The meaning of the word "caliph" can be translated as "successor" or "deputy." This title was given only to elected Muslims, whose faith and devotion to Allah knew no bounds.
The Caliph is a Muslim leader elected toto lead the worldly and spiritual life of the country. But his rule was not unlimited, as he had to obey the laws written in the Shari'ah. For deviation from the truth, the ruler was not only waited by contempt from the Muslims, but in some cases it could be death. But first things first.
Appearance of the first caliph
In order to understand what a caliph is, one should turn his attention to the origins of the Muslim world.
It all started with the prophet Mohammed, who managedunite the warring tribes under a single banner of faith. For this, they began to honor him like a saint, whose power and knowledge were bestowed by Allah himself. But, like any mortal, Muhammad was expected to die. After the death of the prophet, it was necessary to find a new leader, so that his labors would not be in vain.
Thus, in 632, the path of Muhammad was continued by his faithful student, Abu Bakr. That's just his power lasted only two years, since in 634 he died suddenly in connection with an incurable disease.
But still the seed was planted.And since then the caliph has been a title given to a person who is considered the vicar of the prophet on earth. His words and deeds should serve the good of all Muslim peoples and thereby glorify Allah.
The history of the Caliphate
Immediately after the death of Abu, the title of Muslim leadermoved to Umar ibn al-Khattab. First of all, he began military campaigns, the purpose of which was to conquer the lands of the infidels. And he did it very well, as he managed to smash the Byzantine and Persian armies, whose forces in those days were unshakable. Umar also managed to take Jerusalem. But nevertheless death is merciless and not afraid to take such a strong warrior. His life ended in 644.
What is the caliph, poorly understood the third leaderMuslims, at least so many historians think. Usman ibn-Affan was not distinguished by a strong spirit, unlike his predecessors. In the ranks of his entourage, he recruited relatives and friends, which caused doubts about his wisdom and righteousness of other Muslims. And although he captured such a great country as Sogdian, disgruntled Muslims still staged a coup and stabbed him.
Ali ibn Abu Talib became the fourth caliph.He was a relative of the prophet Muhammad, or rather his cousin. It was he who became the "apple of discord" that finally divided the Muslim world into Sunnis and Shiites. During his reign, the country was constantly plagued by civil wars and battles for the throne, so it is not surprising that he died from a poisoned blade. After this, the feud for the Caliph’s throne continued constantly.
In the history of the first four caliphs calledrighteous since they stood at the origins of Islam. It is thanks to their actions that the Muslim faith was able to disperse so widely around the world, bringing together millions of believers.
The difference between Sunni and Shiite
In all currents of the Muslim faith, the caliph is the witness of the Prophet Muhammad on Earth. But the problem is that the Sunnis and Shiites look at who they can be in different ways.
So according to the Sunni tradition, the leader of the communityAny Muslim whose candidacy fits the requirements of Shari'ah (Islamic code of law) can become a Muslim. Most of the caliphs in history were Sunni, since it is this branch of Islam that has the largest number of adherents.
Shiites have their own opinion on this subject, or rather -only direct relatives of Mohammed can be endowed with the power of the caliph. That is why of all righteous caliphs they recognize only Ali ibn Abu Talib. In the history of the Caliphate, few Shiite rulers sat on the throne.
Caliph: the definition of applicants for the title
In order to become a ruler, you had to complystrict sharia rules. According to him, the caliph is a person who is charged with protecting the borders of the Muslim world, monitoring the quality of life of his subjects, stopping crimes and glorifying Islam in front of other faiths.
Thus, according to Sunni laws, the caliph must meet the following criteria.
- It can only be a man.
- The candidate must be a righteous Muslim and know all the laws of Sharia.
- Have a sound mind and not have congenital diseases.
- Have a sense of justice and not be afraid of dangers.
As for race, the advantage wasQuraysh, but also representatives of other Arab tribes could become caliphs. Moreover, if among the candidates there were no Arabs, then a white man could be awarded with a title, if only he sincerely believed in Allah.
