This paper discusses how the term khalifa or vicegerent has been approached in a reductive manner through its historical placement in political and environmental contexts, limiting the range of its discursive contributions. Placing Ibn Arabi’s (d. 1240) thought into conversation with Said Nursi’s (d.1960) Risale-i Nur, this paper examines the connection between servantship ('ubudiyyah) and being a vicegerent (khalifa) of God. It argues that being a khalifa is about forming proper God-centric relations with entities in the world. Rather than denoting any sense of intrinsic human superiority, the notion of epistemic vicegerency offers a way to conceptualize how creation can be hermeneutically approached such that it is “read” and appreciated in terms of its epistemic value.
Understanding khalifa through this epistemic lens can help us rethink not only the spiritual orientation of human beings with the rest of creation but also the nature of their ethical engagement with the world.