Fazle Umar
Establishment of Khilafat in the Ahmadiyya Movement
T he E lection P roce dure – T hrough I n herita nce , Democrac y, Dictatorship or along the li n es of M ov eme n ts E sta b lishe d b y G od A lmight y After the death of the Promised Messiah [as] his enemies were hopeful that the Movement he had founded would now disintegrate as he was no longer there to lead and guide it. Let us now consider what course of action the Movement decided to take at this critical point. What would be the shape of the future leadership of the Movement? Would it proceed along the lines of Sainthood among whom the spiritual inheritors of the saints (Pirs) are perpetuated generation after generation from within the family of the deceased. If the Movement decided that under no circumstances could leadership be inherited, would it the take the path of democracy where the source of power lay with the masses. Therefore, in matters of religion also the will of the masses would prevail. Along democratic lines such leadership would be created who would not only be accountable to the masses but also fulfil their desires and demands. The people would keep the leader in office as along as they deemed him able. They would remove him from office if he were judged incompetent and unable to fulfil their demands. The third question was would this leadership follow the example of those Movements who are nourished by the Prophets [as] of Allah. This was the example followed by the companions of the Holy Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad [saw]. The
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