Well there is no point discussing the religious legitimacy of any rulers in Islamic history besides the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs which was my point.
The Ottoman Caliph was a Sultan at the same time. Not really Islamic. Nor could he be removed. Only if he voluntarily stepped down or was killed. The Ottoman Caliphs imprisoned or killed their younger or elder brothers, depending on who took the throne, because they saw each other as threats.
Well, Abdullah is a head of state of KSA (king) but at the same time the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He is not a Islamic figure. He is bound by Islamic law and the clergy and their influence.
He is not any worse or better than all Muslim rulers in the last 1350 years, if we look apart from the 4 Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Well, this must be semantics we are discussing since some words cannot be translated to English perfectly. Kingdoms are mentioned in ahadith though.
For example:
Well, in fact the Ottomans did not really control anything on the Arabian Peninsula - only through the local rulers who were loyal to them such as the Sharifs of Makkah and Madinah or the Al-Rashid Emirate who ruled large parts of Najd and parts of current day Al-Anbar. In short there were many local rulers and large areas who were not even a formal part of the Ottoman Empire or their vassal/loyal areas.
Yes after the Rashidun all else were kings but that is precisely my point. Prophet Muhammad PBUH did not condemn kingship but he did say that the kingship to come in the Muslim world would go hand in hand with tyranny.
1.4 "There shall be Prophethood (nubuwwa) among you for as long as Allah wishes it to be among you. Then it shall be lifted up when Allah wishes to lift it up. Then there shall be successorship (khilâfa) on the pattern (minhâj) of Prophetship for as long as Allah wishes it to be. Then it
shall be lifted up when Allah wishes to lift it up. Then there shall be a trying kingship (mulkan 'âddan) for as long as Allah wishes it to be. Then it shall be lifted up when Allah wishes to lift it up. Then there shall be a tyrannical kingship (mulkan jabriyyatan) for as long as Allah wishes it to be. Then it shall be lifted up when Allah wishes to lift it up. Then there shall be successorship on the pattern of Prophetship." Narrated from Hudhayfa by Ahmad with a sound chain as stated by al-Zayn in the Musnad (14:163 #18319) and as indicated by al-Haythami (5:188-189): "Narrated by
Ahmad, al-Bazzar with a more complete wording, and al-Tabarani partly, in al-Awsat. The narrators in its chain are trustworthy." Also narrated from Abu 'Ubayda by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (1:157)
with the wording "Then there shall be kingship and tyranny" after the mention of successorship.
Kingship in itself is not bad many Prophets were given a kingdom in addition to Prophethood (Hazrat Dawud, Hazrat Suleiman PBU them both) but the current kingship we see occurring today is tyrannical. Be honest is tomorrow the Saudi king did something out of line would he tolerate calls for him to step down? The answer is no, just like Assad the current king of Syria (President in name) refused to step down, ghadaffi, etc you get my point. Not to mention the fitna between Muslims today is far worse than anytime in our collective history....
Anyway this is the Sunni version of what Islamic jurisdiction should look like ergo a Caliphate. In reference to your saying it was one and the same.
Electing or appointing a Caliph[edit]
Fred Donner, in his book The Early Islamic Conquests (1981), argues that the standard Arabian practice during the early Caliphates was for the prominent men of a kinship group, or tribe, to gather after a leader's death and elect a leader from amongst themselves, although there was no specified procedure for this shura, or consultative assembly. Candidates were usually from the same lineage as the deceased leader, but they were not necessarily his sons. Capable men who would lead well were preferred over an ineffectual direct heir, as there was no basis in the majority Sunni view that the head of state or governor should be chosen based on lineage alone.
This argument is advanced by Sunni Muslims that Muhammad's companion Abu Bakr was elected by the community, and this was the proper procedure. They further argue that a caliph is ideally chosen by election or community consensus. The caliphate became a hereditary office or the prize of the strongest general after the Rashidun caliphate. However, Sunni Muslims believe this was after the 'rightly guided' caliphate ended (Rashidun caliphate).
Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani has said that the leader of the Muslims simply should be from the majority. Abu Hanifa an-Numan also wrote that the leader must come from the majority.[23]
Sunni belief[edit]
Following the death of Muhammad, a meeting took place at Saqifah. At that meeting, Abu Bakr was elected caliph by the Muslim community. Sunni Muslims developed the belief that the caliph is a temporal political ruler, appointed to rule within the bounds of Islamic law (Sharia). The job of adjudicating orthodoxy and Islamic law was left to Islamic lawyers, judiciary, or specialists individually termed as Mujtahids and collectively named the Ulema. The first four caliphs are called the Rashidun, meaning the Rightly Guided Caliphs, because they are believed to have followed the Qur'an and the sunnah (example) of Muhammad in all things.
Majlis al-Shura: Parliament[edit]
See also: Shura, Majlis, Majlis-ash-Shura, and Islamic democracy
Traditional Sunni Islamic lawyers agree that shura, loosely translated as consultation of the people, is a function of the caliphate. The Majlis al-Shura advise the caliph. The importance of this is premised by the following verses of the Qur'an:
...those who answer the call of their Lord and establish the prayer, and who conduct their affairs by Shura. [are loved by God][42:38]
...consult them (the people) in their affairs. Then when you have taken a decision (from them), put your trust in Allah[3:159]
The majlis is also the means to elect a new caliph. Al-Mawardi has written that members of the majlis should satisfy three conditions: they must be just, they must have enough knowledge to distinguish a good caliph from a bad one, and must have sufficient wisdom and judgment to select the best caliph. Al-Mawardi also said in emergencies when there is no caliphate and no majlis, the people themselves should create a majlis, select a list of candidates for caliph, then the majlis should select from the list of candidates.[23]
Some modern interpretations of the role of the Majlis al-Shura include those by Islamist author Sayyid Qutb and by Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, the founder of a transnational political movement devoted to the revival of the Caliphate. In an analysis of the shura chapter of the Qur'an, Qutb argued Islam requires only that the ruler consult with at least some of the ruled (usually the elite), within the general context of God-made laws that the ruler must execute. Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, writes that Shura is important and part of "the ruling structure" of the Islamic caliphate, "but not one of its pillars," and may be neglected without the Caliphate's rule becoming unislamic. Non-Muslims may serve in the majlis, though they may not vote or serve as an official.
Accountability of rulers[edit]
Sunni Islamic lawyers have commented on when it is permissible to disobey, impeach or remove rulers in the Caliphate. This is usually when the rulers are not meeting public responsibilities obliged upon them under Islam.
Al-Mawardi said that if the rulers meet their Islamic responsibilities to the public, the people must obey their laws, but if they become either unjust or severely ineffective then the Caliph or ruler must be impeached via the Majlis al-Shura. Similarly Al-Baghdadi[clarification needed] believed that if the rulers do not uphold justice, the ummah via the majlis should give warning to them, and if unheeded then the Caliph can be impeached. Al-Juwayni argued that Islam is the goal of the ummah, so any ruler that deviates from this goal must be impeached. Al-Ghazali believed that oppression by a caliph is enough for impeachment. Rather than just relying on impeachment, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani obliged rebellion upon the people if the caliph began to act with no regard for Islamic law. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said that to ignore such a situation is haraam, and those who cannot revolt inside the caliphate should launch a struggle from outside. Al-Asqalani used two ayahs from the Qur'an to justify this:
...And they (the sinners on qiyama) will say, 'Our Lord! We obeyed our leaders and our chiefs, and they misled us from the right path. Our Lord! Give them (the leaders) double the punishment you give us and curse them with a very great curse'...[33:6768]
Islamic lawyers commented that when the rulers refuse to step down via successful impeachment through the Majlis, becoming dictators through the support of a corrupt army, if the majority agree they have the option to launch a revolution against them. Many noted that this option is only exercised after factoring in the potential cost of life.[23]
This is what we should strive for as Muslims. This is the democracy that was apart of the very foundation of Islam from the beginning.
@
Naifov