We often hear the phrase that man is the vicegerent of Allah on earth, and they cite His saying, the Exalted:
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The questioner : Noble Shaykh, we often read and hear the description of man as the vicegerent of Allah on earth.
The Shaykh : As what?
The questioner : As the vicegerent of Allah on earth.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And they cite the saying of Allah, the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:30] and the saying of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to David, distinguishing it from the saying of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Al-An'am 6:165] What is the correct understanding of this matter?
The Shaykh : The correct view, may Allah bless you, is that if by "vicegerent" it is meant that he is an agent on behalf of Allah in His creation, then this is not permissible, because Allah, the Exalted, is more knowledgeable about His creation and He disposes of them as He wills, and He does not need an intermediary or an agent. But if it is meant that he is one who carries out the command of Allah, a vicegerent of Allah, meaning: one who executes the command of Allah among His servants, then there is no harm in that. Allah has mentioned several verses indicating this meaning:[Al-An'am 6:165], [Sad 38:26] and the like. So if "vicegerent" is understood to mean that man is an agent on behalf of Allah and that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has delegated the matter to him, then this is not permissible. But if it is meant that he is a vicegerent, i.e., one who executes the Shari'ah of Allah on the earth of Allah, then there is no harm and no blame.
The questioner : And man is called the vicegerent of Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is said. Yes, he is called the vicegerent of Allah in the sense I mentioned. Yes.
The Shaykh : As what?
The questioner : As the vicegerent of Allah on earth.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And they cite the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority
إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًAnd it is He who has made you successors upon the earth
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلائِفَ الْأَرْضِThe Shaykh : The correct view, may Allah bless you, is that if by "vicegerent" it is meant that he is an agent on behalf of Allah in His creation, then this is not permissible, because Allah, the Exalted, is more knowledgeable about His creation and He disposes of them as He wills, and He does not need an intermediary or an agent. But if it is meant that he is one who carries out the command of Allah, a vicegerent of Allah, meaning: one who executes the command of Allah among His servants, then there is no harm in that. Allah has mentioned several verses indicating this meaning:
And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلائِفَ الْأَرْضِO David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people
يَا دَاوُدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِThe questioner : And man is called the vicegerent of Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is said. Yes, he is called the vicegerent of Allah in the sense I mentioned. Yes.