Wali al-Ahd: Difference between revisions

'''Wali al-Ahd''' ({{lang-ar|وليShort العهدdescription|Walī al-ʿAhd}}) is the Arabic andor Islamic term for a designated heir of a ruler, or [[crown prince]]. }}

The title emerged in the early [[caliphate]]s, and can be traced to at least {{circa|715}}.{{sfn|Marsham|2009|p=114}} The title itself is ambiguous, as the term {{transl|ar|[[wali|walī]]}} can mean both 'possessor of' or 'successor to', and the exact scope of {{transl|ar|ʿahd}}, 'covenant, testament', is left unclear: it can be interpreted as the [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant of God]] with humanity as a whole, of the previous caliph, or of the [[Muslim community]].{{sfn|Marsham|2009|pp=114–115}} The [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad caliphs]] caliphs(661–750) certainly favoured a more absolutist interpretation, by which they claimed a mandate deriving directly from God, via their position as heirs to [[Muhammad]]. By the 740s, the term '''{{transl|ar|walī ʿahd al-muslimīn}}''' ({{lang|ar|ولي عهد المسلمين|}}, {{lit.|successor to the covenant of the Muslims}}), or even the variant '''{{transl|ar|walī ʿahd al-muslimīn wa'l muslimāt}}''' ('successor to the covenant of the Muslim men and Muslim women') appears in use, either in the sense of the Muslim community pledging allegiance ({{transl|ar|[[bay'ah|bayʿa]]}}) to the heir-designate, or the heir being the successor to the covenant with the Muslim community.{{sfn|Marsham|2009|pp=115–116}} The term was established as the usual title of the caliphal heir-apparent by the time of the first [[Abbasid caliphs]] (750–1258).{{sfn|Ayalon|2002|p=126}}

The origin of the practice has pre-Islamic roots, among the choice of successor in the [[Tribes of Arabia|Arab tribes]]. In the Islamic period, this ancient practice was given new legitimacy when the first caliph, [[Abu Bakr]], nominated his successor, Caliph [[Umar]]. Umar in turn later nominated a group of prominent Muslims to choose one of their number as his successor.{{sfn|Ayalon|2002|p=126}} The choice of heir was set on a hereditary basis by the first Umayyad caliph, [[Mu'awiya I]], who chose his own son, [[Yazid I]]. The hereditary principle prevailed thereafter, although sometimes a brother could be chosen instead, or multiple sons be nominated as first and second heir; though usually the latter practice led to succession disputes.{{sfn|Ayalon|2002|p=126}} In [[Sunni]] jurisprudence, the choice of successor and the act of designation is the absolute prerogative of the caliph or ruler; the oath of allegiance offered to the new heir confirmed his status, but was not a prerequisite for his legitimacy.{{sfn|Ayalon|2002|p=126}}

* {{EI2 | last = Ayalon | first = A. | title = Walī al-ʿAhd | volume = 11 | pages = 125–126 | urldoi = http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_7844 }}