Assalamun alaikum Maasum

 

You requested me to explain and tell you the difference between Khalifa and Imam. I will try my best to give my explaination according to the Quran. The simple meaning of Khalifa is ‘Successor’ and Imam meaning ‘Leader.’

 

 

Khalifa

 

In the Holy Quran the word ‘Khalifa’ sometime is being used as one person and sometime as a group people. Strange enough, in the Holy Quran you will never find a verse mention that Khalifa (Successor) choice is in the hand of human being, except on one occasion where Prophet Musa (a.s) chosed his brother Harun (a.s) who was also a Prophet from God and follow His command. In all situation it is only Allah chose or appoint Khalifa.

 

The responsible of a Khalifa is to Judge people with justice, act rightly and follow not vain desire or the path of mischief-makers, these we can learn from these chapters and verses 38:26 and 7:142

 

Khalifa  38:26  – God Chose

“O’ Daud! Verily WE have appointed thee a vicegerent in the earth, so judge thou between the people with justice and follow not vain desire, ….

 

Akhlifuni Musa (a.s) chose Harun (a.s) not people – 7:142

“..said Moses unto his brother Aaron: “Take thou my place among my people, Act rightly and follow not the path of the mischief-makers

 

 

We are also promised by God that He will send a Khalifa at the end of the world to rescue Muslim from the cruel situation. This we can read verse 24:55

 

Liyastakhlifanahum   24:55 – God Chose

God has promised unto those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will certainly appoint  them successors in the earth as He appointed successors those before them….

 

Here are the rest verses of Khalifa from the Holy Quran are as follow :

 

Khalifa  2:30  --  God Chose

“(Recollect O’ Our Apostle Muhammad) When said thy Lord unto the angels: ‘Verily I (intend to) appoint a vicegerent in the earth..

 

Khalaifa  10:73 ( Noah) – God Chose

But they belied him so We delivered him and those with him in the Ark, and We made them successors..

 

Khulafaa  7:69   (Hud after Qaum Noah) – God Chosen

….And remember ye when He made you successors after Noah’s people

 

Khulafaa   7:74  (Qaum Saleh After Ad)  -- God Chose

And remember when He made you successors after the (people) Ad.

 

Khalaifa 35:39 (general) – God chose

“He is the One Who made you the successors (of those who preceded you) in the earth..”

 

 

Imam

 

From the Holy Quran you can find the word Imam mentioned twelve times exactly the same twelve number of the Imam of Ahlel Bait.

 

The meaning of Imam is Leader whether leader of the religion, leader of the disbeliever, leader of the  nation or leader of the congregational prayer. In the Holy Quran we can find two type of Imams are mentioned, one who mislead people who is called Aimatul Kufur as verse 9:21 and 28:41; and another type of Imam appointed by Allah Himself same way as He appoint Khalifa as we can find in the verse 2:124.

 

If we try to compare the verse of Imam and Khilafa we will find that they are all pointing toward leading people to the right path.

 

2:124 “And remember when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words then he fulfilled them; He said, “Verily I make thee Imam for mankind;” (Abraham) said “And of my offspring”? He said “My covenant reacheth not the unjust.”

 

38:26 “O’ Daud! Verily WE have appointed thee a vicegerent in the earth, so judge thou between the people with justice and follow not vain desire, lest it should take thee from the Way (Sabil) of God ….

 

7:142 “..said Moses unto his brother Aaron: “Take thou my place among my people, Act rightly and follow not the path (Sabil) of the mischief-makers

 

From this chapter 2:124 we can learn that this position of Imam is very high because when Ibrahim (a.s) was given this positon he was already a Prophet of God, and it is known that all Prophets are pure and sinless. It is not possible that Allah would send unjust and sinner person to deliver his Message. In order His message to reach to the people perfectly without errors and deduct, He has to send a pure person who is sinless in every way. Not only that, Ibrahim (a.s) was not given easily this position, first he was tested when he passed then he was given this position. Therefore we can understand this verse that the unjust (Dhalimin) can not and never be an Imam, in another word only a pure person like the one of sura 33:33 are entitled to get this position because he can lead people to the right path and way of Allah following his command completely with justice without following vain desire or the path of the mischief-makers.

 

In other word Imam must be exact like Khalifa who is unjust and does not follow vain desire and path of the mischief-makers.  

 

In both cases the Imam and Khalifa are just, sinless and appointed by Allah to lead people to the right path. In another word the responsible of Imam and Khalifa are same and chosen by same Allah but only differ in meaning.

 

 

Wassalam