Mu’āwiyah r.a 162A word of caution concerning the battles of the camels and Ṣiffīn 163Questions 164
‘Ali’s Assassination 165Al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib r.a 167‘Ām al-Jamā’ah 167Questions 168
BIBLIOGRAPHY 169
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Foreword
It is an honour for me, the Chief Executive Officer of IIUM Schools Sdn. Bhd. to be given an opportunity to write the foreword for this book titled, The Four Guided Caliphs, Grade 9 Islamic History textbook.
This book is written by Mr. Abdul Karnaen, the Coordinator for the Quran, Islamic Studies & History and Arabic (QISA) department who also teaches Islamic Studies and Islamic History.
This book is the first one published by IIUM Schools Sdn. Bhd. and is part of the project under International Islamic School Malaysia that aims to publish extensive Islamic History books for KS3 students (Grade 7 – 9) as well the IGCSE Islamic Studies textbook. Our objective is to provide books that meet the requirement of our students which are not yet available in the market. We hope these books would allow students to have a strong foundation and prepare them for the O Levels Islamic Studies and most importantly for the students to learn and appreciate Islamic History.
This book covers the lives and times of the four rightly guided caliphs namely Abū Bakr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib. Written based on the O Levels Islamic Studies syllabus, the purpose of this book is to help students to profoundly learn about the four amazing caliphs. All topics, information and questions presented in the book are organised into 4 components;
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1. Early life (Makkah & Medina periods)2. The process of becoming a caliph 3. Their achievements and contributions 4. Challenges faced by each caliph, 5. Time of departure from this world
The topics are chronologically laid out in such a way that they allow students to learn each topic in a structured manner and ensure them to understand the topics with ease and convenience.
As this book is the first one published based on the school and students’ needs, we hope it will also benefit students of other schools alike.
KHAHARUDDIN ABDUL RAHMANChief Executive OfficerIIUM Schools Sdn. Bhd.
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Foreword
To know Rasūlullāh (peace be upon him), we also have to know ṣaḥābah. The closest to the prophet were the four rightly-guided caliphs namely: Abū Bakr Aṣ-Ṣiddīq, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib,
may Allah be pleased with them. Some teenagers find the books on these ṣaḥābah in the markets are either too childish or too complicated for their age.
My well-respected colleague, Mr Abdul Karnaen, had put a lot of time and effort to prepare and edit this book for his beloved students. This book covered the history of the four rightly-guided caliphs which is required in the Grade Nine syllabus and would help them to focus on the necessary information that they need to learn. The knowledge and information in this book are also very useful to prepare the students for the IGCSE Islamic Studies which is compulsory for IISMS students.
On behalf of the school, I am very thankful that the students have a proper reference book for Grade 9 Islamic History. This book is very useful for the students not only for examinations purposes and most importantly to know and learn about the beloved Ṣaḥābah of Rasūlullāh - may Allah be pleased with them. Moreover, this book could help Muslim in general to form a personal relationship with all the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs and encourage them to commit their lives sincerely to the mission of “Khalīfatullāh fī al-Arḍ”.
NORHIJJAH MOHD ZINPrincipalInternational Islamic School Malaysia
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Preface
ـن ميـن صادق الوعد األ سيد المرسلي الم ع رسول الل الة والس الص
First and foremost, I thank Allah swt. Without His guidance and mercy, I would not be able to complete the task of writing this book. Secondly, this book had been developed throughout two academic years of classes given to grade nine
students at the International Islamic School Malaysia (Secondary) since I joined the school in October 2015. Some of the materials were taken from various sources and some were summarized from the books. The textbook is designed to help students prepare for their IGCSE examination for Islamic Studies subject. Therefore, this text follows the IGCSE Islamic Studies syllabus in which the main emphasis is on the four rightly guided caliphs namely Abū Bakr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with them.
There are many effective ways to know the Holy Prophet s.a.w, one of them is by learning the sīrah of the Prophet’s companion. A simple definition of the companion is those who believed in the Prophet s.a.w, who came together with the Prophet and who died as Muslims. They attained a special place beside Rasūlullāh s.a.w; spent
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some time with the Prophet, acted following the best role model, participated in many battles together with Rasūlullāh s.a.w and learned directly under the guidance and supervision of Rasūlullāh s.a.w that had finally made them the best generation of humankind. The Prophet s.a.w said: “The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter” (al-Bukhārī: 3651)
The ultimate goal of learning the history of the companions’ life, especially the four rightly guided caliphs, is for us to know: (1) their noble characters so that will help us to attain good akhlāq, (2) their contributions to the development of Islam after the demise of Rasūlullāh s.a.w so that will ignite our spirit of fighting to contribute in building a better ummah and (3) their knowledge that will help us to follow the Holy Prophet s.a.w and make our life blessed. Allah swt says: “And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.” (At-Taubah: 100)
The distribution of the topics in this book will be based on the chronological events; (1) Early life covers Makkah and Madinah period, (2) Becoming a caliph emphasizes on the process of election and the political direction or governmental system, (3) Achievements discusses outstanding contributions that give significant impacts to the ummah such as conquests, innovations or other developments, (4) Obstacles covers the turmoils, revolts, battles and other issues happened and (5) Death.
