Khalifah
Definition
Khalifah — vicegerent or successor — is the role Allah announced for humanity before Adam was even created. The angels heard the word and expressed concern: 'Will You place therein one who causes corruption and sheds blood?' Allah's reply was immediate: 'I know what you do not know.' Al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir both read this exchange as the most important theological statement about human dignity: humanity was chosen for a sacred trust — to represent divine will, uphold justice, and steward the earth — not because they were sinless but because they had a capacity for knowledge, moral choice, and repentance that made them uniquely suited for the role.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
Hear the term in context.
Every book above uses Khalifah the way the classical scholars meant it. Listen with the full Study Kit in the app.