Expansion and Division of the Ummah

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Expansion and Division of the Ummah
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The Righteous Caliphs

• Caliph successor
• Determined by a panel of Arab leaders
• The Rashidun (Righteous ones)
• Abu Bakr (632-634 CE)
• Umar b. al-Khattab (634-644)
• Uthman b. Affan (644-656)
• Ali b. Abu Talib (656-661)

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Candidates for Muhammads Successor
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Abu Bakr (632-634)

• Question Islam a nation or a religion?
• Abu Bakr affirms national quality of Islam
• Convinces Muslims of Mecca and Medina
• Undertakes Riddah (apostasy) wars to return
  straying tribes to ummah
• Organizes raiding culture into an expression of
  Muslim power

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Umar b. al-Khattab (634-644)

• Expansion into Iran, Egypt, Iraq
• Amir al-muminin, commander of the faithful
• More rigid morality and family law
• 635, Damascus taken
• 637, defeated the Sassanid army
• Pact of Umar non-Muslims become dhimmi,
  protected people through the covenant, or
  dhimma
• Local governors

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Uthman b. Affan (644-654)

• Member of the Umayyad family
• Unpopular because of
• Nepotism
• Attempts to control upper-class families
• Discontent among Arab soldiers who want conquered
  territory redistributed

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Uthmans assassination

• Ali b. Abu-Talib became one of Uthmans most
  vocal critics
• Support from Egypt and Iraq
• Arab mutineers demand rights to property Uthman
  decides to have them executed
• Uthman assassinated, 656

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The Candidates

• Muawiyah governor of Syria, relative of Uthman
• Ali b. Abu-Talib, husband of Fatimah, leader of
  Shiah Ali or Alis party
• Aishah, Muhammads wife, supports Syrian party
• 656-661 is often called the first fitnah or time
  of trial

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The Battle of the Camel, 656

• Ali, supported by mutineers, Medina, and Iraqis
  in Kufa
• Aishah and 2 close associates of Muhammad
• Near Basra
• Ali wins withdraws to Kufa with title of caliph
  not recognized in Syria
• Battles continue through Alis caliphate

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