Services Rendered By The Four Caliphs.
The Significance of the Caliphate
The word 'Caliph' is the English form of the Arabic word 'Khalifah, which means Successor to God . The mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), like that of the earlier messengers of God, was to call people to the worship of and submission to the One True God. As successor to the Prophet, the Caliph was the head of the Muslim community and his primary responsibility was to continue in the path of the Prophet. Since religion was perfected and the door of Divine revelation was closed at the death of the Prophet, the Caliph was to make all laws in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah. He was a ruler over Muslims but not their sovereign since sovereignty belongs to God alone. He was to be obeyed as long as he obeyed God. He was responsible for creating and maintaining conditions under which it would be easy for Muslims to live according to Islamic principles, and to see that justice was done to all.
The Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Al-Khulafa-ur-Rashidun)
Those Caliphs who truly followed in the Prophet's foot steps are called 'The Rightly-Guided Caliphs' (Al-Khulafa-ur- Rashidin in Arabic). They are the first four Caliphs: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Usman and Ali. They were all close companions of the holy prophet. They lived simple and righteous lives and strove hard for the religion of God. Their justice was impartial, their treatment of others was kind and merciful, and they were one with the people - the first among equals.
It should be clearly understood that the mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), and hence that of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, was not political, social or economic reform, although such reforms were a logical consequence of the success of this mission, nor the unity of a nation and the establishment of an empire, although the nation did unite and vast areas came under one administration, nor the spread of a civilization or culture, although many civilizations and cultures developed, but only to deliver the message of God to all the peoples of the world and to invite them to submit to Him, while being the foremost among those who submitted.
The First Caliph : Hazrat Abu Bakr (632-634 A.D.)
"If I were to take a friend other than my Lord ,I would take Abu Bakr as a friend". (Hadith)
He was born in a noble and respectable family of Mecca. He was a wealthy and respected merchant before embracing Islam. The Prophet gave him the title of 'Siddiq '-'The Testifier of the Truth'. He was among the earliest to enter the fold of Islam. After the Holy Prophet he was the greatest missionary of Islam Even though he was wealthy, he lived very simply and spent his money for charity, for freeing slaves and for the cause of Islam .When the Holy Prophet died he excised great self-control and in the time of political disaster he was able to persuade the Ansars to relinquish the Khilafat in favor of the Quraish. Hazrat Abu Bakr took the office of Khilafat at the most critical and crucial moment of Islamic history . Disunity among the Muslims , rising of the false prophets and rebellions threatened the existence of the young Islamic state. He crushed these false prophet and rebellions .Hazrat Abu Bakr laid the foundations of a truly democratic state.
For the purpose of administration , Arabia was divided into four provinces each headed by a governor who was entrusted with the duties of leading prayers, collecting taxes, maintaining law and order etc. He also gave a proper shape to the public treasury, the Bait-ul-Maal.He dispatched expeditionary forces to Iran, Syria and Palestine. As a result, a vast territory was added to the Muslim Empire. He safeguarded and protected the rights of the non-Muslim subjects and they were granted both religious and cultural freedom. His contributions towards preserving the Holy Quran is also very great .He managed to strengthen and consolidate the Muslim community and state. He may rightly be called the Savior of Islam.
The Second Caliph: Hazrat Umar (634-644A.D.)
" God has placed truth upon Umar's tongue and heart. (Hadith) "
Umar was very learned and intelligent. He also excelled in wrestling, horse riding and archery. He was born in a distinguished Quraish family. Business was his chief occupation. From being one of the bitterest enemies and persecutors of the Holy Prophet , Umar became one of his most devoted followers. The soundness of Umar's judgment, his devotion to the Prophet (peace be on him), his outspokenness and uprightness won for him a trust and confidence from the Prophet which was second only to that given to Abu Bakr. He was given the title of Farooq by the Holy Prophet. He became the Khalifah after the death of Abu Bakr in accordance with his will. He became known as Ameer-ul-Momineen.
Hazrat Umer not only conquered vast empire during the ten years of his Khilafat but he also consolidated it by an effective system of administration. The most notable feature of Umar's caliphate was the vast expansion of Islam. Hazrat Umer was one of those extraordinary personalities in history who not only molded the destiny of his nation but also made history of his own.
. He gave a practical meaning to the Quranic injunction:
"O you who believe, stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to
God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,
and whether it concerns rich or poor, for God can best protect both." [4:135]
He established the Majlis-e-Shoora and a much larger body called the Majlis-e-Aam. He made new rules and laws in accordance with the Holly Quran and the Sunnah. He put each province under an efficient governor called the Wali or Ameer. The provinces were further divided into districts and placed under Amils. He enforced the Shariat Law and the Muslim era of Hijra.
He was the first Muslim leader to establish courts of justice and appoint judges. Hazrat Umer placed the judicial duties with the Qazis. He established a department of finance and named it the Deewan. He also instituted the new tax of Ushr (one tenth of the produce taken from big lands), a commercial tax on the non Muslim merchants and zakat on the ownership of horses. He was also the first Muslim leader to strike coins, establish the Police Department and set up jails. He gave stipends to the poor and established schools throughout the country. He was also the first to place the law of inheritance on a sound basis. New roads were laid, canals were dug and wayside hotels were built. He was also a patron of female education.
