18–29 November 1940 — The Policy of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

نومبر ۱۹۴۰

The Station of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

The station of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the highest of all created beings — past, present, and future. He is the Beloved of Allah (Habibullah), the Seal of the Prophets, and the reason for the creation of the universe. His intercession on the Day of Judgment (shafa'at) is established by mutawatir evidence.

The Qadiyani Sect

The Qadiyanis (Ahmadiyya) claim that their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet after Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is an absolute negation of a fundamental article of Islamic faith — the finality of prophethood (khatm al-nubuwwah). The Qadiyanis are therefore not Muslims. Every Muslim must be clear on this point.

Answering the Mahdawis

The Mahdawi sect claims that their founder was the Mahdi whose coming is foretold in Islamic tradition. Hazrat Qibla offered detailed refutations of their claims, showing that their founder did not meet the descriptions of the Mahdi as given in the authentic hadith.

Both Fighting Parties Are Muslim

When civil war breaks out among Muslims, as occurred between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with them both), both parties remain Muslim. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself foretold that there would be conflicts among his community, and he taught us to seek reconciliation and to pray for both parties. We do not declare either side to be disbelievers or outside of Islam.

وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا

"And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two." (al-Ḥujurāt 49:9) This verse confirms that those who fight each other among the believers are still called believers.

The Policy of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

Hazrat Qibla delivered extended discourses on the political wisdom of the Rightly Guided Caliphs — particularly in how they managed governance, the distribution of resources, the handling of dissent, and the use of force. He held that their approach was the model for Islamic governance.

Governance to the Worldly

Hazrat made the observation — which he repeated in several sittings — that governance in a Muslim state tends to fall into the hands of those who are worldly and politically minded rather than the most religiously learned and pious. This is a historical reality that began in the later period of the first Caliphate and has continued. It does not invalidate the caliphate as an institution; it is a test for the community.

Muslims' Prayers for the Rulers

Hazrat Qibla instructed his disciples to pray for Muslim rulers — even when they are unjust or negligent. He said: I pray to Allah that He give us rulers like Abu Bakr and Umar, who brought us divine blessings — and like Muawiya and Amr ibn al-As, who handled the difficult transitions and kept the Muslims unified. What we want is not the overthrow of rulers but their guidance.

Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him)

Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) made the momentous decision to make peace with Muawiya and hand over governance to him. Hazrat Qibla praised this decision as one of the wisest political acts in Islamic history — it saved thousands of Muslim lives and prevented the complete fragmentation of the community. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had foretold that Imam Hasan would be a cause of reconciliation between two large groups of Muslims.

Benefit of the Doubt (Husn al-Zann)

Giving benefit of the doubt — assuming the best of one's fellow Muslim — is a religious duty. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the most false of speech." When the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) acted in ways that seem questionable to later generations, we should assume that they had good reasons that may not be visible to us.

Talha and Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them)

Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them) were among the foremost Companions. Their participation in the Battle of the Camel against Hazrat Ali was motivated — in their view — by the demand for justice for the wrongful killing of Hazrat Uthman. Hazrat Qibla maintained that they were sincere Muslims acting on their interpretation of justice. We love them all.

Mughira ibn Shu'ba

Mughira ibn Shu'ba was a brilliant and politically shrewd Companion. Muawiya used him as a key advisor and governor. His political acumen helped stabilize the early Umayyad state. He was a complex figure whose conduct was not always beyond reproach, but he was a Muslim who served Islam according to his lights.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)

Abdullah ibn Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet (peace be upon him), was the greatest interpreter of the Quran (turjuman al-Quran). He sided with Hazrat Ali but later advised against continuing the conflict at Siffin. His scholarship laid the foundation for Quranic exegesis.

Hazrat Ali's Opinion (Hazrat Ali ki Ra'e)

Hazrat Ali (may Allah honor his face) was the fourth Caliph and among the greatest of the Companions in knowledge and piety. His opinion in legal matters was highly authoritative. In the political conflicts of his caliphate, his priority was justice — the investigation and punishment of those responsible for the killing of Uthman. This was the right position; the difficulty was in its practical implementation.