File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎240v] (489/834)

practice of this detail.* 2 The Caliph’s name, as Sovereign of
all Mohammedans, must be mentioned m the khutba and
after his, that of such other Sultan, King, or Emir, as the Caliph
has invested with power over the territory in which the sard
khutba is held. If no Caliph exists, the prayer during the
khutba is offered only for the Moslem sovereign of the territory
itself. 33
Notes on Chapter I.
(1) . This memorandum only deals with the Caliphs of the
Sunnis and not with the Caliph, or better, Imam, as he is known,
in the small sect of Moslem Shias, who are mostly Persians,
and in whom for the moment we are not interested.
(2) . Mohammed only became head of the one State on his
migration [sm] or Hejira from Mecca to Medina in Septembei,
622 a.d. His death occurred on a Monday which almost certainly
corresponds to June 8 , 632 a.d ; the date of his birth is
unknown. It was only decided in the Caliphate of Omar (634 -644
a.d.) that the Moslem calendar should be calculated in lunar
months from the beginning of the Arab year during which the
Hejira took place, that is to say, from sunset of July 15, 622
(since the Arabs, Hebrews, and at one time even people in Italy,
considered the beginning of a day of twenty-four hours to be
at sunset and not at midnight). To this is due the mistake
in many European books which place not only the beginning
of the Moslem era, but also the actual migration, (not
“ flight ”) of Mohammed to Medina on July 16, 662.
(3) . It is not clear that this title had already been given
to Abu Bakr, at least officially. The matter is only certain
as regards his successor Omar (63*4-644 a.d.). In any case
it is worth noting that the title Khalifa has always been
more used historically and in literature than officially. In
public documents, inscriptions and coins, the Caliph, according
to the rule laid down by Omar, is always designated with the
title of Amir el-Muminin, that is to say “ Lord of the Faith
ful,” and he used to be addressed by courtiers, private individuals
and officials, with this title and not with that of Khalifa.
(4) . Theologians and jurists are in the habit of reserving
the title of Caliph for the first four sovereigns, Abu Bakr, Omar,
Othman, and Ali, as being the only persons, who, besides being
illustrious companions of the Prophet, also governed exclusively
according to the laws of the Koran or the comments of Mohammed.
All the later sovereigns were called Imams or Chiefs, as being
those who introduced innovations into the Government and
public administration, not based on the Koran or the Sunna.
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