Lecture Notes: Early Caliphate, Key Figures, Battles, and Shi'a-Sunni Context (Video)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, battles, and sectarian concepts from the video notes on early Islamic history.

Abu Bakr

First Rashidun Caliph (632–634); close companion of Muhammad; father of Aisha.

Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb

Second Rashidun Caliph (634–644); companion; Hafsa’s father.

Uthmān b. Affān

Third Rashidun Caliph (644–656); Prophet’s stepson; married to Ruqayya and Umm Kulthum.

‘Alī b. Abī Țālib

Fourth Rashidun Caliph (656–661); cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; married to Fatima.

Rashidun Caliphs (Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidūn)

The four early caliphs after Muhammad: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali.

Ghadir Khumm

Event where Prophet Muhammad is believed to designated Ali as successor, significant in Shi‘a tradition.

Banū Hāshim

Clan within Quraysh; Muhammad’s clan, including Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn.

Banū Umayya

Umayyad clan; later dynastic line ruling the caliphate (661–750).

Fatima

Daughter of Muhammad; wife of Ali; mother of Hasan and Husayn.

Hasan

Grandson of Muhammad; son of Fatima and Ali; one of Muhammad’s two surviving grandsons.

Husayn

Grandson of Muhammad; son of Fatima and Ali; killed at Karbala (Karbala/Kerbala).

Karbala (Kerbala)

680 AD massacre of Husayn and his companions; central event for Shi‘a memory.

Ashura

Commemoration of Karbala; day of mourning in Shi‘a Islam.

Mu‘āwiyah I

Founder of the Umayyad dynasty; ruled the Caliphate after Ali (allegedly 661–680).

Umayyad dynasty

Dynastic rule (661–750) succeeding the Rashidun; capital Damascus; expansion of empire.

Abbasid dynasty

Dynastic rule (750–1258) overthrowing the Umayyads; capital at Baghdad; named after Abbas, Muhammad’s uncle.

Battle of Badr

624; decisive early Muslim victory over the Quraysh; foundational in Islamic historiography.

Ridda Wars (Apostasy Wars)

Campaigns to absorb apostate tribes after Muhammad’s death; consolidate the caliphate under Abu Bakr.

Battle of the Camel

Civil conflict (656–657) between Ali and A’isha with Talha and Zubayr.

Battle of Ṣiffīn

657; clash between Ali and Muʿāwiyya; led to arbitration and the rise of the Umayyads.

Battle of Nahrawān

Battle between Ali and the Kharijites; suppression of dissent within the Muslim community.

Ahl al-Bayt

The Prophet’s family; includes Fatima, Ali, Hasan, Husayn; central to Shi‘a devotion.

Qur’ān compilation by Ali

Ali collected and claimed to have assembled the Qur’an into a complete codex after Muhammad’s death.

Shi‘a

Islamic sect that emphasizes Ali’s rightful leadership and the Imams from Ahl al-Bayt.

Sunni

Islamic tradition upholding the authority of the early caliphs and consensus of the community.