The Rashidun Caliphate

Abu Bakr

Successor after Muhammad, his good friend. He was Muhammad’s father in law. He carries Muhammad’s secular authority

Commander of the Faithful (Caliph)

Abu Bakr’s role - non-secular authority

Rashidun Caliphate

“era of the rightly guided caliphs”

Dynastic succession

Successor would be a son in law if Muhammad was a monarch figure

Meritocratic succession

Muhammad choses Abu Bakr off of his merits, not because of relation

Musaylima

Guy who claims to be a prophet, so some people start following him. He is a charlatan and a magician

Apostasy

People who stop being believers after Muhammad dies, which is a great sin

Ridda Wars

Wars of apostasy, aka wars that Abu Bakr starts to go after people who have broken away from community

Khalid ibn Walid

Military general who led the Ridda Wars

Battle of Yamama

Fight where Musaylima is killed

Conquest of Sasanian Empire

Abu Bakr expanding into the Sasanian empire

Umar

Caliph after Bakr, appointed by will. He was a close advisor to Bakr and a very good law man. Bureaucrat, sets up Ummah institutions, and conquers a lot

Apostate amnesty

Amnesty granted to those who have been imprisoned

Jihad

Struggle 

Greater Jihad

Inner struggle against one’s passions and impulses

Lesser Jihad

Outer struggle in the name of God, either by sword or pen

Arab Conquests

Zone of control that Umma has is growing

Dhimi

People of the book aka a historical term for non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection

Jizya

Head tax that Dhimi must pay

Pact of Umar

Pact between communities of believers

Sunnah

Proper tradition

Sunni

People who follow proper traditions

Shi’atu Sii

“Follower of Ali” - people who believe that Muhammad should have passed his power to his cousin/son-in-law Ali 

Uthman

Umar’s successor

Amsar

Garrison towns

Umayyad nepotism

Umayyad caliphs practice of appointing family members to important roles

Muawiyah

Founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate

Uthmanic Codex

Uthman codifies the text of the Qur’an

Assassination of Uthman (656)

Uthman loses trust of many believers and the Quraysh, and gets killed a result

Aisha

Wife of Muhammad

First Fitna

Armed conflict that erupts with the assassination of Uthman