Document page
Islamiyat IGCSEPDF 176
204 pagesrevision 46927
PDF 176
Page image rendered from the stored file at 110 dpi; it sharpens as you zoom. Outlines are placed from each region’s stored position on the page (596 × 842 pt).
readable
Source of this text: embedded text layer. The better of the embedded text and OCR is kept.
first he declined but later when he accepted on persuasion of the companions, he decided to
put the matter before the Muslims in the Mosque of the Prophet and was elected by them.
These examples go to show that leadership or caliphate is not a hereditary concept in Islam.
And if it wasn’t practised by the Rightly Guided Caliphs, surely there is no place for it in
today’s democratic world.
• The Caliph was the head of the state and followed the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet
(SAW) strictly, in case both the Quran and Sunnah were silent he referred to the consent of
eminent companions and he also given his own verdict based on the Quran and Sunnah. The
Caliph had to perform some religious duties like leading the congregational prayers; the
Caliph was commander in-chief of the Muslim army.
• The Caliphs consulted Majlis Shura in all affairs of the State. Majlis Shura was the council
of advisors. It consisted of eminent companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Everybody in the council was free to express his opinion.
• Every Muslim was free to express his opinion and criticize the Caliph. During the reign of
Umar(R.A). Once an old lady asked him how come he made a shirt from a piece of cloth from
the Baitul-ul- Mal , while the piece was not long enough for others to make a shirt out of it,
Umar (R.A) replied that his son gave him his share. Once, Caliph ‘Umar thought of fixing the
upper limit of the amount of dower as had received complaints from young men who were
asked to pay huge amounts of dower to the women for marriage. He was stopped to do so by a
woman, who said,” O ‘Umar who are you to put restrictions on our right which Allah has
granted to us? Have you not read verse 20 of Surah an Nisaa.”(Bakhari) Instead of getting
annoyed, the Caliph thanked God that there were such people in Ummah who would correct
him if he went wrong. • The Caliph was available to everyone at all time. Umar (R.A) forbad the
governors to keep watchmen at their houses so that everybody could see them freely and could
put his problems before them. HazratUsman used to hear public complaints after Friday
prayer. Hazrat Ali would roam the streets of Kufa to know the condition of his people.
• Bait-ul- Maal or the treasury was a public property and not a personal property of the
Caliph. They considered it as trust of the Muslims and never spent a single dirham on
themselves. Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali (R.A) only took the amount of salary from the
Bait-ul-mal which was sufficient for the common man. Uthman never took anything from
Baitul-mal. Umar said, “Nothing in Halal for me and for my family from Allah’s money
except a dress from summer and a dress for winter and a salary equal to the income of an
average Quraishi. I am no more than an ordinary Muslim amongst you.” Abu Bakr (R.A)
asked his wife at the time of his death to sell his property and pay back the money he took
from Bait-ul-maal as his salary.
• The judiciary was independent. The Caliph did not consider himself above ordinary person.
The Qadi was free to give decision. Once a woman brought a claim against the Caliph Umar .
When ‘Umar appeared on trial before the judge, 9 the judge stood up as a sign of respect
toward him. ‘Umar reprimanded him, saying, “This is the first act of injustice you did to
these women!” During his Caliphate, ‘Ali (R.A) lost his armor and he saw a Jew selling the
armor in the market, he did not take the armor, but took the case to the court. He brought
his son Hassan as a witness in support of this case. The judge rejected the complaint as he
did not consider the evidence of any relative as reliable. Whenever Ali (R.A) appeared before
the Qadi, he did not allow the Qadi to pay undue respect to him and asked him to treat him
as a common man.
• No one was above law all were treated alike. During the caliphate of Umar(R.A), a famous
chief of Syria from a royal rank embraced Islam and while he was performing