Rightly-Guided Caliphs

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, someone needed to take over leadership of the growing Muslim community. While nobody could replace the Prophet, administrative duties needed attention. The first four leaders after the Prophet Muhammad are known as the "Rightly-Guided Caliphs" of Islam:

• Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (632-634 A.D.)
• Umar ibn Al-Khattab (634-644 A.D.)
• Uthman bin Affan (644-656 A.D.)
• Ali bin Abu Talib (656-661 A.D.)

Dispute over this succession of leaders led to the historical split between Shia and Sunni Islam.