Khalifa
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![]() Abu Bakr the first Khalifa | |
Pronunciation | Arabic: [xaliːfa] |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Language(s) | Arabic |
Origin | |
Meaning | Leader, Successor, Steward, Deputy |
Region of origin | Arabia Islamic Caliphate |
Other names | |
Alternative spelling | Khalifah, Khaleefa, Khaleefah, Caliph |
Variant form(s) | Khalifeh (Persian), Halife (Turkish), Kalifa (West African) |
Khalifa or Khalifah (Arabic: خليفة) is a name or title which means "successor", "ruler" or "leader". It most commonly refers to the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups and orders. Khalifa is sometimes also pronounced as "kalifa". There were 4 khalifas after Prophet Mohammed died, beginning with Abu Bakr. This was a difficult decision for the people to make, for no one except Prophet Mohammed had ever thought with foresight about who would rule after he would die. The Khilaafat (or Caliphate) was then contested and gave rise to the eventual division of the Islamic Umma into two groups, the Sunni and the Shi'a who interpret the word, Khalifa in differently nuanced ways.
The earliest Islamic uses include 'Khaleefa(ḥ)' in The Qur'an, 2:30, where Allah commands the angels to bow down to Adam which more clearly guides to the root Classical Arabic meaning of the word as "Vicegerent", or divinely connected representative of Allah in the human form as a mercy to mankind. See also how this meaning interacts with the word, Shirk (associating a partner or partners to Allah ) by (for example) bowing down to them (in this case, Adam[1]) with reverence. "Vicegerent", therefore, is more at "divinely-guided spokesman" than "deputy" in this context and leads to the discovery of the role of Imam in Islam, from the Shi'i or Shi'a[2] point of view where, it is claimed, the spiritual Khilaafat or designation of Khaleefa in this meaning of spiritual and temporal guide falls upon the first Imam, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, "the favourite" (who received his mission from his cousin Muhammed himself but who also conceded the Khilaafat to the election and claim of the politically more powerful and more popular leader and his senior, Abu Bakr). In the Shi'i tradition, however, the dissolved claim to the Khilaafat by 'Ali thereafter crystallised into Imamat which continued with his descendants after him through appointment by nass, or designation).
Concept
- Caliph
- Caliphate
- Khalifatul Masih
- In Sufism (tasawwuf), a Khalifah is a spiritual successor of a saint, in the Sufi order
- The Shi'a view of Ali
Living people
- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1948), Emir of Abu Dhabi and UAE president
- Khalifa Haftar (born 1943), Libyan military commander
- Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1952), former Emir of Qatar (r. 1995–2013)
- Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa (born 1952), President of the 61st United Nations General Assembly
- Marcel Khalife (born 1950), Lebanese musician
- Mia Khalifa (born 1993), Lebanese-American social media personality
- Peter Khalife (born 1990), Lebanese football agent
- Omer Khalifa (born 1956), Sudanese sportsman
- Rafik Khalifa (born 1966), Algerian billionaire
- Osama Khalifa (born 1995), Egyptian squash player
- Sam Khalifa (born 1963), American baseball-player
Historical people
- Adam,[1] The first ever creature said in the Holy Scriptures to be created in human form and also the first Khaleef of Islam appointed by Allah
- Khalifa ibn Khayyat (c. 777 – c. 854), Arab historian
- Khalifa Keita (r. 1274–1275), fourth mansa of the Mali Empire
- Katip Çelebi, or Hajji Khalifa, (1599–1658), Ottoman-Turkish author
- Abdallahi ibn Muhammad (1846–1899), known as "The Khalifa", Sudanese Mahdist leader
- Khalifa bin Harub of Zanzibar (1879–1960), sultan of Zanzibar
- Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa (1919–2006), Sudanese politician
- Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani (1932–2016), Emir of Qatar (r. 1972–1995)
- Rashad Khalifa (1935–1990), Egyptian biochemist
- Mohammed Jamal Khalifa (1957–2007), Saudi Arabian businessman
- Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
- Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain
- Meriam Al Khalifa
See also
- Amir or Emir
- Bey
- Baig or Begh
- Imam
- Kalifa (disambiguation)
- Malik
- Mir (title), itself used in various compounds
- Mirza, literally "son of an Emir"
- Murabitun World Movement
- Prince
- Rana (title)
- Sheikh
- Sayyid
- Shah
- Sultan
- Vizier
References
- ^ a b "Surah Al-Baqarah [2:30]". Surah Al-Baqarah [2:30]. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
- ^ "What is Shi'a Islam? | The Institute of Ismaili Studies". www.iis.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-05.