The Inevitable Caliphate?: A History of the Struggle for Global Islamic Union, 1924 to the Present

294 Pages·2013·1.35 MB·English

by  Reza Pankhurst

THE INEVITABLE CALIPHATE?
‘Reza Pankhurst provides a unique and probing examination of modern thinking on the
Caliphate. This detailed analysis of the ways in which the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-
Tahrir, and al-Qaeda, as well as smaller groups, reformulate and use the concept today is both
judicious and informed. It provides the most reliable guide available to an idea and political
symbol that holds attraction for many Sunni Muslims while inciting anxiety, even fear, among
others, including many non-Muslims and Shi’a.’
James Piscatori, Professor of International Relations, Durham University
‘Until now, no scholar has tried to examine systematically how the Caliphate has animated
and inspired Islamic intellectuals and activists, or how alternative conceptions of the Cali-
phate have been formulated and fought over. Against this backdrop, The Inevitable Caliphate?
provides a carefully crafted and well documented treatment of the diverse ways in which the
Caliphate has figured in the global politics of Islam over the past ninety years. A very illumi-
nating and instructive book.’
John T. Sidel, Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics,
London School of Economics and Political Science
‘Reza Pankhurst’s deftly argued, thought-provoking book addresses the significant yet neglec-
ted topic of the Islamic Caliphate, focusing on the attempts of Muslim thinkers and activists
to resuscitate the institution following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s.
What stands out is the author’s ability to situate the contributions of the Muslim Brothe-
rhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Al-Qaeda, and other advocates of the Caliphate within the context of
normative Islam, rather than weigh them against the yardstick of liberal democracy. This
important book, which examines the Caliphate on its own terms, will challenge the way
scholars and other observers of political Islam conceive of their subject.’
John Calvert, Associate Professor of History, Creighton University
and author of Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism
‘In the wake of the Arab Spring and the sustained re-imagination of political possibilities in
the Middle East, The Inevitable Caliphate? is especially relevant. From Rabat to Riyadh Arabs
have re-asserted the right to think about political alternatives, demonstrating the grassroots
popularity of Islamic frameworks of legitimacy and laying the groundwork for a renewed and
far-reaching conversation about Islamic governance paradigms. Ideas about the Caliphate—as
precedent, as social contract, as imagined community—are bound to shape and be shaped by
these debates.’
Alia Brahimi, Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science
and author of Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror
‘The Inevitable Caliphate? is a timely and much needed contribution to our understanding of
the modern Caliphate as a political concept and goal. It is a must-read for scholars, students
and anyone who is interested in the post-1924 debate over the restoration of the Caliphate.’
Emmanuel Karagiannis, Assistant Professor of International Relations,
Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia,
and author of Political Islam in Central Asia: The Challenge of Hizb ut-Tahrir
‘An authoritative blend of historical fact married with current Islamic political thought,
Pankhurst offers an excellent insight on the institution of the Caliphate in Islam. Gripping,
extremely learned, but accessible, this book is a must-read.’
Shahrul Hussain, Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Markfield Institute of
Higher Education, Leicestershire
REZA PANKHURST
The Inevitable Caliphate?
A History of the Struggle for
Global Islamic Union, 1924 to the Present
A
A
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pankhurst, Reza.
The inevitable caliphate? : a history of the struggle for global Islamic union, 1924 to the
present / Reza Pankhurst.—First edition.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-932799-7 (alk. paper)
1. Caliphate—History—20th century. 2. Islam—Unity. 3. Ikhwan al-Muslimun—
History—20th century. 4. Qaida (Organization)—History—20th century. 5. Hizb
al-Tahrir—History—20th century. I. Title.
BP166.9.P36 2013
297.2’720904—dc23
2013014744
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in India
on Acid-Free Paper
ميحرلا نمحرلا للها مسب
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent
كبح ىلا ىنبرقي لمع لك بحو كبحي نم بحو كبح كلأسأ ىنا مهللا
O Allah, I ask you for Your love, and the love of whomever loves You, and the love
of every action that brings me closer to Your love

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
1. Interpreting Ideas: An Introduction 1
Analyzing Islamic Politics Through Imposed Paradigms 7
The Caliphate and Normative Islam 14
Studying the Caliphate and its Callers 19
Religious Epistemology and Ijtihad 23
2. The End of an Era: The Caliphate Between Rejection,
Reform and Revival 31
The Caliph—Politician or Pope? 35
Progressive Politics or Impractical Fallacy 41
The End of “Empire”, and the Orthodoxy Strikes Back 49
The Caliphate Debates Reviewed 58
3. Global Unity Through a Nation State: Banna, the Muslim
Brotherhood and Authority Under Occupation 63
The Brotherhood—Its beginning and aims 66
The Ijtihad of Al-Banna—Unity, the Islamic State and the
Caliphate 71
Confrontation—Morality, Jihad and Liberation 79
The Inheritance of Hassan al-Banna 83
4. Caliphate as Liberation: Hizb ut-Tahrir—the Party of
Liberation in the Post-Colonial Era 93
Hizb ut-Tahrir—The Liberation Party in the Era of Revolution 99
Intellectual Revival—Ijtihad for a “True Liberation” 109
vii
CONTENTS
The Caliph, Caliphate and Constitution 114
The Road to Liberation—Conflicts and Confrontation 121
5. Inspiration from the Past: Osama Bin Laden and
Al-Qaeda—The Discourse of Resistance 131
Addressing Domestic Grievances 137
Justifying the Global Jihad—For a Caliphate? 146
The Ideology of Reciprocity—Ijtihad without a Mujtahid 151
Convincing the Umma and Religious Authority 156
6. Beyond the Middle East: The Sub-continent, the Diaspora,
and the New Muslims 161
Tanzeem-e-Islami and Tehreek-e-Khilafat 165
The Jama’ah-tul-Muslimeen and their Quraishi Caliph 175
Sheikh Abdalqadir as-Sufi and the Gold Dinar Community 182
The Quest for Lost Authority 189
7. Common Goals, Divergent Methodologies 191
Disputed Ijtihad and Understanding Reality 193
Conceptions of the Caliphate, Mobilization and Legitimacy 199
The Call to the Caliphate 203
8. The End of a History 209
Appendix 217
Notes 221
Bibliography 253
Index 269
viii