Caliphate and viceroyalty in Islam: Linguistic and terminological concept

Monday, 10 January 2011

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Written by Dr. Ragheb Elsergany

Introduction

The Islamic civilization has witnessed a unique development and evolution, contributing to human civilization more and more. One of the foundations on which our eternal Islamic civilization has been founded is the institutional system, which has not been confined to individuals or groups with limited purposes and goals. These institutions are committed to the Islamic constitution, which is based on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him). This system allowed the individuals to show their energies and talents. This also prompted such institutions to renew themselves with the passage of time and cope with the time and place. One of the most important institutions, which contributed great and wonderful theories and rules to the world heritage that have still been applied until the present time, is the Islamic political system. The foundation and development of this great institution ammunition over successive Islamic eras made it an example to be copied by other nations.

Meditating Islam and its history one becomes aware that a fundamental change was brought by this great religion. This change affected all aspects of human life. Islam has been able to change human beings themselves and what they inherited of ethical, behavioral, ideological, social, political and economic aspects. Islam even removed the Chosroean and Caesarean political systems that had been afflicted the people for thousands of years, because they did not cope with what the message of Islam that provided for the necessity of realizing the rules of governance among the people. These rules are based on justice and equality, seeking the interests of the masses, maintaining their religion and worldly affairs, respecting their dignity, and other countless principles.

Before going further into the concept of the Islamic caliphate and viceroyalty from the perspective of civilization, we must review the viewpoint of the Islam's linguists, historians and thinkers on this important issue, because everyone has viewed caliphate from his own ideological, cultural and educational perspective.

First: Caliphate

The linguistic concept of caliphate, according to the great linguist and lexicologist Ibn Mandhur al-Misry, is stemmed from khalafa is 'to come behind someone' and khalifah (caliph) means 'the one chosen by his predecessor to succeed him' and khilafah (caliphate) means governance.[1] However, al-Zubaidy quoted Ibn al-Athir as saying, "khalaf and khalf is whoever succeeds a predecessor, but the first is in good and the second is in evil."[2]

The Qur'an used the word khalifah in the plural form to refer to certain groups without having the slightest relationship with political institutions. It also used it twice in the singular form, one in a reference to Adam (peace be upon him) and another to Dawud (David) (peace be upon him). With regard to the first, Allah (Exalted and Glorified be He) says: "Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth."" [Al-Baqarah 2:30]. Regarding the second, Allah (Exalted and Glorified be He) says: "O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth" [Sad 38:26]. Most of the Qur'an exegeses on the two verses concentrated on the linguistic meanings of succession and viceroyalty.[3] Therefore, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to be called Khalifah (caliph), because he succeeded the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the leadership of the nation.[4]

Secondly: viceroyalty (Imarah)

The viceroyalty (Imarah) was an urgent position after the expansion of the Islamic state, which included many countries. A caliph has to authorize a viceroy to govern a country or province through a contract with the caliph's satisfaction. Therefore, whoever assumed responsibility of a country on behalf of the caliph used to be called Amir or Waly (viceroy or governor).[5]

Types of viceroyalty:

Jurists divided viceroyalty into two types: Imarah `Ammah (General Viceroyalty) and Imarah Khassah (Special Viceroyalty). The Imarah `Ammah (General Viceroyalty) in turn falls into to types: Imarat-u-Istikfa' (Authorization Viceroyalty) in which the head of the state authorizes a person to rule a country or province. The viceroy in this case has authority over all the province's inhabitants and affairs. The second type, Imarat-u-Istila' (Takeover Viceroyalty), takes place when a person takes over a viceroyalty and tightens his power grips, and the head of the state fears turmoil and unrest if he opposes the viceroy. In this case the head of the state may approve of the governor's authority on viceroyalty. This approval is a necessity in this case. In the Imarah Khassah (Special Viceroyalty) the governor's authorities are confined of a certain limit set by the caliph, such as command of the army, running the affairs of the masses, defending the province and sanctities of the religion, but he has nothing to do with the judiciary, levying land taxes, or collecting alms. It is worth mentioning that public offices in the early phase of Islam were general, and then started to be limited to certain tasks with the expansion of the Islamic State and sophistication of the administrative apparatus until the powers of the Emir (viceroy, governor) became limited to the army command and leading worshipers in prayers.[6]

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