Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh quote on his love for the Jama’at

Conditions for the Appointment of a Successor

In summary, the true Islamic teaching and real Islamic practice is that Khilafat and leadership should be established with the consultation of the people, as was done in the case of the first Khalifah of Islam after the demise of the Holy Prophetsaw . 1 Nonetheless, if a Khalifah feels the need to appoint a successor himself, in certain circumstances, such a practice has been permitted. However, as proven in light of the Islamic teaching and the practice of the Four Khulafa’, there are five conditions. Firstly, such special circumstances should be prevalent at the time as would make such a practice more appropriate instead of the general practice. Secondly, the successor should be appointed with the consultation of the people. Thirdly, the appointment should remain limited to the next Khalifah or Amir alone. It is not permitted that a Khalifah should order that after him such and such person would be the Amir, then so and so, and so forth, because this practice is equivalent to snatching the right of election from future generations. Fourthly, the successor should not be a near relative of the Khalifah. Fifthly, the Khalifah who is appointing a successor should be an elected Khalifah himself.2 علما للہاو (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon him)’, Volume II, By Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad M.A., p.543-544)

The Difference between Religious and Secular Rulers

Religious rulers infer those leaders who possess religious government or a mixture of both religious and secular government. Secular rulers imply such leaders who merely administer a secular government. With regards to the first category of rulers, Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’an:

“O ye who believe! Allah has promised to those among you who instil within them a high level of faith, and perform good works of a high order, that He will surely appoint them as Successors in the earth, as he made Successors from among those who were before them; and that Allah will grant strength and power to the religion He has chosen for the Khulafa through their persons; and that He will give them in exchange security and peace after their fear. These people shall always worship me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Those who do not obey these Khulifas, shall be among the treacherous and rebellious.”3

It is ascertained from this verse of the Holy Qur’an that the Khilafat of religious Khulafa is established by the special Power and Will of God the Exalted. They receive special succour from Allah the Exalted and their purpose is to grant power and strength to the religious system of government. It is for this reason that a person who does not render obedience to such people is considered to be among the disobedient and rebellious. A practical example of this is narrated in a Ḥadith:

“Ḥazrat ‘A’ishahra relates that in the start of his terminal illness, the Holy Prophetsaw said to me, ‘I had intended to call upon your father and brother, and leave behind a will with regards to the Khilafat of Abu Bakr, so that someone else does not stand up in the desire for Khilafat and does not claim that he is more worthy of Khilafat than Abu Bakr. However, then I abandoned this intention with the thought that the community of the believers would never agree upon the Khilafat of another person, nor would God allow for the Khilafat of another person to be established.”4

This Ḥadith evidently establishes that although the election of religious Khulafa apparently