Excerpted from the lectures of Nokoonam, , session (225)
The Noble Verse of Caliphate in Surah Al-Baqarah, which refers to the Divine declaration of appointing a succession on earth, is one of the pivotal verses of the Holy Quran encompassing profound philosophical, anthropological, and social concepts. This verse not only alludes to the position of man as the Divine Caliph but also, by depicting a dialogue between God and the angels, explicates the dimensions of Lordship, the comprehensiveness of man, and his social responsibilities. In this treatise, employing a scholarly and systematic approach, this verse is analysed with the utilisation of an elevated and academically appropriate language. The objective is to provide a coherent framework for researchers in Quranic sciences, Islamic anthropology, and religious sociology to attain deeper religious and scientific knowledge of this verse.
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: And when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I am going to place a successor on earth," they said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and sanctify You?" He said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."
From the perspective of Quranic linguistics and semantics, the verse possesses a structure that clearly and decisively expresses the Divine declaration. The phrase إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ (Indeed, I am placing) in the active participle form indicates certainty and actualisation of the caliphate command, whereas the angels question employing the imperfect verb form أَتَجْعَلُ (Will You place?) conveys doubt and interrogation. This linguistic contrast denotes the autonomy of Divine agency and God's awareness of hidden wisdom.
God, in the creation and establishment of the caliphate, does not consult anyone, contrary to prophets who consult with people due to their presence among them. The Divine declaration in this verse is not for soliciting opinions but for conferring the responsibility of caliphate to angels, humans, and other creatures. This declaration resembles a royal decree issued by a kings court to inform all about the position of the successor.
The phrase إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً does not mean the creation of man but refers to the establishment of earthly caliphate. The term making here denotes the bestowal of status and responsibility rather than original creation. Man has already been created and is now appointed as the caliph, entrusted with the role of succession on earth. This making is akin to the appointment of a minister selected by a king to govern affairs.
The verse of caliphate, with its rich linguistic and semantic structure, clarifies the position of man as the Divine successor on earth. This position is significant not only philosophically and anthropologically but also as the basis of mans social responsibility within the system of creation. The Divine declaration exhibits Gods autonomous agency, and the establishment of caliphate introduces man as the central figure in the administration of the earth.
The caliphate in the noble verse signifies rightful successorship (خلف حق), i.e., the succession of God on earth. This succession encompasses prophecy and messengership, for the caliph must speak on behalf of God and thus requires revelation. Just as the prophet is an intermediary between God and creation, the caliph, by receiving revelation, performs this role. Imamate, as the continuation of caliphate and prophecy, in the Shia school is designated to the infallible Imam. However, in contextual usage, titles such as Imam of the congregation or Friday Imam in a non-infallible sense may be used, akin to a team captain or a bakery caliph, whose meanings are altered by their contextual setting.
The Divine caliph must be a prophet and messenger to be rightful successor, as without revelation, the claim of representing God is baseless. In contextual usage, non-infallible titles such as bakery caliph or captain are employed, but in the Holy Quran, caliph primarily refers to a prophet and messenger who is sourced from God. This condition is akin to a key that unlocks Divine knowledge.
Quranic terms such as caliph are not confined to a singular specific meaning and derive various senses according to contextual indicators. This flexibility resembles a stream that flows diversely depending on its bed. For instance, caliph in its original meaning refers to the prophet but in contextual usage may be applied to ordinary meanings such as captain or successor.
Caliphate in the Holy Quran as rightful successorship is inextricably linked with prophecy and imamate. This position necessitates infallibility and revelation for the caliph to represent God on earth. The flexibility of Quranic terms permits diverse applications, yet the primary meaning of caliphate refers to mans Divine responsibility within the system of creation.
The angels question in the noble verse, أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ, refers to social issues. The verbs يُفْسِدُ (to cause corruption) and يَسْفِكُ (to shed) in their transitive form denote corruption and bloodshed at the societal level rather than individual matters. Corruption on earth ranges from littering seed husks in streets to digging pits that cause death, and ultimately to bloodshed all social matters which the Islamic system must prevent.
On the Day of Resurrection, two principal questions are asked of man: a necessary question (prayer, an individual matter) and a transitive question (blood, a social matter). The question concerning blood, due to its societal impact, takes precedence. This priority is akin to a scale that weighs social issues heavier. The apparent conflict between these two questions is resolved by distinguishing necessary (individual) from transitive (social) contexts.
The Islamic system must regulate social affairs and prevent corruption and bloodshed, rather than interfering in individual matters such as prayer and fasting. Intrusion into individual matters, such as smelling the breath to detect wine, itself constitutes social corruption, as emphasised by the noble verse لَا تَجَسَّسُوا (Do not spy) (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:12). The system must act like a gardener who cuts the roots of corruption instead of pruning healthy branches.