Furthermore, the Arabic terms in this book are transliterated into English adhering to the international transliteration standard set by the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES). The transliteration table is provided in this book. Regarding the division of the lesson, the sample of the scheme of work that has been used at the International Islamic School Malaysia (Secondary) for the whole academic year’s work is given to help teachers completing the syllabus.
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Lastly, I want to include a special note of thanks to the Principal of International Islamic School Malaysia for entrusting me to teach this subject. Sincere thanks also go to the Head of QISA (Qur’ān, Islamic Studies and Arabic) for continuous support and guidance. My thanks also go to the Head of Library and Instructional Resources for the kindness and generosity in supplying and allowing me to use the materials related to Islamic History subject. I made extensive use of all the literature that she has supplied me with. My colleague teachers deserve to be given special appreciation for their support, especially those who always assist and encourage me when I need to exchange valuable ideas with them. I thank all my beloved family members for their understanding and support shown to me while I was undertaking the project.
May Allah swt accept this effort in spreading the Islamic knowledge and may Allah swt forgive me for all the shortcomings of this work for Allah swt is indeed the All-Knowing and The Acquainted (Al-‘Alīm Al-Khabīr).
Abdul Karnaen Gombak, Kuala Lumpur21 Dhū al-Hijjah 1442/ 31 July 2021
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WEEK CHAPTER SUB-CHAPTER
1
The Establishment of Khilāfah
Introduction to the subjectRevision of previously covered topics
The concept of Khilāfah from different views of beliefsIntroduction to the al-Khulafā’’ al-RāshidūnThe timeline of The Islamic Caliphate after the demise of Rasūlullāh s.a.w. Review and exercise
2ABŪ BAKR AṢ-ṢIDDĪQ
Early life
Makkah periodMadinah periodReview and exercise
3Becoming a
caliph
The demise of Rasūlullāh s.a.wThe process of election Expedition to SyriaReview and exercise
4 Achievements
Achievement 1(Political, social, economic and military sector)Review and exercise
Achievement 2The expedition to Syria, his action towards the widespread of apostates, and the compilation of the Holy Qur’anReview and exercise
Sample of work schemeFirst Semester
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5 AssessmentsTest 1Workgroup, presentation, project.
6
Barriers and/ or Wars &
Death
The battle of YamāmahThe death of Abū Bakr Review and exercise
7
‘UMAR IBN AL-
KHAṬṬĀBEarly life
Makkah periodMadinah periodReview and exercise
8 AssessmentsTest 2Workgroup, presentation, project.
9 Becoming a caliph
The Process of election His inaugural speech, his qualifications to become caliph.Review and exercise
10 SEMESTER BREAK
11 Achievements& Conquests
AchievementsReview and exerciseThe Conquest Roman Empire (Damascus, and Jerusalem)Review and exercise
12 AssessmentsTest 3Workgroup, presentation, project.
13Conquest &
Battles
Conquest: EgyptReview and exerciseBattles: Yarmuk, Ajnadin, Qadisiyah and Nahavand.Review and exercise
14 SPORT WEEK
15 DeathHis Assassination, death, funeral and burial.Review and exercise
16 AssessmentsTest 4Workgroup, presentation, project.
17 REVISION WEEK
18-19 EXAM WEEK SEMESTER 1
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WEEK CHAPTER SUB-CHAPTER
1‘UTHMĀN IBN
‘AFFĀNEarly Life
Makkah periodMadinah periodReview and exercise
2Becoming a
caliph
Part One Review and exercisePart TwoReview and exercise
3 Achievements 1
Conquests (Alexandria, Armenia, and Egypt)Review and exerciseConquests (Africa, and Cyprus & Rodes)Review and exercise
4 Achievements 2
Qur’an codification (The stages in which Qur’an was revealed, written and compiled)Qur’an codification (The qualification of Zaid ibn Thābit, the difference among the Maṣāḥīf, the compilation of the Qur’an at the time of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān)Review and exercise
5 AssessmentsTest 1Workgroup, presentation, project.
6 Turmoil (fitnah)‘Abdullāh ibn Saba & his conspiracyReview and exercise
Second Semester
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7 The siege and his martyrdom
The siege of ‘UthmānReview and exerciseThe assassination of ‘UthmānReview and exercise
8 AssessmentsTest 2Workgroup, presentation, project.
9‘ALI IBN ABĪ
ṬĀLIBEarly life
Makkah periodMadinah periodReview and exercise
10 SEMESTER BREAK
11 Becoming caliph
The process of election; some flawed opinions and ‘Ali’s conditions for accepting the pledge of allegiance
His inaugural speech and some misconceptions in the matter of his caliphate.
