An Islamic leader considered a successor to the Prophet Muhammad, or the head of an Islamic state or empire.
From Arabic 'khalīfah' meaning 'successor' or 'caliph', derived from the root 'khalafa' (to succeed). The word entered English through Middle Eastern history and Islamic studies.
The title 'khalifa' caused some of history's biggest political splits—when Muhammad died without naming a successor, disagreements about who had the right to be khalifa literally created the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam that still exist today.
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