The History of the Four Caliphs

Muhammad al-Khudari Bak al-Bajuri (author)

Publisher: Turath Publishing

About this Book

This book is a concise and immensely satisfying historical account of the first four caliphs of Islam, Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān and ʿAlīؓ , who because of their rectitude, became known as the “Rightly-Guided Caliphs”. The author provides a clear and fast-paced account of the battles and internal struggles of the four caliphs, as well as that of the fifth, Ḥasan ibn ʿAlīؓ. He avoids long excursions into the technical intricacies and obscure historical detail found in longer books. However, he refreshingly puts forward a balanced and convincing analysis of the contentious issues involving the four caliphs, such as ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib’sؓ  delay in giving the pledge, the insurgency against ʿUthmānؓ , the battles of the Camel and Ṣiffīn, and the disputes between ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyaؓ .

The author’s analysis leaves the reader with a clear understanding and helps to increase the love and respect for the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and his Companions. This book will surely satisfy your curiosity about the immediate period after the Prophet’s ﷺ departure from this world. It will relieve your heart of any con- fusion you feel about the events of that time. This is a book written for readers
of any age, hence an inspiring read for the young and old alike.

Contents

Part 1: The Era of Unity

• – The Caliphate of Abu Bakr
• – The Caliphate of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab
• – The Caliphate of ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan

Part 2: The Era of Differences and Tribulations

• – The Caliphate of ‘Ali
• – Hasan Ibn ‘Ali

About the Author

He is Muḥammad ibn ʿAfīfī al-Bājūrī, popularly known as Shaykh Khuḍarī Bak. He was a scholar of Sharīʿah, literature and Islamic history. He was born in Egypt in 1289/1872 and lived in Zaytūn, a suburb of Cairo. He graduated from Madrasah Dār al-ʿUlūm and surpassed his contemporaries as a scholar, researcher, orator, educator and reformer. During the course of his life he was an Islamic judge in Khartoum, an educator in the Islamic Judicial School in Cairo for a period of twelve years, a Professor in Islamic history at the University of Egypt (now named The University of Cairo), the Deputy-Head of the Islamic judicial school and an inspector for the Ministry of Education.