12 AchievementsNation financial and judicial institutionGovernorship and other developmentsReview and exercise
13 AssessmentsTest 3Workgroup, presentation, project.
14 Barriers (Revolt)
Revolts (The revolt of Ṭalḥah, Zubair & ‘Āishah and Mu’āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān.Review and exerciseThe revolt of Khawarij and Schism of Banū Hāshim and Banū UmayyahReview and exercise
15 Battles
The battle of the Camel (waqī’at al-Jamal) and ṢiffīnReview and exerciseThe arbitration and a word of caution concerning the battles of the Camels and ṢiffīnReview and exercise
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16 The Murder
The assassination of ‘AliAgreement between al-Ḥasan ibn Ali and Mu’āwiyah and ‘Aamul Jama’ah.Review and exercise
17 AssessmentsTest 4Workgroup, presentation, project.
18 REVISION WEEK
19-20 EXAM WEEK SEMESTER 2
Note: This sample of work scheme is subject to change based on the current/latest academic calendar amendments.
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Transliteration TableConsonants
Arabic Roman
ب B
ت T
ث Th
ج J
ح ḥ
خ Kh
د D
ذ Dh
ر R
ز Z
س S
ش Sh
ص ṣ
ض ḍ
Arabic Roman
ط ṭ
ظ ẓ
ع ʿ
غ gh
ف f
ق q
ك k
ل l
م m
ن n
ه h
و w
ء ʾ
ي y
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Vowels and Diphthongs
Arabic Roman
A
U
I
ا ،ي Ā
و Ū
ي Ī
Arabic Roman
ا ،ي an
و un
ي in
و aw
ي ay
وuww, ū
(in final position)
يiyy, ī
(in final position)
1
Chapter
FOCUS POINTS:
Definition of al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn
Duties of al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn
Names of al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn
Ways of appointing al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn
The Islamic Caliphates after Rasūlullāh s.a.w
The timeline of Islamic caliphates after the demise of Rasūlullāh s.a.w
AL-KHULAFĀ’ AL-RĀSHIDŪN: INTRODUCTION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISLAMIC CALIPHATES AFTER
RASŪLULLĀH S.A.W
1
* Khalīfah
* Khilāfah
* Khulafā
* al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn
* Shūrā
* Bai’ah
WORD BANK:
2
INTRODUCTION
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w was the Messenger of Allah who had spread the teachings of Islam to the Muslim ummah. He also played a role as the head of the country.
After the demise of our Prophet Muhammad, the role as the head of the country was taken over by al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn. They were among Prophet Muhammad’s s.a.w trusted companions who had made great contributions for the spread of Islam. Do you know what is the meaning of al-Khulafā’ Rāshidūn? And do you know who they were? The following discussion will further explain al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn.
Definition of al-Khulafā’` al-Rāshidūn, Khalīfah and Khilāfah
The term al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidun originates from the Arabic language, which is built from two words, Khulafā’ and Rāshid.
Literally, the word Khulafā’ is a plural for the word khalīfah which means “successor” while the word rāshidūn is a plural for the word al-rāsyid which means “the guided one”. Therefore, the term al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn literally means the successors who were guided by Allah swt.
The technical definition for al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn, is a group of guided companions who had become successors to lead the ummah after the demise of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
It should be noted that the term al-Khulafā’ al-Rāshidūn is interchangeable with the term Khalīfatu Rasūlillāh which means successors of Rasūlullāh s.a.w. Caliph Abū Bakr r.a used this title to represent himself, while Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb r.a used the title Amīr al-Mu’minīn to represent himself, which means leader of the believers.
Moreover, the term khilāfah or caliphate originates from Arabic which means to succeed. It refers to the first system of governance established in Islam. The most common translation for the word which appears in the Quran is vicegerency (or caretaker). The individual who carries out the roles and functions of khilāfah is called khalīfah.
The technical definition of Khilāfah (caliphate) is the type of Islamic government led by a caliph; a person considered a political and religious successor to the prophet Muḥammad s.a.w and a leader of the entire Muslim community.
Khilāfah represents the political authority and unity of the Muslim Ummah (nation). It is a comprehensive leadership in all matters related to religion and worldly affairs. It was initially led by Prophet Muḥammad’s s.a.w companions known as the Rāshidūn Caliphate, which means The Rightly Guided Caliphate as a continuation of the political authority that was formed by the Prophet s.a.w. It represents the political and theological unity of the Muslim Ummah. It was the world’s first major welfare state. A caliphate is also a state which implements such a government.