Throughout
Islamic history, one of the uniting aspects of the Muslim world was the
caliphate. After the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his close companion, Abu Bakr, was elected as the first
khalifah, or caliph, of the Muslim community. His job as leader combined
political power over the Muslim state as well as spiritual guidance for
Muslims. It became a hereditary position, occupied at first by the Umayyad
family, and later by the...
