Khilafat after the Messiah/Mahdi
The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) prophesized that Khilafat would be established in the latter days. This prophecy was fulfilled by the establishment of the Khilafat after the death of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S), who is the Messiah and Mahdi prophesized in the Quran and by Muhammad (S.A.W) in the ahadith. The first Khalifa after the Messiah was Hazrat Molvi Noorudin (R.A) and it continues to this day with the current Khalifa as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (A.T.B.A).
The Messiah is clearly referred to as a prophet as indicated by the words Khilafah ala Minhaji-Nabuwwah (Khilafat on the precepts of Prophethood). This nabuwwah is the nabuwwah of the latter-day Messiah. This is the view of all Sunnis and the scan of the hadith proves that.
“Prophethood would remain among you so long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then Caliphate on the precepts of Prophethood would be established and remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then despotic rule would remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then a tyrannous rule would remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then the Caliphate on the precepts of Prophethood would be established again (Khilafah ala Minhaji-Nabuwwah). Then, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) remained silent.”
[Musnad Ahmad, 4/273, #18596]
This is a promise of Allah that he will keep Khilafat present in the community which is righteous as explained by the following verse:
وَعَدَ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّہُمۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ کَمَا اسۡتَخۡلَفَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ ۪ وَلَیُمَکِّنَنَّ لَہُمۡ دِیۡنَہُمُ الَّذِی ارۡتَضٰی لَہُمۡ وَلَیُبَدِّلَنَّہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِہِمۡ اَمۡنًا ؕ یَعۡبُدُوۡنَنِیۡ لَا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ بِیۡ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَمَنۡ کَفَرَ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ
Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.
[Quran 24:56]
Muslims have been trying to establish a Khilafat like that of Khilafat-e-Rashida for the last thousand (1000) years, but they could not do it. Muslims have ruled the world and had access to all the blessings of Allah and there has been no shortage of big and influential scholars and Mujaddadeen in the past. However, all their efforts have been in vain because it is not a man that makes a Khalifa, it is Allah that does so. Allah’s promise is that this blessing is only given to those who “believe” and do “good work”.
This blessing was only given to the followers of the Messiah and Mahdi. Only Ahmadi Muslims are the group who were blessed with a Khilafat that has been continuing for the last 100+ years. All the enemies of Ahmadiyyat, including the munafiqun (hypocrites), have strived to dismantle this promise of Allah but have failed miserably.