Khilafa for a Disciple Without the Spiritual Guide’s Explicit Instruction

Question

Question: If a spiritual guide did not instruct any of his khalifas, saying: “Grant my khilafa to such-and-such a disciple of mine,” may that disciple, after the guide’s death, be made his khalifa without any instruction or directive from the deceased?

Answer

When a spiritual guide, after training a disciple, makes him a khalifa, he makes him a khalifa both for granting khilafa to others and for taking people as disciples. He also sometimes says: “Whoever of my people you consider fit, grant him khilafa on my behalf.” Therefore such a person is also counted as the khalifa of the spiritual guide, though indirectly (bi’l-wasita).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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