الخلفاء الراشدون

The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali: the four companions who led the Muslims after the Prophet ﷺ, from 11 to 40 AH. How each of them lived, how they came to Islam, how they became caliph, and how their lives ended.

4Caliphs

30Years

11–40AH

What is a caliph?

Khalifah (caliph) means "successor" or "deputy". After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr was called Khalifat Rasul Allah, "the successor of the Messenger of Allah"; from Umar onward the caliph was also called Amir al-Mu'minin, "Commander of the Believers". Prophethood ended with Muhammad ﷺ, so the caliph received no revelation: his duty was to lead the prayer, judge by the Quran and the Sunnah, collect and distribute zakat, defend the community and keep it united.

The first four caliphs are called al-Khulafa al-Rashidun, "the Rightly Guided Caliphs". All four were among the earliest Muslims, close companions of the Prophet ﷺ and related to him by marriage, and among the ten who were given the good news of Paradise. None of them inherited the office, and each came to it in a different way: Abu Bakr was chosen at the meeting of the Saqifah, Umar was nominated by Abu Bakr after he consulted the senior companions, Uthman was chosen by a council (shura) of six, and Ali received the pledge in Madinah after Uthman's killing. Each took office through a public pledge of allegiance (bay'ah).

Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Bite onto it with your molar teeth.
Abu Dawud 4607 · al-Tirmidhi 2676

The caliphate in my ummah will last thirty years; after that there will be kingship.
al-Tirmidhi 2226 · Abu Dawud 4646

Scholars count these thirty years from the death of the Prophet ﷺ in 11 AH to the six months of al-Hasan ibn Ali, who gave up the caliphate in 41 AH.

The first caliph

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA)

أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه

al-Siddiq · The Truthful, the Prophet's companion in the cave

Early life

Abdullah ibn Uthman, known by his kunya Abu Bakr, was born in Makkah about two years after the Year of the Elephant, into the clan of Banu Taym of Quraysh. He grew up a respected cloth merchant, known for his gentleness, his knowledge of the genealogies of the Arabs and his honest dealing. Even before Islam he never drank wine or worshipped idols, and he was one of the Prophet's ﷺ closest friends.

Accepting Islam

When the Prophet ﷺ told him of the revelation, Abu Bakr believed at once, without hesitation, and became the first free adult man to accept Islam. He confirmed the Night Journey when others mocked it, earning the name al-Siddiq, "the one who affirms the truth". Through his invitation Uthman, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Talhah accepted Islam, and he spent his wealth freeing persecuted slaves such as Bilal. He was the Prophet's ﷺ companion in the cave of Thawr during the Hijrah, the one the Quran calls "the second of the two" (9:40).

Becoming caliph

The Prophet ﷺ died in Rabi al-Awwal 11 AH. On the same day the Ansar and the Muhajirun met at the Saqifah of Banu Sa'idah, where Umar took Abu Bakr's hand and pledged allegiance to him; the people of Madinah gave their general pledge in the mosque the next day. In his final illness the Prophet ﷺ had appointed him to lead the prayers, which the companions took as a sign of his precedence. In his first address he said: "Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger; if I disobey them, you owe me no obedience."

His caliphate

His caliphate lasted a little over two years, and held the young community together at its most fragile moment.

Sent out the army of Usamah, as the Prophet ﷺ had ordered, despite the danger at home
Fought the Riddah wars against the tribes that refused zakat and against the false prophets, and reunited Arabia
After many reciters were killed at Yamamah, had Zayd ibn Thabit gather the Quran into a single written collection
Sent the first armies, under Khalid ibn al-Walid and others, into Iraq and Syria

His death

He fell ill with a fever in Jumada al-Akhirah 13 AH and died fifteen days later, on 22 Jumada al-Akhirah 13 AH (August 634), at the age of 63, the same age as the Prophet ﷺ. Before his death he consulted the senior companions and nominated Umar to succeed him. He was buried beside the Prophet ﷺ, his head at the level of the Prophet's shoulders.

Sources: Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra · al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk · Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah · al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa

The second caliph

Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)

عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه

al-Faruq · The one who distinguishes truth from falsehood

Early life

Umar ibn al-Khattab of the clan of Banu Adi was born in Makkah about thirteen years after the Year of the Elephant. As a young man he herded his father's camels, learned to read and write, which few in Makkah could, and became a strong wrestler, a merchant and an envoy of Quraysh to the other tribes. In the first years of Islam he was one of its fiercest opponents.

Accepting Islam

In the sixth year of the prophethood (about 616 CE) Umar set out with his sword to kill the Prophet ﷺ. Told that his own sister Fatimah and her husband had become Muslim, he went to their house, heard them reciting Surah Ta-Ha, and was moved. He went straight to the Prophet ﷺ at the house of al-Arqam and accepted Islam. The Prophet ﷺ had prayed, "O Allah, strengthen Islam with whichever of these two men is more beloved to You: Abu Jahl or Umar ibn al-Khattab". After his conversion the Muslims prayed openly at the Ka'bah for the first time, and he became known as al-Faruq, the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood; according to several reports the Prophet ﷺ gave him this name.

Becoming caliph

During his final illness Abu Bakr consulted the senior companions, then had Uthman write down his nomination of Umar. After Abu Bakr's death in Jumada al-Akhirah 13 AH (August 634), the people pledged allegiance to Umar. He was the first to be called Amir al-Mu'minin, "Commander of the Believers".

