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Khalifa

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khalifa
Abu Bakr, the first Khalifa
PronunciationArabic: [xaliːfa]
GenderMale
Origin
Language(s)Arabic
MeaningLeader, Successor, Steward, Deputy
Place of originArabia
Islamic Caliphate
Other names
Alternative spellingKhalifah, Khaleefa, Khaleefah, Caliph
Variant form(s)Khalifeh (Persian), Kalifa (West African)

Khalifa (خليفة) is a name which means "leader" or "ruler". The title is most commonly used for a leader of a caliphate but it is also used by Islamic groups such as Daesh and the Ahmadi community. The first Khalifa in the Rashidun Caliphate was Abu Bakr but many groups such as the Twelvers claim it was supposed to be Ali.[1][2] This is due to the different interpretations of the word Khalifa between Sunni scholars and Shi'i scholars.[2]

References

[change | change source]
  1. "Caliphate - wikishia". en.wikishia.net. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "What is Shi'ism | The Institute of Ismaili Studies". www.iis.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-05.