Rashidun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs (الخلفاء الراشدون translit: al-Khulafā’ur-Rāshidūn) is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four caliphs that ruled after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. In the order of succesion, they are:
Umar bin Abdul Aziz and Hassan ibn Ali are often related with caliphate. While Umar bin Abdul Aziz who was a governor during Umayyad kingdom, he was certainly not a caliph but the sheer strict-but-just conduct and peace during his time of government was exemplary to that of his grandfather, Umar ibn al-Khattab. This resulted in cultural moral tales of him passed from generations to generations, making he seemed like one of the righteous caliphs. On the other hand, Hassan ibn Ali was also a righteous ruler for two years inherited after his father's stepdown due to Muawiyyah's political strategy but was not as continentally known as Umar bin Abdul Aziz in terms of caliphate except mainly by Shiites. This is because Hassan's appointment was considered as a one-sided choice by Ali's supporters contrary to the four before him who was appointed before the public splitted.
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[edit] The Four Caliphs
They are called so because they have been seen as model Muslim leaders by Sunni. This terminology came into a general use around the world, since Sunni Islam has been the dominant Islamic tradition, and for a long time it has been considered the most authoritative source of information about Islam in the Western world. At the same time in Shi'a Islam the first three of the four are usurpers. See the article "Succession to Muhammad" and "The first four Sunni Caliphs and the Sunnah" for detailed discussions of the issue.
They were all close companions of Muhammad (Sahaba), and his relatives: the daughters of Abu Bakr and Umar were married to Muhammad, and three of Muhammad's daughters were married to Uthman and Ali. Their succession was not hereditary, something that would become the custom after them, since the subsequent Umayyad Caliphate.
The Rashidun made significant conquests, and brought large areas under the fold of Islam.
[edit] Shi'a tradition
According to Shi'a Islam, the first caliph should have been Ali followed by the Imams, as they believe Allah (God) directed Muhammad to select Ali.
[edit] Minority traditions
Urdu speaking Sunnis occasionally refer to the Rightly Guided Caliphs as the Five Friends (paanch yaar) instead of four, including Hassan ibn Ali. In the Ibadhi tradition, only Abu Bakr and Umar are considered to be the Two Rightly Guided Caliphs. Sections of the Uthman and Ali eras are considered righteous.