His caliphate

In ten and a half years the state grew from Arabia into an empire, and Umar gave it the institutions to run it, while himself living in poverty.

Victories at Yarmuk and al-Qadisiyyah; Syria, Iraq, Egypt and most of Persia came under Muslim rule
Received the keys of Jerusalem in person and gave its Christians a covenant of safety
Adopted the Hijrah as the start of the Islamic calendar
Set up the diwan (registers of soldiers and stipends), appointed judges, and founded Basra and Kufa
Gathered the people for the night prayer of Ramadan (tarawih) behind one imam
Known for walking the streets of Madinah at night to find and feed the poor himself

His death

On 26 Dhu al-Hijjah 23 AH (November 644), while leading the dawn prayer in the Prophet's ﷺ mosque, he was stabbed several times by Abu Lu'lu'ah, a Persian slave. He died of his wounds three days later and was buried on 1 Muharram 24 AH, aged about 63. Before he died he appointed a council of six companions to choose the next caliph from among themselves, and asked Aishah's permission to be buried beside his two companions, which she granted.

Sources: Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra · al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk · Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah · al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa

The third caliph

Uthman ibn Affan (RA)

عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه

Dhu al-Nurayn · The Possessor of the Two Lights

Early life

Uthman ibn Affan of the clan of Banu Umayyah was born in Makkah about six years after the Year of the Elephant; some reports say in Ta'if. He became one of the richest merchants of Quraysh, and was known for his modesty, his generosity and his gentle character, so much that the Prophet ﷺ said even the angels felt modest before him.

Accepting Islam

Uthman accepted Islam in its first days through the invitation of Abu Bakr, at about thirty-four. His uncle tied him up to make him leave the religion, but he would not. He married the Prophet's ﷺ daughter Ruqayyah and migrated with her to Abyssinia, and later to Madinah. After Ruqayyah's death he married her sister Umm Kulthum, and so was called Dhu al-Nurayn, "the possessor of the two lights". He bought the well of Rumah for the Muslims of Madinah, expanded the Prophet's ﷺ mosque, and equipped a large part of the army of Tabuk from his own wealth.

Becoming caliph

Umar left the choice to a council (shura) of six: Uthman, Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. Abd al-Rahman withdrew his own claim and spent three days consulting the people of Madinah, then pledged allegiance to Uthman at the start of Muharram 24 AH (November 644), and the people followed.

His caliphate

His caliphate of twelve years was the longest of the four: the first half was peaceful and prosperous, the second troubled by growing unrest in the provinces.

Had standard copies of the Quran made from the collection of Abu Bakr and sent to the main cities, so that all Muslims recite from one text
Built the first Muslim navy, and his armies reached North Africa, Armenia, Cyprus and Khurasan
Enlarged the Prophet's ﷺ mosque in Madinah and rebuilt it in stone

His death

Rebels from Egypt, Kufa and Basra, complaining of his governors, besieged his house in Madinah for weeks. He forbade the companions from fighting to defend him, not wanting Muslim blood spilled for his sake. On 18 Dhu al-Hijjah 35 AH (June 656) the rebels broke in and killed him while he was fasting and reading the Quran, at about 82 years of age (other reports say up to 90). It is reported that his blood fell on the verse "Allah will suffice you against them" (2:137). He was buried at night in al-Baqi.

Sources: Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra · al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk · Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah · al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa

The fourth caliph

Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)

علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه

Abu Turab, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law

Early life

Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the Prophet's ﷺ uncle and protector, and was born in Makkah about ten years before the revelation. When a famine struck Quraysh, the Prophet ﷺ took the young Ali into his own household to ease his uncle's burden, and Ali grew up under his care.

Accepting Islam

Ali was about ten when the revelation began, and was the first child to accept Islam, having lived with the Prophet ﷺ and Khadijah. On the night of the Hijrah he slept in the Prophet's ﷺ bed to deceive the assassins, then returned the trusts left with the Prophet ﷺ to their owners before following him to Madinah. He married the Prophet's ﷺ daughter Fatimah, the mother of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, fought at Badr and in nearly every campaign, and was given the banner at Khaybar.

Becoming caliph

After Uthman's murder in Dhu al-Hijjah 35 AH (June 656), Madinah was without a leader. The companions there, the Muhajirun and the Ansar, came to Ali and pressed him to accept the caliphate. He accepted reluctantly, and the pledge of allegiance was given publicly in the Prophet's ﷺ mosque.

His caliphate

He inherited a divided community, and his nearly five years as caliph were spent in civil strife. He moved the capital from Madinah to Kufa in Iraq.

Battle of the Camel (36 AH), near Basra, against the party of Talhah, al-Zubayr and Aishah, who demanded justice for Uthman
Battle of Siffin (37 AH) against Mu'awiyah, the governor of Syria, ended in arbitration
Defeated the Khawarij, who had rejected the arbitration, at Nahrawan (38 AH)
Known for his knowledge, his judgments and his eloquence; many of his sermons and sayings were preserved

His death

On 17 Ramadan 40 AH (January 661), by the account of the Sunni historians (19 Ramadan by another widely held report), while calling the people to the dawn prayer in the mosque of Kufa, he was struck on the head with a poisoned sword by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, one of the Khawarij. He died two days later, aged about 63. He forbade any punishment for his attacker beyond a single equal blow. His son al-Hasan received the pledge after him.

Sources: Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra · al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk · Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah · al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa