The Possibility or Impossibility of Establishing Legitimacy in Islamic Caliphate Model

The objective-theoretical model of Islamic caliphate is a historical model which has been theoretically justified and reconstructed after it had taken a real form. This theoretical justification and reconstruction is intended to establish its legitimacy. In this connection, the following constituents as that “caliphate is something secular”, “caliphate enjoys a divine or religious mission”, “a caliph is liable to sin”, “a caliph does not have God-given(inner) knowledge” are the effective ones which have been taken into consideration. Exploring the standard procedure of establishing legitimacy in this model is of great importance. Thus, this requires us to examine the extent to which this model can meet the requirement of legitimacy in three levels: “conditions for intellectual and philosophical possibility”, “conditions for occurring possibility” and “conditions for citing documentary evidence in support of legitimacy of caliphate”, though one can easily see the inability of the model in meeting the conditions in the three levels mentioned above. The best and the most complete formulation of meeting the requirement of legitimacy for the Islamic caliphate model in terms of secularity can be found in the theory of social contract. Of course, Islamic caliphate model as one of the examples of this theory in this theoretical perspective cannot have a justified and effective procedure for meeting the requirement of legitimacy.