4. The Three Caliphs
Ontheday ofthe deathof theProphet,‘Alīwasthirty-threeyearsold.
Althoughhewasforemostinreligiousvirtuesandthemostoutstanding
amongthecompanionsoftheProphet,hewaspushedasidefromtheca-
liphateon the claimthat hewastooyoung andthat hehadmany en-
emiesamongthe peoplebecauseof thebloodofthepolytheistshehad
spilled in the wars fought alongside the Prophet.
Therefore‘Alīwasalmostcompletelycutofffrompublicaffairs.Here-
treatedtohishousewherehebegantotraincompetentindividualsinthe
Divinesciences.Itshouldalsobementionedthatheneverletanoppor-
tunitypass byinwhich heexpressedhisopinionabout hisrighttothe
caliphate.Ontheotherhand,hisconcernforthewellbeingoftheMuslim
ummah did not allow him to deprive the caliphs of his guidance
whenevertheopportunity arose.Forexample,thereare countlessjudi-
cialcaseswhichweresolvedbyImam‘Alīduringthecaliphateof‘Umar
binKhattāb—many werecasesin which‘Umarsaid, “Ifithadn’t been
for ‘Alī, ‘Umar would have perished.”
Inthisway ‘Alīpassedthe twentyfouryearsof thecaliphate ofAbu
Bakr(d. 13 A.H.),‘Umar(d. 23 A.H.)and‘Uthmān(d.35)whocameto
poweraftertheProphet.Whenthethirdcaliphwaskilledinapublicre-
volt becauseof his unjust policies,people gave their allegiance to ‘Alī
and he was chosen as caliph.