Topic: Caliph (Khalifah)

42:39.

Important Words:

شاور (consult) is derived from شار which means, he gathered or extracted honey from the comb, and separated it from the wax. شار الدابة means, he rode the beast in order to ascertain its true worth. اشار الیه means, he pointed towards him or it. اشار علیه means, he gave him advice; he offered him counsel. شاورہ means, he consulted him; he sought his opinion or advice; he discussed with him in order to find out his opinion. مشورة means, good counsel or consultation. شوری means, mutual consultation (Aqrab).

فتوکل (then put thy trust). For the meaning of توکل see 3:123.

Commentary:

The verse gives an insight into the beautiful character of the Holy Prophet, of which the most effable and prominent trait was his all-comprehensive mercy. He was full of the milk of human kindness and was not only kind towards his Companions and followers, but was also full of mercy for his enemies who were always on the lookout to stab him in the back. It is on record that he took no action even against those treacherous hypocrites who had deserted him in the Battle of Uhud. He even consulted them in affairs of the State.

The verse also constitutes an effective answer to the charge of the hypocrites that the Holy Prophet attached no importance to their advice and did what he liked. The Quran refutes this charge by saying that if the Holy Prophet had not been kind and gentle towards them, they would have left him long ago. Thus their continuing to remain with him falsified their accusation and proved that the Prophet’s treatment of them was very kind and that in conformity with the divine command (see also 42:39) he used to consult them regarding affairs of State, with the result that many of them afterwards repented of their deeds and became sincere Muslims. The injunction about consultation contained in the present verse, although general in application, refers to the hypocrites of Medina in particular.

It may be noted that Islam stands alone in including the institution of مشورة (consultation) among its fundamental principles. It lays down as a rule that both the Prophet and his Successors should, whenever necessary, consult their followers in important affairs of the State. A religion claiming to be universal is bound to contain such a teaching; for persons of different classes and different communities continue to enter its fold, and if they are consulted in matters of moment, it is calculated not only to add to their experience and practical wisdom, but also to increase and keep alive their interest in the affairs of the State. This is why the Holy Prophet used to consult his followers on all important matters, as he did before the Battles of Badr, Uhud, and Ahzab, and also when a false accusation was brought against his wife, ‘A’ishah. Baihaqi reports: "Certainly Allah and His Messenger did not stand in need of the advice of anybody, but God has made it (the seeking of advice) a source of mercy for men. Those who hold consultation will not stray away from the path of rectitude, while those who do not are liable to do so." Abu Hurairah says: "The Holy Prophet was most solicitous in consulting others in all matters of importance" (Manthur, ii. 90).

‘Umar, the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: لا خلافة الا بالمشورة i.e. "There is no Khilafat without consultation" (Izalatul-Khifa’ ‘an Khilafatul-Khulafa’). Thus the holding of consultation in matters of consequence is an important injunction of Islam and is binding on both spiritual and temporal chiefs, though they are not bound to accept that consultation as the words, when thou art determined, then put thy trust in Allah, show. The Khalifah must seek the advice of leading Muslims, but the final decision always rests with him. He is not bound to accept, in full or in part, the advice tendered to him by a majority of them. This view has ever been held by the main body of Muslims throughout the centuries and finds ample support in the sayings of the Holy Prophet as well as in his practice and in that of his rightly-guided successors.

The objection, that if the Khalifah is not bound to act upon the advice of the majority what is the use of his seeking advice, or of others offering it, is unwise and beside the point. The verse gives to the Khalifah the right to reject advice if he is convinced that it is in the interest of religion or the community to do so. Normally, he respects the view of the majority, but the Islamic شوری or مشاورة (Shura or Mushawarat) is not parliament in the sense in which the word is generally understood in the west. Islam enjoins only consultation and not decision by votes, which are two different things. Consultation is meant to help the Khalifah to know the views of his followers and to enable him to respect them as far as possible. It is not at all intended to tie his hands. It is on record that the Holy Prophet rejected the advice of the majority of his followers on certain occasions, and on others he even refused to accept their unanimous opinion. For instance, regarding the treatment of the prisoners of Badr he accepted the advice of Abu Bakr and rejected that of ‘Umar, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (Musnad, i. 283). At Hudaibiyyah, he signed the treaty in clear opposition to the advice of his Companions (Bukhari, ch. on Shurut). Similarly, Abu Bakr discarded the almost unanimous advice of the Muslims by sending the expedition to Syria under Usamah, immediately after the death of the Holy Prophet (Athir, ii. 139). In contrast to this, it is also on record that the Holy Prophet sometimes sacrificed his own view to that of his followers as he did in marching out of Medina for the Battle of Uhud.

