| Hashemite Caliph of Islam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Incumbent | |
 Ra'ad I since October 18, 1970 | |
| Details | |
| Style | Amir al-Mu'minin (formally) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (formally) His Majesty (diplomatic relations) |
| Heir presumptive | Zeid II of Hejaz |
| First monarch | Hussein I |
| Formation | June 12, 1925 |
| Residence | Jeddah Palace |
The Hashemite Caliphate (Arabic: الخلافة الهاشمية, al-Khilāfah al-Hāšimiyyah) is an Arab caliphate which claimed by the House of Hashim, the descendants of Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, great-grandfather of Islamic prophet Muhammad, based on Mecca, Hejaz. Within Islam, the office of caliphate is seen as the religious successor to the Prophet Muhammad and the Hashemite Caliphate is one of the two highest spiritual authorities among the Sunni Muslim community around the world; the other one is the Senussi Caliphate which based in Libya. The present dynasty of Hashemite caliphate has been consisted of members of Hejazi branch of the Hashemite family, with the current caliph is Ra'ad I, who had been the king of Hejaz between 1968 and 2000.
The House of Hashim, or the Hashemites, has ruling the city of Mecca continuously from the 10th century, frequently as vassals of outside powers, and has ruling Hejaz, Jordan and Palestine, as well as of Syria from 1949 to 1958. Since 1925, the Hashemite caliphs hold the custodianship of the two holiest mosques in Islam: Al-Haram Mosque (المسجد الحرام al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque (المسجد النبوي al-Masjid an-Nabawī) in Medina, hence providing them the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (خادم ٱلحرمين ٱلشريفين Khādim al-Ḥaramayn aš-Šarīfayn), as well as of Al-Aqsa Mosque (المسجد الأقصى al-Masjid al-ʾAqṣā) in Jerusalem.
The Hashemite Caliphate has established the suzerain relationship on religious issues, called the riyasat (Arabic: رياسة), with several sovereign countries outside of Hejaz.[1] There are two types of riyasat: direct and indirect. In a direct riyasat, the caliph has a right to determine appointments of Sunni religious bureaucracy in a country, while in an indirect riyasat, the caliph at a certain degree can recommend or be consulted in regard of such appointment, such as grand mufti and mufti, but it can only be confirmed by the respective governments at the end and is not binding. The Hashemite Caliphate has direct riyasat with Hashemite countries, which are Hejaz, Jordan, and Palestine, and also with Lebanon and Iraq. Countries with indirect riyasat with Hejaz are consisting of Albania, India, Malaya, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, North Borneo, Nigeria, Australia, Aotearoa and Patagonia.
List of Hashemite caliphs[]
| Name Birth name |
Relationship with past monarchs | Longevity | Reign | House | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Death | Start | End | |||||
| 1 | 
|
Hussein I Hussein bin Ali al-Hashimi |
Son of Ali ibn Muhammad of Mecca and Salha bint Gharam al-Shahar | May 1, 1854 | June 4, 1931 (77 years, 34 days) |
June 12, 1925 | June 4, 1931 (5 years, 357 days) |
Hashim |
| 2 | 
|
Ali I Ali bin Hussein al-Hashimi |
Son of Hussein I of Hejaz and Abdiya Khanum bint Abdullah | March 26[?], 1879 | February 13, 1935 (55 years, 324 days) |
June 4, 1931 | February 13, 1935 (3 years, 254 days) | |
| 3 | 
|
Zeid I Zeid bin Hussein al-Hashimi |
Younger half-brother of Ali I Son of Hussein I of Hejaz and Adila Khanum |
February 28, 1898 | October 18, 1970 (73 years, 232 days) |
February 13, 1935 | October 18, 1970 (35 years, 247 days) | |
| 4 |
|
Ra'ad I Ra'ad bin Zeid al-Hashimi |
Son of Zeid I of Hejaz and Fahrünissa Şakir | February 18, 1936 | Living (89 years, 64 days) |
October 18, 1970 | Present (54 years, 187 days) | |
References[]
- ↑ Teitelbaum, J. (1998). Sharif Husayn ibn Ali and the Hashemite vision of the post‐Ottoman order: from chieftaincy to suzerainty. Middle Eastern Studies, 34(1), 103-122.
