“I shall send usama’s army on its way as ordered by the prophet, even if I am left alone.”
At the age of sixty-three Abu Bakr passed away never witnessing the accomplishment by the Muslim armies of conquering two of the greatest empires at that time, and also failing to witnessing the finish version of the holly Qur’an.
On his deathbed in 634 AC, Abu Bakr appointed his closest adviser and companion Umar b al-khattab to be his successor. Umar b al-khattab was born in to a respectable Quraish family. Umar’s Caliphate lasted for ten years from the years of 634 to 644 AC. It can be said that the most noticeable of Umar’s region was the mass expansion of the Muslim empire from far west of Europe to the far east of Asia. Umar was well respected by the quality of his rule, as Umar created an administration for his government. He also created public schools and health care, and pensions for the elderly. Umar created the first precedent of establishing the land under his rule to be divided into provinces, and also governors were selected. He defined, by precept and by example, the rights and privileges of non-Muslims.
“O you who believe, stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God, as against yourselves or your parents, or your kin, and whether it concerns rich or poor, God can best protect both”
Umar died in the year of 644AC, as an assassin murdered him. After the sudden death of Umar a six-member committee appointed Uthman to be the next caliphate. Under Uthman’s region it can be said that the first six years of his caliphate was a success as the Muslim empire expanded to west of Morocco and in to Spain and also in to the east to Afghanistan. Under Uthman’s order the first ever naval based was formed solely to protect the sea’s of Egypt. Uthman dealt with affair of destroying all the false Qur’an that started to circulate through out the empire, and the allowing Uthman to distribute of the copies of the original Qur’an across the empire. All these affairs were dealt in the first six years of uthman’s caliphate, which was not major until the second half of Uthman’s region were the beginning of rebellions began. Uthman’s downfall began when he started to appoint his own members of clan’s men to govern certain parts of the empire which caused conflicts amongst the Arabs who were more entitled to a higher point of status then most of Uthamn’s family. Failing to silence the rebellion, in the year 656 CE, Uthman was murder by rebels who entered his house and stabbed him to death. By the year of 656 CE, the only true member of Caliphate was Ali.
Ali would be the final member of the ‘The Rightly Guided Caliph,’ and therefore the committee had no choice but to select Ali as the next Caliphate. Ali failed to capture the assassins of Uthman and caused Muawiya (Uthman’s nephew) to reject Ali as the Caliph causing civil war in the empire to break out causing the Muslim armies to stop the expansion and join the civil war between Muawiya and Ali. This battle was known as the battle of the camels as Aisha watched the battle her camel. Since Arabia became much troubled Ali had no choice but to move the capital to Iraq. Even though Ali was mostly engaged in the battles with Muawiya Ali nevertheless introduced reforms on taxes and revenues. A fanatical group known as the Kharijites, broke away their alliance with Ali due to the fact that Ali considered compromises with Muawiya causing the Kharijites to vow vengeance on Ali and Muawiya as they believed none were worthy of being the caliphate. The fore assassins where sent in directions of Muawiya and Ali, the assassins failing to kill Muawiya but succeeded in killing Ali.
Ali died as the last ‘Rightly Guided Caliphs’ of Islam.
- Regardless of the caliphates handling in internal affairs, it can be said that all the caliphates succeeded in spreading Islam in all directions of the empire one way or the anther. The first caliphate was Abu Bakr who succeeded in uniting the Arab world, and also giving the authorisation to the invasion of the neighbouring empires, allowing Islam to be established permanently. Abu Bakr I think was very important man and should be well respected because if Abu Bakr did not prevent the revolts inside of Arabia, the next few caliphates would not been able to accomplish of what they have accomplished. Also Abu Bakr made a decision of writing the Qur’an, which caused some major problems at that time but the good of securing and writing the Qur’an shall over weighed the problems. Abu Bakr severing as a caliphate for only two years, but regardless solved must of the problems he faced.
The death of Abu Bakr leaded Umar to succeed as the next caliphate.Umar can be noticed as more of a military leader then a religious one because under urma’s rule the empire of Islam expanded in such learnt and in speed which Arabia a superpower and a very wealthy country at that time. Umar also well known for his creation of administrations for his governments, in the conquered lands. After the death of Umar, Uthman became the next caliph. Uthman came from a rich and respectable clan in Mecca, this was not the problem for Uthman for at least of the first six years, Uthman expanded the empire at much leant, bring vast amount of wealth, and also Uthman dealt with the affair of destroying the false Qur’an that has been circulated. The Second half Uthman’s region problems started to began when it is said that Uthamn began to be influenced by his own member of family to allow his own members of clan to have governshipe of the powerful conquered lands, this caused rebellion through out Arabia, and so this lead to the assassination of Uthamn.
The final rightly guided caliph remained was Ali, Ali in my point of view is remembered more as a religious figure then a military leader, but yet Ali had no choice but intervene with Mu’awiya in battles to secure his caliphate as Mu’awiya would not recognise him as a caliph until the assassins of his uncle Uthman brought to justice, but the assassins where mostly made of Ali’s supporters. You could argue the fact that Ali could not expand the empire as the other three caliphs but regardless he did intervene as a caliph to make changes to the rules of taxing and the revenues.
Ali out of all the other caliphs had pressing matter to deal with the instance he became a caliph, and these pressing mater affects now in our time then at Ali’s time, as because of Ali’s events of becoming a caliph the Islamic world was divided into two, shi’a and sunnis.