خَلِيفَة

xaliyfapN xlyfh xlyfp A successor: and a vice-agent, vice- gerent, lieutenant, substitute, proxy, or deputy: (KL:) one who has been made, or appointed, to take the place of him who has been before him: (JK:) an act. part. n. of xalafahu , inf. n. xalafN and xilaAfapN ; as also ↓ xaliyfN : (TA:) or it may have the meaning of an act. part. n. or that of a pass. part. n.: and so in the sense next following: (Msb:) the supreme, or greatest, ruler or sovereign, (S, Msb, K, TA,) who supplies the place of him who has been before him; (TA;) [particularly the successor of the Prophet; whence “ Caliph, ” commonly used by English writers for “ Khaleefeh; ”] as also ↓ xaliyfN , (K,) which is the original form, (Msb,) without p ; (Msb, TA;) disapproved by some, but mentioned by AHát and Ibn-' Abbád and IB, and occurring in a verse of Ows Ibn-Hajar cited by IB: (TA:) the p in the former is to denote intensiveness of signification, (Nh, Msb, TA,) as in Eal~aAmapN and nas~aAbapN : (Msb:) or, as some say, liln~aqoli [i. e. for the transference of the word from the category of epithets to that of substs.]: (TA:) it is also said that the word may be an epithet of which the subst. qualified thereby is suppressed, for nafosN xaliyfapN ; but this requires consideration: (MF, TA:) it is an epithet applied to a man peculiarly: (Msb:) some make it fem.; (Fr, S, Msb, K;) saying h`*aA xaliyfapN A^uxoraY [ This is another Khaleefeh ]; though the proper way is to make it masc.: (Msb:) a poet says, A^abuwka xaliyfapN waladatohu A^uxoraY waA^anota xaliyfapN *aAka AlkamaAlu [ Thy father was a Khaleefeh, whom another Khaleefeh begat; and thou art a Khaleefeh: that is perfection ]: (Fr, S:) the pl. is xalaAy^ifu [generally applied to any people that have succeeded others, and supplied their places, as in the Kur x. 15], (S, K,) like as karaAy^imu is pl. of kariymapN ; (S;) and xulafaA='u [generally applied to successors of the Prophet], (S, K,) because, as it applies only to the male, and has p added, the p is dropped in forming the pl., which is thus like ZurafaA='u as pl. of ZariyfN : (S:) thus says ISk, and the like is said in the O: but what AHát and Ibn-'Abbád say requires not this straining: (TA:) [i. e.] xalaAy^ifu is pl. of xaliyfapN ; and xulafaA='u , of ↓ xaliyfN : (JK:) or some, having regard to the original, make the pl. to be xulafaA='u , like as $urafaA='u is pl. of $ariyfN ; (Msb;) and this pl. is masc. only, so that you say valaAvapN xulafaA='a : (ISk, Msb, TA:) and some, having regard to the word itself [in its altered and used state], make the pl. to be xalaAy^ifu ; (Msb;) and this pl. may have prefixed to it either a masc. or a fem. n. of number, so that you say valaAvapN xalaAy^ifa and valaAvu xalaAy^ifa ; (ISk, Msb, TA;) both of which are chaste. (Msb.) You say, kaAna A@ll~`hu xaliyfapa waAlidika Ealayoka [ May God be to thee a supplier of the place of thy father ]: (S, Msb: *) and in like manner you say, to a person, of any one whom he has lost by death, (S, Msb,) and who cannot be replaced; as the paternal uncle; (Msb;) or the mother. (K.) Some say that the application of the title xaliyfapu A@ll~`hi [ The Vicegerent of God ] is not allowable, except to Adam and David because there is express authority in these instances [in the Kur ii. 28 and xxxviii. 25]; but others allow it in other cases, like suloTaAnu A@ll~`hi and junuwdu A@ll~`hi and Hizobu A@ll~`hi and xayolu A@ll~`hi ; all of which have been heard: (Msb:) and Zj says that it is allowable to say of the Imáms that they are xulafaA='u A@ll~`hi fiY A^aroDihi [ The Vicegerents of God in his earth ]. (TA.)