History
Thirty years after the Prophet
The Prophet is gone. Who leads the Muslims now?
5 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 4
The Prophet had died. The Muslims needed a leader. At a meeting in Madinah they chose his oldest friend, Abu Bakr. He held Arabia together through the Riddah wars, and had the Qur'an gathered into one written collection.
Lesson
Under Abu Bakr, the Qur'an was gathered into one copy within two years.
Part 2 of 4
Under 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Muslims expanded hugely: Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Jerusalem. He built the state: salaries, courts, the Islamic calendar dated from the Hijrah. He was killed while leading prayer.
Lesson
'Umar built the institutions of a state: a treasury, salaries and judges.
Part 3 of 4
'Uthman sent standard copies of the Qur'an to the main cities: the text Muslims read today. But complaints about his governors, many from his own clan, grew into a revolt. Rebels killed him in his home.
Lesson
The Qur'an Muslims read today goes back to 'Uthman's copies.
Part 4 of 4
'Ali, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, became caliph amid the crisis after 'Uthman's murder. He fought the Battle of the Camel, then Siffin against Mu'awiyah, governor of Syria. He was killed in 661. This first civil war shaped the Sunni and Shi'a split.
Lesson
The first civil war, the Fitnah, still shapes Muslims today.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
The Prophet is gone. Who leads the Muslims now?