The Caliphate The Caliphate was regarded as a trust from God in the hands of the Muslims, the later for administrative purposes entered into a sacred and solemn contract with the best person in the state. The people by taking an oath of allegiance to the Caliph had to assure him of their cooperation and loyalty. The latter had tokened himself to administer the affairs of the Caliphate in accordance with the Qur’anic principles and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. The Caliph was the head of the whole Empire. Although the Caliphate was not a purely religious office like that of Pope, the Pious Caliphate, as the immediate temporal successors of the Holy Prophet and the leader of pilgrimage and the prayer had a good deal of the religious elements attached to their office. The Caliph was the final arbiter of all types of state’s affairs.
