Muhammad's Successors Spread Islam
“Rightly Guided” Caliphs
It started when 3 elected caliphs, rulers of Islam, were elected. They were called Umar, Uthman, and Ali-Al or Muhammad. A caliph also means a successor or deputy. Their base to rule was the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions, and this lead to call them the “rightly guided” caliphs. An important prophet called Abu-Bark promised the Muslim community to follow Muhammad’s word, later he died and some followers left Islam, and it lead to some problems. People stopped paying taxes and declared themselves prophets. Abu-Bark realized the trouble it was causing and for the sake of Islam he invoked jihad that refers to the inner struggle against evil. He used this word also to expand the islam and take all the no followers away, because jihad means “against unbelievers”. In 634, when Abu-Bark died the Muslims took control of Arabia. The ruler was the second caliph, Umar. Later on they conquered 4 countries expanding their word by 6,000 miles, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River.
Author- Marielle Velten
Author- Marielle Velten