The political inheritance of ‘external caliphate.

The political inheritance of ‘external caliphate.’ The general inheritance of ‘religious caliphate.’ The first form of inheritance was given to the members of the Prophet’s family. The second form of inheritance was given to the rightly-guided caliphs. The third form of inheritance was given to other and the .

The ‘unapparent succession’ is that fountainhead of ’s succession which not only safeguarded spiritual achievements and hidden blessings of Islam, but also introduced the Ummah to spiritual sovereignty, saintly rank of qutb and reformation through which the Ummah benefited spiritually. The ‘external caliphate’ is that fountainhead of ’s succession which led to the practical dominance of Islam as well as its establishment as a practical system.

This lead to governance and stability of the Prophet’s dīn. It paved the way for the creation of different Islamic states and practically introduced the sharī‘ah of *(Peace Be Upon Him and His Household)* as a world system. The ‘general caliphate’ is the fountainhead of ’s succession which promoted the Islamic teachings and proved the importance of righteous deeds in the Muslim community.

It not only helped in the preservation of knowledge and piety among the Ummah but also in the spread and propagation of Islamic morality. The three types of caliphate may be summed up as: Succession of spiritual sovereignty. Caliphate of governance. Caliphate of guidance.

Shāh Walī Allāh (رحمة الله تعالى عليه), a great scholar of the Indian Subcontinent, has commented on this division of Prophet’s inheritance in the following words: پس وارث آنحضرت هم بسه قسم منقسم اند، فوراثه الذين أخذوا الحكمة و العصمة و القطبية الباطنية، هم أهل بيته و خاصته، و وراثه الذين أخذوا الحفظ و التلقين و القطبية الظاهرة الإرشادية، هم أصحابه الكبار كالخلفاء الأربعة و سائر العشرة، و وراثه الذين أخذوا العنايات الجزئية و التقوى و العلم، هم أصحابه الذين لحقوا بإحسان كأنس و أبي هريرة و غيرهم من المتأخرين، فهذه ثلاثة مراتب متفرعة من كمال خاتم الرسل صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.

People who have received the Prophet’s inheritance are of three kinds: ‘The first kind is of those who received wisdom, piety and inner enlightenment from him. These are the members of his family and other specific personalities. The second group is of those who received the inheritance of external enlightenment from him in the form of virtuousness, and guidance.

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