Wali al-Ahd

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Vali Ahd
)
Ali al-Ridha
as heir apparent (wali ahd al-muslimin)

Wali al-Ahd (

Arabic: ولي العهد, romanizedWalī al-ʿAhd) is the Arabic and Islamic term for a designated heir of a ruler, or crown prince
.

Origin of the title

The title emerged in the early

Abbasid caliphs (750–1258).[4]

Practice of designation

The origin of the practice has pre-Islamic roots, among the choice of successor in the

Sunni jurisprudence, the choice of successor and the act of designation is the absolute prerogative of the caliph or ruler; the oath of allegiance offered to the new heir confirmed his status, but was not a prerequisite for his legitimacy.[4]

This designation was made manifest through a testament (ʿahd). In the Umayyad period, this was a relatively informal matter, and often the designation of an heir-apparent was made public only after the incumbent caliph's death.

Friday prayer, on banners and on coinage, alongside the caliph.[4] If still underage, the heir-designate received a tutor, and he was later sent to govern a province in order to gain experience.[4] In the early Abbasid period, heirs served as regents during the caliphs' absence from Baghdad.[4]

Later usage

The title was used by several medieval Islamic states, such as the

In modern times, the term has been revived for the crown princes of several states, such as the

See also

References

  1. ^ Marsham 2009, p. 114.
  2. ^ Marsham 2009, pp. 114–115.
  3. ^ Marsham 2009, pp. 115–116.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ayalon 2002, p. 126.
  5. ^ Halm 2003, pp. 279–281.
  6. ^ Halm 2003, pp. 307–309.

Sources

  • Ayalon, A. (2002). "Walī al-ʿAhd". In .
  • .
  • Marsham, Andrew (2009). Rituals of Islamic Monarchy: Accession and Succession in the First Muslim Empire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. .