Wali al-Ahd
Wali al-Ahd (
Arabic: ولي العهد, romanized: Walī 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.
Later usage
The title was used by several medieval Islamic states, such as the
al-Zahir.[6]
In modern times, the term has been revived for the crown princes of several states, such as the
Bahrein.[4]
See also
References
Sources
- Ayalon, A. (2002). "Walī al-ʿAhd". In ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
- ISBN 3-406-48654-1.
- Marsham, Andrew (2009). Rituals of Islamic Monarchy: Accession and Succession in the First Muslim Empire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-2512-3.