Who are the Caliphs?
The “Caliph” is the title for the main leader of the Muslim community. It literally means to leave behind a successor or viceregent. The title is given to the successor of Muhammad who is vested with absolute authority of the laws of the Quran and Sunnah. The first four Caliphs are called the companions of the prophet. After Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr (632-634), the first to accept Islam, was elected as the first Caliph. After two years he was succeeded by Umar (634-644). Umar succeeded in spreading Islam in most of the Middle East, including Arabia, Iraq, Persia, Syria, Persia and Egypt. Umar was replaced by Uthman (644-656), who governed for some twelve years during the peak of the Islamic expansion into Armenia, Cyprus and north Africa. With the death of the prophet and several key reciters during the battles, The Caliph Uthman greatly feared the loss of the original text-or, as some believe, what was left of the oral tradition. Uthman commissioned a group under the leadership of Za
