The hadith stating that “the Caliphate after me will last thirty years” is a descriptive prophecy about the era of Prophetic-model Caliphate, not a prescriptive limitation on the Islamic obligation of political unity and leadership. The idea that Islam abandoned the concept of Caliphate after thirty years has no basis in classical jurisprudence, historical practice, or theological reasoning.
political theory
The Arab Regimes: The True Iron Dome that Protects Israel
Palestine will not be liberated until the Ummah is liberated. Gaza is not the only one besieged—the entire Islamic world remains a prisoner within the borders of Sykes-Picot, governed by regimes that fear the West and submit to its commands. Liberation will begin the day these rulers are removed, and Islamic sovereignty is restored - one and indivisible - upon the Prophetic model.
Caliphate Contentions (7): The West won’t allow for a Caliphate – Fatalism as Ideology and The Myth of Geopolitical Impossibility
Arguing that the West won't allow the emergence of a Caliphate is not a fiqhī evaluation, but a surrender to the dominant international order - a worldview that elevates the invincibility of global hegemons above the command of the Creator. Such a posture is not realism, but rather despair and cowardice masquerading as maturity.
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Betrayers of the Inheritance (2) – Resistance Scholars vs Regime Scholars
The difference between the scholars of resistance and the scholars of the regime is not one of interpretation. It is one of allegiance. The scholars of the regime have allied themselves with the nation-state, with its borders, treaties, and strategic partnerships. They invoke fiqh only to neuter obligation, to convert jihad into illegal activism, and to criminalize solidarity as sedition. Their invocations of "wisdom" serve only to excuse cowardice.
Reexamining the Caliphate: Authority and Political Theory
The essay by Reza Pankhurst explores the decline of the caliphate up until its formal abolition in 1924, highlighting its transformation from a powerful institution to a mere symbolic figurehead. The caliphate originally served as a centralized political authority in Islam but became hereditary over time. Pankhurst discusses the historical and theoretical frameworks surrounding the caliphate, including differing views on its selection, authority, and legitimacy. The analysis reveals the complex evolution of Islamic political theory regarding governance, reflecting waning popular involvement in leadership selection and advocating for a potentially reformed model grounded in the original principles of shared authority among Muslims.
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Let’s Be Real – A Response
Dr Reza Pankhurst critiques the podcast with Dr. Yasir Qadhi, arguing that real change for the Muslim ummah cannot come from within the current world order, which serves Western interests. The establishment of an Islamic state (Khilafa) is deemed crucial for defending and uniting Muslims, contrasting YQ's view of it as a low-priority, idealistic goal.
Accounting the Caliph – From Rebellion to Quietism
Rebellion and Islam - when the appointment of the Islamic rulers became akin to a hereditary process, was rebellion the natural outcome? And did restricting rebellion restrict the choice of the umma?
The End of History and the Caliphate
The reality is that the hegemony of Western governments and values is being disputed more openly as time passes. As re-emerging powers such as Russia, China and India all assert themselves regionally and internationally, demands to adopt the political values and philosophy of Western European and American governments are less relevant to those involved. This is particularly the case as aforementioned values and philosophy lie largely discredited even in the heart of the West itself
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The Caliphate Deniers
(The following is a section reproduced with minor edits from an article originally published in the academic journal Political Theology 11.6 (2010) 826-845) "Muslim secularists" - or the subset within them of "Caliphate deniers", being those who profess a Muslim belief but consider that Islam has nothing to say about the State, that any conception … Continue reading The Caliphate Deniers
A Brief Response to Dr. Ovamir Anjum’s “Who Wants the Caliphate?”
Dr. Ovamir Anjum's recent piece for the Yaqeen Institute entitled "Who wants the Caliphate?" is certainly worth a read. It is a fairly substantial long-read for an internet article, so to summarise just a few of the points I found interesting; please note there is much more in the article than what I mention below, … Continue reading A Brief Response to Dr. Ovamir Anjum’s “Who Wants the Caliphate?”