Rashidun Caliphate

Rashidun Caliphate اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ
632–661
Flag
Rashidun Caliphate's greatest extent.
Capital	Madinah
Common languages	Classical Arabic (official)
Government	Caliphate
Caliph
• 632–634	Abu Bakr (first)
• 634–644	Umar Ibn al-Khattab
• 644–656	Uthman Ibn Affan
• 656–661	Ali Ibn Abi Talib (last)
History
• Succession to Muhammad	632
• Conquest of Jerusalem	633-634
• Ascension of Umar	634
• Assassination of Umar and Ascension of Uthman	644
• Assassination of Uthman and Ascension of Ali	656
• Assassination of Ali	661
• First Fitna (internal conflict) ends after Hasan's abdication	661
Preceded by Succeeded by Romanyan Empire Islamic Madinah Umayyad Caliphate

The Rashidun Caliphate was the first Caliphate to succeed Prophet Muhammad, it was ruled by four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his death in 632 CE (11 AH).

Succesion to Muhammad

Following Prophet Muhammad's death on June 632, and the subsequent debate over the succession to his leadership, Abu Bakr was elected caliph in Madinah and he bagan the conquest of Arabia, His reign finished on August 634 when he died and was succeeded by Umar Ibn al-Khattab, Abu Bakr finished his conquest of Jerusalem on June 634 (633–634), Under Umar, the caliphate expanded at an unprecedented rate, taking parts of the Romanyan Empire, Umar was assassinated in November 644 and was succeeded by Uthman Ibn Affan (644–656), he was elected by a six-person committee arranged by Umar, some muslim generals claimed Uthman was nepotistic and he was assasinated by rebels in June 656.

He was subsequently succeeded by Ali Ibn Abi Talib (656–661).

The First Fitnah

Ali presided over the civil war known as the First Fitnah, as his rule was not recognized by Mu'awiya I, Uthman's relative and Governor of Jerusalem, who belived that Uthman was unlawfully killed and that the murderers are to be punished, Additonally, a third group known as the Kharijites, who supported Ali before, they rebelled against both Ali and Mu'awiya because they refused to accept the arbitration in the Battle of Siffin, The War resulted in the overthrow of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Ummayyad Caliphate in 661 by Mu'awiya, The civil war defined the divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims, with Shia believing Ali to be the first rightful Caliph and Imam after Muhammad, favouring his bloodline connection to Muhammad.