The context of the verse, however, shows that here the injunction was primarily meant with regard to the hypocrites, and nobody could say that the Holy Prophet was bound to do what the hypocrites advised him.

The advantages of consultation are: (1) The Khalifah or Amir comes to know the views of his followers. (2) He is helped in arriving at a correct decision. (3) Representative Muslims get an opportunity to think about, and take personal interest in, important state affairs, thus receiving most useful training in matters of administration. (4) The Khalifah is enabled to judge the mental and administrative capabilities of different individuals, which help him to assign the right work to the right man. (5) It enables him to know the aptitudes, aspirations and tendencies as well as the moral and spiritual condition of the different members of his community, and thus he becomes able to effect an improvement, wherever necessary, in his people.

The meaning of expressions like, put thy trust in Allah, is generally misunderstood. In the language of the Quran, توکل(trusting in God) does not consist in disregarding the material means of doing a thing. On the contrary, توکل as taught by Islam means that a person should first make use of all the resources at his command and then place his trust in God to bless his efforts with success, believing all the time that the means can be successful only if and when God wills it and that the true cause and the real source of all success is God alone.

The words, put thy trust in Allah, as used in the present context, also hint that if the Prophet or the Khalifah were to be bound to accept the counsel of his followers, it would be against the spirit of توکل (trusting in God). In fact, one who is bound to act in accordance with the advice of another cannot be said to be trusting in God so far as acting on that advice is concerned.

14:26.

Important Words:

نور (light) is noun-infinitive from أنار. They say أنار الشیء i.e. the thing became bright and beautiful and manifest. أنار البیتmeans, he lit the house. أنار المسئلة means, he made the question clear and plain. نور means, light; that which makes a thing clear; light as opposed to darkness. نور is more extensive and more penetrating as well as more lasting in its significance than ضیاء. It is also one of the names of God (Aqrab & Muhit). See also 10:6.

مشکٰوة (niche) is derived from شکو and الشکو is the opening of the small skin for water or milk called شکوة and showing what is in it. شکا فلان means, the nails of such a one split in several places. They say شکا الی اللّٰه i.e. he complained of his case to God or he told God the weakness of his condition. مشکٰوة means, a niche in a wall, i.e. a hole or hollow in a wall, not extending through, in which a lamp placed therein gives more light than it gives elsewhere; a pillar or the like upon the top or head of which the lamp is put; or the iron things by means of which a lamp is suspended (Lane & Aqrab).

مصباح (a lamp), is derived from أصبح which means, he entered upon the time of morning; he rose in the middle of the night. They say أصبح القوم i.e. he came to the people in the morning, أصبح المصباح mean, he lit the lamp. أصبح الحق means, the truth became manifest. مصباح means, a lamp; a big lance or arrow (Lane & Aqrab).

زجاجة (glass) is derived from زج they say زج حاجبه i.e. his eyebrow was or became narrow and long or arched; he made his eyebrow narrow and long or made it narrow and long and arched, or clipped the redundant portion of the hair thereof. زج الموضع means, he made even, and adjusted the place. زجاجه means, a glass, a globe of glass; crystal window-pane; tumbler; eye (Lane).

مبارکة (blessed) is passive participle from برک which means, it was or it became firm or steady. برک علیه means, he applied himself constantly to it. برکة (barakatun) which is infinitive-noun from this root means, increase; abundance or plenty; firmness, stability or perpetuity coupled with increase; abundant and perpetual good. مبارکة means, abundant; firm, stable; having perpetual good blessed, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 6:156.

Commentary:

The verse is a beautiful metaphor. It speaks of three things––a lamp, a glass-globe (or chimney) and a niche. The divine light is stated to have been confined to these three things which combined together make its brightness and effulgence complete and perfect in every respect. المصباح (the lamp) is the very source of the light; الزجاجة is the globe of glass or chimney which is over the lamp and which protects its light from being extinguished by the puff of wind and increases its brightness; and المشکٰوة (the niche) preserves the light. The simile may aptly apply to an electric torch of which the constituent parts are the electric wires which give light, the bulb which protects the light and the reflector which spreads and diffuses the light and gives it direction. In spiritual terminology the three things, i.e. المصباح (the lamp), الزجاجة (the glass) and المشکٰوة (the niche), mentioned in the verse, may respectively stand for divine light, God’s Prophets who protect that light from being extinguished and add to its effulgence and brightness, and the Khalifahs or Successors of the Prophets who diffuse and disseminate the divine light and give it a direction and purpose for the guidance and illumination of the world. This interpretation is borne out and supported by the context inasmuch as towards its close the Surah speaks of the establishment of Khilafat among the Muslims.

The verse further states that the oil used to light the lamp is of the highest possible purity and is inflammable to a degree which makes it (the oil) burst out into a flame even without being ignited. It is extracted from a tree which belongs neither to the east nor to the west.

The verse may have another interpretation. The light mentioned in the verse may be taken to refer to the Holy Prophet because he has been spoken of as نور (light) in the Quran (5:16). المشکٰوة (the niche) in the case would signify the heart of the Holy Prophet and المصباح (the lamp) his most pure and unsullied nature which is endowed with the best and noblest attributes and qualities and الزجاجة (the glass) would signify that the divine light with his nature has been invested is as clear and bright as crystal. When the light of heavenly revelation descended upon the light of the Holy Prophet’s pure nature, it shone with a twofold effulgence which in the words of the Quran has been described as "lights upon lights." This light of Prophet was sustained by an oil which emanated from a blessed tree, which means that the Holy Prophet’s light was not only bright and brilliant but abundant and stable and perpetual (as word مبارکة signifies) and was intended to illumine both the east and the west i.e. the whole world. Further, the Prophet’s heart was so pure and his nature gifted with such noble qualities that he was almost fit to discharge the duties of his great mission even before the light of Divine revelation had descended upon him. This is the significance of the words, "whose oil would well-nigh be ablaze even though fire touched it not."

If نور be understood to mean the light of Islam, the metaphor would mean that the light of Islam is placed on so high a pillar of minaret (المشکٰوة) and is so resplendent as to illumine the whole world. It is, as it were, placed under a glass-globe which not only saves it from being put out by puffs of adverse winds but adds to its lustre and glory and its light will one day spread over both the east and the west and will enlighten the entire world. The words, "a tree neither of the east nor of the west," further signify a universal guidance which does not discriminate in favour of or against any people and which is equally meant for all of them. The explanation is supported by another verse of the Quran viz. "they desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouth; but Allah will perfect His light, however much the disbelievers might dislike it" (61:9).

The metaphor may have yet another explanation. المشکٰوة or the niche in the verse is the human body. The human body contains the spirit which makes itself manifest through the organs of the body. Like the niche the human body protects the light, namely, the spirit; and guides its expression i.e. the human body contains the مصباح or the lamp of the soul which illumines the human mind and brings it into touch with God. The lamp is contained in زجاجة (globe or glass) which protects it from harm or injury and enhances and reflects its light. This زجاجة is the human brain of which the mechanism is so perfect as to have led some philosophers to think that it is the ultimate source of divine light. The light is sustained by the oil from a blessed tree, namely from those basic and eternal truths which are not the exclusive possession of any people, of the east or of the west. These eternal truths are implanted in the very nature of man and would almost make themselves manifest even without the help of Divine revelation.

3:160.

Commentary:

The verse lays down شوری (mutual consultation) as the basic principle which should guide Muslims in the transaction of their national affairs. This simple word contains the nucleus of a representative form of government of which the west is so proud. The Khalifah or Head of an Islamic State is bound to take counsel with the representatives of the people when he is to take a decision of vital national importance. See also 4:59.

Incidentally, the verse implies a prophecy that the harassed and persecuted followers of the Holy Prophet would soon be entrusted with the great responsibility of conducting the affairs of a great State. The Surah was revealed at Mecca very early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry when the very fate of Islam was hanging in the balance and the then poor and helpless Muslims did not even know where to lay their heads. The following verses also point to the great responsibilities of Muslims when vast political power would fall into their hands.