In this respect it is notable that the Umayyad caliphs referred to themselves not as khalifat rasul Allah ("successor of the messenger of God", the title preferred by the tradition), but rather as khalifat Allah ("deputy of God").
Men umayyaderne kaldte sig ikke khalifat rasul Allah ("efterfølger efter Guds udsendte", den traditionelt foretrukne titel), men hellere khalifat Allah ("Guds stedfortræder").