13 replies to this topic

[hardumyaali]

Please if someone know what is the major difference between Khalifa and Imam, please post here also with some reference from our books.

regards

[SpIzo]

• Meaning of Imamate and Khilafah - Sayyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi
• The Place of Leadership in Islam - Sayyed Mujtaba Musavi Lari

[Your-Best-Friend]

IMAM is appointed by THE ALMIGHTY Allah

Khalifa is appointed by Humans/Muslims

[Maula Dha Mallang]

imam is a spiritual and political leadership, which has remained in its form since the time of hazrat adam and will remain until qiyaamat. evidence of imamat is scattered throughout the quran, the two biggest examples being hazrat ibraheem and hazrat musa.

caliph is a BS man made political system which has no basis in any shariat of any prophet.

[SpIzo]

^Both of you, please be careful about what you say. Read those links posted.

[Maula Dha Mallang]

i am assuming that caliph = post saqifa caliphate of the first three? thats the impression i got anyway

[Darth Vader]

If men only follow honesty and logic then only the 12 Imams are the 12 Caliphs. The rest were all satanic usurpers who had no right, no character, no nothing to touch the seat of rulership over the Muslims.

The word "caliph" (of Allah), as I understand it, translates to "viceregent" (of Allah). You have to agree that only the purest man among the believers can be the caliph because a sinner, a vile man, an enemy of Allah and the Prophet , can not be a Caliph. Also especially since Allah has forbidden us to show obedience to sinners and ungrateful men. You can figure out the rest.

Edited by Ibrahim Nakhaee, 15 May 2009 - 07:33 AM.

[Maula Dha Mallang]

^^ yes of course, but then i very much doubt that the OP was referring to our definition of caliph (even tho its in their own books - rasool Allah said my 12 caliphs will all be from qureish) but their own political version of it.

if he was referring to caliphs as we see them, then why would he ask the difference between imamat and caliphat?

[toocoool66]

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(surat ul baqara)

caliphate is also from Allah's side ^^

* Meaning of Imamate and Khilafah - Sayyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi
* The Place of Leadership in Islam - Sayyed Mujtaba Musavi Lari

nice links, from the first link we get

AL-IMAMAH literally means 'to lead '; al-imam means 'the leader'. In Islamic terminology al-imamah (Imamate) means 'universal authority in all religious and secular affairs, in succession to the Prophet' [1]. al-Imam means 'the man who, in succession to the Prophet, has the right to the absolute command of the Muslims in all religious and secular affairs '.

The word al-khilafah means 'to succeed' and al-khalifah means 'the successor'. In Islamic terminology al-khilafah and al-khalifah practically signify the same meanings as al-ima'mah and al-ima'm repectively.

thanks for the links sister splzo

[Mr. Anteater]

so they are basically the same thing? is that wat you are saying?

[toocoool66]

so they are basically the same thing? is that wat you are saying?

brother let me explain for you

you see there is a name

AL-MALIK

and then there is a name

AL-AZIZ

and another i

AL-REHMAN

they are different names, different meanings

but all refer to one personality

so the meaning are different
but they refer to same personality

may this explain it for you

[Mr. Anteater]

brother let me explain for you

you see there is a name

AL-MALIK

and then there is a name

AL-AZIZ

and another i

AL-REHMAN

they are different names, different meanings

but all refer to one personality

so the meaning are different
but they refer to same personality

may this explain it for you

yes, thank you. But as shii'te we beliee in Imam right, not khalifah??? this is confusing...sorry.

[toocoool66]

yes, thank you. But as shii'te we beliee in Imam right, not khalifah??? this is confusing...sorry

we do believe in them to be the caliph

khaifatullah in shiite doctrine

[asphyxiated]

From my understanding, the imams are the rightful caliphs. Historically, a Shi'a imam and a caliph have different meanings because the Islamic caliphate (proper) was a man-made institution and was controlled by the forces of mainstream Sunni Islam. Since Sunnis do not uphold Shi'a imamah, the caliphate came to represent a political and somewhat religious office. The caliph was the leader of the umma; allegiance to him is part of the Sunni creed.

For us, imamah is a divinely-appointed office that carries with it absolute religious and political authority over the ummah. In this sense, the imam is also considered to be the caliph. Once we establish the divinely-appointed nature of the imam, we recognize his temporal and material rule over the ummah, which can be referred to as his caliphate. The Sunni definition of caliphate is only part of the definition of an imam. The imam upholds a political and social leadership (caliphate), but also a religious and jurisprudential leadership. Historically-speaking, only two of the caliphs were imams (Ali and Hasan). However, all of the Shi'a imams, whether recognized as such or not, were caliph-designates, even though the majority of them did not have the opportunity to fill the material office of caliph, or ruler of the Islamic umma.