After the Prophet ﷺ died in 632 CE, four of his closest companions led the Muslim community in turn: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali. Sunnis call them the Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-Khulafa' ar-Rashidun).
Abu Bakr held the community together after the Prophet's death and had the Quran collected. 'Umar led during the great expansion, set up courts, a state treasury and pensions. 'Uthman unified the written copy of the Quran. 'Ali was the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, and led during a period of civil strife.
Their rule lasted about 30 years. Later caliphates, the Umayyads, Abbasids and the Ottomans, were dynasties and were not all seen as 'rightly guided' by scholars. The caliphate ended in 1924 with its abolition in Türkiye.
The authentic hadith behind this answer, from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and the Sunan with the grade of the scholars of hadith. Open a reference to read it in the hadith library of this site.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا جَامِعُ بْنُ أَبِي رَاشِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ ابْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ. قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ. وَخَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقُولَ عُثْمَانُ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَنْتَ قَالَ مَا أَنَا إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
حَدَّثَنَا مُعَلَّى بْنُ أَسَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ الْمُخْتَارِ، قَالَ خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَهُ عَلَى جَيْشِ ذَاتِ السَّلاَسِلِ، فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ " عَائِشَةُ ". فَقُلْتُ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ فَقَالَ " أَبُوهَا ". قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ " ثُمَّ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ". فَعَدَّ رِجَالاً.
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.
