Today, there is no caliphate—so what can we do as Muslims?

If this thought crosses your mind, then this is something you need to read. There are also those who ask whether we should at least make some effort to re-establish the caliphate. They too should read this.

There have been some who tried to claim that establishing the caliphate is the individual responsibility (fard ’ayn) of every Muslim, and that if there is no caliphate, then each Muslim is guilty. These are the arguments promoted by extremist movements that misuse Islam. Throughout history, the idea of “establishing the caliphate” has been used as a weapon by such groups to justify killing fellow Muslims and waging war against them. These groups have even claimed that every individual effort toward re- establishing the caliphate constitutes jihad, and that such jihad is mandatory upon every Muslim. This is completely anti-Islamic.

No scholar has ever said that every Muslim must fight or strive for the caliphate or else be deemed sinful. Islam has no such stance. In fact, if every Muslim were to engage in such individual efforts, it would only result in fragmentation and destruction within the Islamic world. This directly contradicts the fundamental objective of the caliphate itself, which is to remove disorder and division from society. Hence, violence carried out in the name of establishing the caliphate is a serious wrong and absolutely prohibited. No one has ever claimed, based on the Holy Qur’an or Hadith, that each individual is obligated to establish the caliphate by themselves. What we see today are misinterpretations that only serve to incite internal conflict within the Ummah.

Imam al-Mawardi (RA) says: “Just as the pursuit of knowledge is a fard kifayah (communal obligation), so is the establishment of the caliphate. If a qualified person from among the eligible fulfills it, the obligation is lifted from the rest. However, if none among the qualified do so, then the responsibility falls upon two groups:

1. 1. Ahl al-Hall wa’l-‘Aqd – those authorized to make binding decisions – until they appoint an imam for the Ummah, and
2. Those who are qualified to be imams themselves – until one of them takes up th post.

Apart from these two groups, no one else in the Ummah bears any blame for the absence or delay in establishing the caliphate.” (Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah, p. 17)
This scholarly view is very clear. Islam does not prescribe that a state or caliphate must be established at any cost, under any circumstance, or by any means. Islam certainly desires a caliphate—but only if its establishment is possible. This has been the consensus among Muslim scholars throughout history.

Even when scholars stated that appointing a caliph is obligatory, they always emphasized that this applies only when it is feasible. If not feasible, or if no one meets the required conditions, or if the conditions render it impossible to appoint someone, then the absence of the caliphate does not make the Muslim community sinful.

Imam al-Haramayn (RA) writes:

“Only when it becomes possible to appoint a caliph does it become obligatory.” (Ghayath al-Umam, p. 15)

Imam al-Taftazani (RA) and Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (RA) also say the same: “It is only obligatory to appoint an imam if it is possible.” (Sharh al-Maqasid, 5/237; Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah, p. 55) This is the unanimous position of all scholars. They have made it abundantly clear in many places that the Ummah is not to be blamed for the absence of the caliphate if it is due to impossibility.

Imam al-Khayali (RA) writes:
“Only if the appointment of the imam is possible, but deliberately neglected, is the Ummah considered blameworthy. If it is impossible, or if refusal becomes unavoidable, there is no blame.” (Hashiyat al-Khayali ‘ala Sharh al-‘Aqa’id, p. 48)

Imam al-Taftazani (RA) says: 

“The Ummah errs only if the appointment was possible and yet intentionally abandoned. If it was impossible or the neglect was involuntary, there is no error.” (Sharh al-Maqasid, 5/239) – this is also found in al-Nibras, the commentary on Sharhal-‘Aqa’id (p. 312).

The reason for stating all this is to help us understand the depth of scholarly opinion on this matter and to ensure that no one from our community is misled into such extremist thinking.
Even centuries ago, scholars acknowledged that a time might come when there would be no caliph or caliphate in the Muslim world.

Imam al-Haramayn (RA) wrote:

“If there has come a time on this earth when even the prophets—who were protectors of the Ummah’s faith—are no longer present, then it is not far-fetched for there to come a time without imams. Rationally, we must accept that such a time is possible.” (Ghayath al-Umam, p. 18)

In today’s global situation, is it realistically possible to appoint a single imam for all Muslims? And even if it is, can we find someone who meets all the required conditions? If not, and if we settle for the most qualified person available, will the entire Muslim world accept him, and will that put an end to disorder and division? These are valid questions for the reader to consider.

Given that most Muslim rulers today are locked in power struggles, it is only wise to admit that such a move is practically impossible. Especially with Sunni, Shia, and various extremist factions all active today, even if someone were to be appointed, it is highly likely that conflict and chaos would only intensify.

Today, in the vast majority of Muslim-majority nations, people enjoy security—of life, property, and religion. We must seriously consider whether attempting to appoint a caliph could jeopardize even that. Just look at the devastating outcomes of the so-called “Jasmine Revolutions.” In none of those countries where power was seized—or attempted to be seized—has full peace returned. At the same time, let us pray and hope that, when the time is right and circumstances permit, a supreme leader might emerge peacefully in the fractured Muslim world.

There are some scholars who opined that there could be multiple caliphs at the same time in different regions. Based on that, some believe that the rulers of today’s Muslim countries can be considered caliphs for their respective peoples, and that through them, the collective obligation of the Ummah is fulfilled. But this view does not have a firm foundation. Beyond all this, no one is required to do anything to forcibly establish the caliphate. Everything of that sort has been forbidden by religion.