Khalifa
Also called: Khalifah · Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
In Sufism, a khalifa is the successor whom a shaikh (sufi master) chooses to carry on his work. The khalifa keeps the silsila going. A silsila is the "chain" of teachers that runs from master to disciple and goes back to the Prophet Muhammad. A shaikh also sent khalifas to start hospices (khanqahs) in new places. This is how sufi orders spread across India.
Example
Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (d. 1325) lived in his khanqah at Ghiyaspur near Delhi. He sent his successors to different parts of the subcontinent, which spread Chishti teaching widely. Shaikh Nasiruddin Chiragh-i Dehli (d. 1356) became the next great Chishti master in Delhi.
Don't confuse with
- Caliph (khalifa of the Caliphate): the political and religious head of the Muslim world. A sufi khalifa is only a spiritual heir within one order.
- Murid: any disciple. Only a few murids became khalifas.