Transcript Power Point 4 Caliphs

The Spread of Islam:
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The First Three Caliphs
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After Muhammad’s death his followers had to choose a
new leader to preserve the Muslim community.
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The first few caliphs who followed Muhammad greatly
expanded the lands under their rule despite struggles
over leadership and even civil wars.
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Along with the Arabic language, the acceptance of
Islam helped unify this vast empire.
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The first caliph (the highest leader of Islam) was Abu
Bakr, one of Muhammad’s first converts.
Caliph Abu Bakr
632-634
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*A political and military leader, but not a religious
leader.
* Used military campaigns against Arab tribes who did
not follow Muhammad’s teachings.
* Through many battles he unified Arabia for the first
time as a Muslim state.
* The new Arab army quickly conquered the Persian
and Byzantine empires
* Made Treaties with non-Muslims who lived in the
captured territories
* Non-Muslims could exist, but only under a list of
rules
* Created a new idea of religion
* Died in 634 C.E.
Caliph Umar
634-644
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• Expanded the Muslim empire through military
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efforts
Included lands in Iraq, Persia, the eastern
Mediterranean, and North Africa.
Set up governments and tax systems
Continued religious tolerance allowing Jews
and Christians to worship as they liked
Non-Muslims were required to pay religious
taxes
Died in 644 C.E.
Caliph Uthman
644-656
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• Member of the Umayyad clan.
• Moved the Muslim capitol from Medina to
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Damascus and continued to expand the empire
Took over lands in Central Asia and in northern
India
Gained control of trade in the eastern
Mediterranean and part of North Africa,
moving into Spain (Muslims continued to rule
parts of Spain for another 700 years)
Awarded high posts to his relatives
Killed in 656 C.E.
Caliph Ali (Muhammad’s cousin)
• reluctantly agreed to become the fourth caliph
• Some Umayyad clan members challenged his
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rule creating civil war
Ali was murdered in 661 C.E.
New caliph from the Umayyad claimed
leadership
Muslim leadership splits – Sunni and Shi’a
Sunni - Shi’a (Shiites)
Sunni
Muslims who believed caliphs did
not have to be related to
Muhammad
Accepted the first four caliphs
Believed everyone has a direct
relationship with God
Make up 80% of all Muslims
Shi’a
Muslims who believed only
members of Muhammad’s
family could be caliphs
They believed that Ali’s should
have been chosen over Abu Bakr
They denied the first three caliphs
Make up 20% of Muslim
population
Both believe in Allah
Both believe in Muhammad
Both still exist today
Both support the Qur’an as word of
Allah