Why the Prophet’s Family didn’t receive the caliphate

 

Why the Prophet’s Family didn’t receive the caliphate

 

As Hadhrat Imam Hasan (May Allah be well pleased with him) was convinced that the caliphate will never come to the Prophet’s Family, at the time of his demise, he advised Hadhrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him):  By Allah!  I can never accept that Almighty Allah will gather both Prophethood and caliphate in our family.  Beware!  Lest you are misled by the fools of Kufa!

 

Just see, how convinced the Imam was that the Prophet’s Family will never get the caliphate, that he even said it on oath and this is what ought to happen as the mind will never accept that Almighty Allah grants them a special excellence and then gives them something which He Himself considers undesirable.

 

In Khasaais-e-Kubra, Imam Suyuti (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has related this Hadith:

 

Translation: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  This matter has begun with Prophethood and mercy.  After this, there will be caliphate and mercy.  After that, tyrannical and cruel monarchy will take root.

 

It has also been said that the era of the true caliphate will be only 30 years and this Hadith says after this tyrannical monarchy will take root, meaning that the monarchs will be such.  Thus, if they (i.e. the Prophet’s Family) gained the caliphate, it couldn’t be the true caliphate as its period had ended.  Then the attributes of tyranny and cruelty would have turned out to be about them although these qualities are undesirable and hated by both Allah and His creation.

 

Thus, Hadhrat Imam Hasan (May Allah be well pleased with him) had understood this subtlety and for this reason, he summarily rejected this material world.  Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him) also had understood but for him the divine intent was to grant him the very pinnacles of martyrdom apart from the stations of asceticism and renunciation of the material world.  For this reason, the first stirrings of this were immediately after the martyrdom of Hadhrat Imam Hasan (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

Thus, it is mentioned in Tareekh Ul Khulafa that the people of Kufa had started corresponding with Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him) right from the time of Hadhrat Ameer Mu’awiya (May Allah be well pleased with him) that he should become the successor to Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him), but the Imam kept putting them off.  Later when Yazeed became the king, then because of his disgusting character, the Imam also paid some attention to it.  Thus, at times he would be willing to go to Kufa, at other times, he wouldn’t be willing.

 

Eventually divine will made him go to Kufa.  Even though, the Companions tried to prevent him and Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) told him frankly that he shouldn’t leave from there at any cost.  Almighty Allah had given the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) the right to choose between this world and the hereafter and He had chosen the hereafter.  The Imam is also a part of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and as such he can never try to garner this material world!!

 

Divine Will can never be put off.  The Imam didn’t accept anybody’s advice and what transpired at last was that instead of worldly progress, the Imam was made to acquire all the stations of spiritual progress and instead of worldly kingship, the Imam was given the kingship of the hereafter.

 

[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 5]