Rashidun

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The Four Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Four 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:

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.

Urdu speaking Sunnis occasionally refer to the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs as the Four Friends (چار یار, chaar yaar)

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.

Expansion of Islam under Rashidun

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

A small minority include Hasan ibn Ali as a fifth righteously guided Caliph, however most do not consider him to have been caliph at all.

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.