The Four Caliphs were the first four leaders of Islam Symbols that succeeded the Prophet, Muhammad. They are sometimes called the "Rightly Guided" Caliphs because each of them learned about Islam directly from Muhammad. They also served as Muhammad's closest friends and advisors during the early years of Islam.

Rashidun Caliphate The time period under the leadership of the Four Caliphs is called the Rashidun Caliphate by historians. The Rashidun Caliphate lasted for 30 years from 632 CE to 661 CE. It was followed by the Umayyad Caliphate. The city of Medina served as the first capital of the Caliphate. The capital was later moved to Kufa.

Caliph Conundrums

The leader of a caliphate is called the caliph, meaning deputy or representative. All caliphs are believed to be the successor to Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was not a caliph; according to the Quran, he was the last and greatest of the prophets.

Rashidun, (Arabic: “Rightly Guided,” or “Perfect”), the first four caliphs of the Islamic community, known in Muslim history as the orthodox or patriarchal caliphs: Abū Bakr (reigned 632–634), ʿUmar (reigned 634–644), ʿUthmān (reigned 644–656), and ʿAlī (reigned 656–661).

Selection of the Khalifa of Islam

1. Who is the current Khalifa of Islam?

There has recently been controversy regarding this matter. The reality is that for everyday Muslims and according to the Islam we know, there is no present Khalifa in Islam. Any such title that is bestowed upon anyone right now is false, and any person claiming to be a Khalifa is one that no one can trust. An ideology that propagates that the Prophet (PBUH) had a successor, and he wasn’t the final prophet cannot be true.

2. How many caliphs are there in Islam?

The first four Present Khalifa of Islam were known as the rightly guided caliphs. These were the Khalifa comprised of the companions of the Prophet (PBUH). They were all upstanding Muslims and among the best of their generation. All of them closely knew the Prophet (PBUH), and their first priority was to worship Allah and obey the Prophet (PBUH). Everything else was secondary.

3. Who was the last Khalifa of Islam?

Most Muslims who believe in Allah and uphold the strong values of Islam consider Ali (RA) as the final rightly guided Caliph. After his era, the Islamic State began to change direction, and ideologies that conflicted with Islam impacted it. Hence, while there were many Muslims who were caliphs after that, we can’t consider them to be in the category of rightly guided caliphs.

4. Did Allah mentions the caliphate?

We can find the word Khalifa in the Quran twice. In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah says that He told the angels that He would place humanity on the Earth as a Khalifa. Then, He stated the word Khalifa in Surah Sad. He said that He had made Dawud (AS) an authority or leader in the land, and He told him to judge between the people in a just way.

Conclusion

The concept of the caliphate is an important one in Islam. The four rightly guided caliphs were the ones who succeeded the Prophet (PBUH) Perfect role model of Islam. There were various methods of succession that led to their appointments. Rightly Guided Caliphs. According to Sunnis, the first four successors of Muhammad: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib. However, after them, the caliphate began to take on a different purpose. Muslims don’t take guidance from the caliphs after the first four ones. Any reference to a current caliph is not legitimate.