Who were the rightly guided caliphs?

Salama reports that Ali had stayed behind at the time of Khaybar because of eye trouble, then set out after the Prophet (ﷺ). On the eve of the conquest of Khaybar the Prophet said that the next day he would give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and that Allah would grant victory under his leadership. Ali arrived unexpectedly, the Prophet gave him the flag, and Allah granted victory under his leadership.

Ali swore by the One who splits the seed and creates life that the Prophet (ﷺ) had promised him that only a believer would love him, and only a hypocrite would hate him.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Ali: you are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me. Sa'd affirmed emphatically that he heard it himself.

Safina reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the caliphate of prophecy will last thirty years, after which Allah gives the kingdom to whom He wills. Safina told the narrator to count Abu Bakr's caliphate as two years, Umar's as ten, Uthman's as twelve, and then Ali's. When it was said that some deny Ali was a caliph, Safina strongly rejected this.

“Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.”

Al-Irbad ibn Sariya reports a farewell exhortation of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), after which the eyes wept and the hearts trembled. He told them to fear Allah, to listen and obey, and warned of much disagreement to come. He said whoever lives will see it, so hold to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs, and beware of newly invented matters.

Ali's son Ibn al-Hanafiyya asked his father who the best of people were after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Ali answered Abu Bakr, then Umar. Afraid that Ali would name Uthman next, he asked: then you? Ali replied that he was only a man among the Muslims.

In a long report from Aisha, Ali, who had not given his pledge during the six months of Fatima's life after the Prophet's (ﷺ) death, seeks reconciliation with Abu Bakr once she has died. He sends for Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr comes to him. Ali says the family know Abu Bakr's excellence and what Allah has given him, and do not envy it, but that Abu Bakr had not consulted them, and they had thought they had a right in the matter because of their kinship to the Messenger (ﷺ). Abu Bakr weeps and says that kindness to the relatives of the Messenger (ﷺ) is dearer to him than kindness to his own. Ali gives him his pledge of allegiance that afternoon and praises Abu Bakr's right in public. The Muslims are glad and draw close to Ali again. The same report begins with Fatima's request about her inheritance; that part is discussed on the page "Was Fatima angry with Abu Bakr?".

In Aisha's report of Fatima's request about her inheritance, Abu Bakr gives the Prophet's (ﷺ) words and says he will not change what the Messenger (ﷺ) did. Ali then says that they acknowledge Abu Bakr's superiority and mentions their own kinship to the Messenger (ﷺ). Abu Bakr answers that doing good to the relatives of the Messenger (ﷺ) is dearer to him than doing good to his own relatives.

Aisha reports that when the Prophet (ﷺ) died, Umar insisted he was not dead. Abu Bakr came, kissed the Prophet's face, then told the people that whoever worshipped Muhammad should know Muhammad was dead, and whoever worshipped Allah should know Allah is alive and never dies. He recited 39:30 and 3:144, that Muhammad is no more than a messenger, and the people wept.

The same entry as 3667, which gives the scene at the shed of Banu Sa'ida. Some of the Ansar, the Muslims of Medina, said there should be one leader from them and one from the emigrants. Abu Bakr answered that the emigrants of Quraysh were the best family among the Arabs, and told them to choose Umar or Abu Ubayda. Umar answered that they chose Abu Bakr, their chief, the best of them and the dearest of them to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), took his hand and pledged, and the people pledged after him.

In the long report of Umar's death, Umar names six men to choose among themselves. The choice comes down to Uthman and Ali, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf asks each in turn to promise that he will do justice if chosen, and listen and obey the other if the other is chosen. Both agree. Abd al-Rahman pledges to Uthman, and Ali gives him the pledge of allegiance, then all the people of Medina do.

Ibn Abbas reports that when Umar's body was laid out and the people prayed for him, Ali came, asked Allah's mercy for Umar and said that no one's deeds were dearer to him to meet Allah with than Umar's. Ali said he had always thought Allah would place Umar with his two companions, because he often heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: I, Abu Bakr and Umar went; I, Abu Bakr and Umar entered.

Umar divided garments among the women of Medina, and one good garment was left. A man told him to give it to his wife, the granddaughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), meaning Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Ali. Umar gave it to Umm Salit instead, a woman of the Ansar who had carried water-skins for the Muslims at Uhud.

Al-Tabari records that after Uthman was killed the people thronged to Ali and asked to pledge to him, saying they feared for Islam. Ali at first declined, and the people raised their voices and urged him until he accepted.

Describes how, after Uthman was killed, a delegation of the Muhajireen and the Ansar asked Ali to accept the caliphate and he refused. The companions sent the delegation back to press him harder, and he accepted on conditions of his own. The Muhajireen, the Ansar and the people then took the oath of allegiance to him. Razwy says the community of Muhammad (ﷺ) "drafted" Ali, and quotes Gibbon that he declared he had rather serve than reign.

Al-Tabari records that after Uthman was killed the people thronged to Ali and asked to pledge to him, saying they feared for Islam. Ali at first declined, and the people raised their voices and urged him until he accepted.

Ubayda reports that Ali told the people of Iraq to judge as they used to judge, because he disliked disagreement, until the people united as one group or he died as his companions had died.

Describes how Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite, struck Ali with a poisoned sword. It was the morning of 19 Ramadan 40 AH, in the great mosque of Kufa, as Ali rose from prostration in the prayer. The blow was fatal. Razwy writes that no one questions that Ibn Muljam killed Ali, and says Ibn Muljam had escaped when the Kharijites were defeated at Nahrawan; the main account in al-Tabari instead has him plotting in Mecca to avenge those killed there.

Al-Hasan al-Basri reports that al-Hasan ibn Ali led armies like mountains against Mu'awiya, and Amr ibn al-As warned that they would not turn back until they had killed their opponents. Mu'awiya asked who would be left to care for the people, their women and their children if the two sides destroyed each other, and sent two men of Quraysh to offer peace. To every condition al-Hasan asked for they answered that they would stand guarantee for it, and al-Hasan made peace with Mu'awiya. The narrator then recalls the Prophet's (ﷺ) words from the pulpit about al-Hasan making peace between two great groups of Muslims.

Al-Bara reports that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) carrying al-Hasan on his shoulder and saying: O Allah, I love him, so love him.

Explains that the thirty years of the caliphate of prophecy are counted as the rule of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, together with the six-month caliphate of al-Hasan ibn Ali, and names Ibn Kathir (al-Bidaya), al-Qadi Iyad (al-Shifa), Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and Ibn Abi al-'Izz among the scholars who say so.

Al-Hasan al-Basri reports that al-Hasan ibn Ali led armies like mountains against Mu'awiya, and Amr ibn al-As warned that they would not turn back until they had killed their opponents. Mu'awiya asked who would be left to care for the people, their women and their children if the two sides destroyed each other, and sent two men of Quraysh to offer peace. To every condition al-Hasan asked for they answered that they would stand guarantee for it, and al-Hasan made peace with Mu'awiya. The narrator then recalls the Prophet's (ﷺ) words from the pulpit about al-Hasan making peace between two great groups of Muslims.

Al-Bara reports that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) carrying al-Hasan on his shoulder and saying: O Allah, I love him, so love him.