Thus as a conqueror, as an administrator and as a statesman ,Umer deserves to be ranked as one of the greatest rulers of the World. In the interest of Islam and the State , he devoted himself with all his energy and time.
The Third Caliph :Hazrat Usman (644-656 A.C.)
"Every Prophet has an assistant, and my assistant will be Usman." (Hadith)
He belonged to the Omayyah branch of the Quraish tribe. He learned to read and write at an early age, and as a young man became a successful merchant.
Even before Islam Hazrat Ussman had been noted for his truthfulness and integrity. Even in the days of ignorance , he led a very chaste life ; he did not drink wine, did not gamble nor worship idols. He and Abu Bakr were close friends, and it was Abu Bakr who brought him to Islam when he was thirty-four years of age. The Holly Prophet gave his second daughter , Ruqayya in marriage to Hazrat Usman and after her death his third daughter Kulsoom in marriage to him. Thus he came to be known as 'Zun Nurain', the possessor of two lights. The first two caliphs had very high regard for Hazrat Usman and used to seek his advice in matters relating to Fiqah. Hazrat Usman was the first Muslim who knew the Quran from memory and had an intimate knowledge of the context and their circumstances relating to each verse. The Holy Prophet gave the tidings of paradise to ten persons in lifetime. Hazrat Usman was one of these ten persons called Ashra Mubashshara.
During the caliphate of Hazrat Usman the traditions of the former two caliphs i.e. those of impartial justice for all, humane and mild policies, expansion of the Muslim empire and striving in the way of God continued. In his time the Muslim empire extended in the east to Afghanistan , in the west to Morocco, and in the north to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Hazrat Usman ruled for a total of 12 years. The first half- the first 6 years can be classified as fairly peaceful and tranquil but in the second half a rebellion rose against the Caliph . . The Magians and the Jews took full advantage of the dissatisfaction among the people and began conspiring against the caliph and started to air their false grievances and complaints publicly.. The rivalry and jealousy among the Quraish themselves i.e. , between the Hashimites and the Umayyahs weakened the power of Hazrat Usman. The rebels demanded that he abdicate and some of the Prophets companions also advised him to do so.. But he didn't due to the solemn pledge that he had given to the Holly Prophet. After a long siege , the rebels broke into his house and assassinated him while he was reciting the Quran.
"Verily, God sufficeth thee; He is the All-Hearing, the All- Knowing" (2:137).
Hazrat Usman during his Caliphate relaxed most of the restrictions (like acquiring conquered lands) on the Arabs. He constructed out-posts and guest houses. Hazrat Ussman was the first Caliph under whom the Muslims constructed fleets, and undertook naval warfare. He extended the Prophet's mosque in Madina and had new ones built. A dam was built to protect Madina and grazing grounds were set up for horses. His greatest service to Islam is the transcription and the circulation of the Holly Quran.
His love for Muslims and the solidarity of Islam was so great that he sacrificed his life rather than take up sword against his Muslim Brothers.
The Fourth Caliph : Hazrat Ali (656-661 A.C.)
"You (Ali) are my brother in this world and the next". ( Hadith)
Hazrat Ail was a first cousin of the Holly Prophet- they had a common grandfather, Abdul Mutlib. He was the second person to become a Muslim. He grew up to be a very learned and brave person and earned the titles of Gate of Knowledge and the Lion of Islam due to these two qualities. The Holly Prophet married his daughter Fatima Zahra to Hazrat Ail. During the Caliphate of the first three Caliphs Hazrat Ail co-operated with them and gave them his best advice.
The Caliphate was accepted very reluctantly by Hazrat Ail. He felt that the cause of Usman's untimely end had been in part inept governors whom he dismissed after assuming office and appointed new ones. Muawiya, the governor of Syria did not submit to him. A battle took place between the followers of Hazrat Ayesha and Hazrat Ali's armies because Hazrat Ayesha was of the opinion that Hazrat Usman's murderers should be immediately apprehend which was not possible in those chaotic times when it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Muawiya openly rebelled and after an inconclusive battle Hazrat Ail had to accept the de facto government of Muawiya in Syria. The Kharijites who consisted of a group of people who had broken from Ail due to his compromise with Muawiya claimed that neither Ail, the Caliph, nor Muawiya, the ruler of Syria, nor Amr bin al-Aas, the ruler of Egypt were worthy of rule. They hired people to assassinate all three of them but only Ali's assassin succeeded. And thus on 20th of Ramadan, 40 A.H., died the last of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam.
Hazrat Ail could not enforce the reforms that he had in view. There was a considerable gulf between Hazrat Ail, and the capitalist class who wielded considerable influence. Hazrat Ail was parsimonious in the spending of public funds while Muawiya who himself led a luxurious life was very liberal in spending public funds.
Khurram Shakeel
Lahore University of Mangement Science
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