This is a detailed yet accessible guide to the way in which religion and politics interacted during the earliest years of Islam. It focuses on the period of the first four caliphs, untangling the crisis of sucession and the subsequent schism between the Sunni and Shi'i movements in Islam, and drawing on a combination of primary documents and scholarship in the field. It includes two appendices featuring original English translations of key source material.

Mahmoud Ayoub is Professor of Islamic Studies for the Department of Religion at Temple University and Research Fellow at the Middle East Center of the University of Pennsylvania. He has lectured at universities around the world, is Editorial Consultant of The Muslim World Journal, and the author of several books and numerous articles.

Preface
I. Introduction
II. The Crisis of Succession
a. The Safiqah debate and its aftermath
III. Abu Bakr's Regrets and 'Umar's Uncertainties
a. Abu Bakr: Khalifat Rasul Allah
b. Umar: Amir al-Muminin
IV. The Second Crisis: The Shura Council and its Failure
a. The Shura deliberations
V. 'Uthman: Khalifat Allah
a. 'Uthman's caliphate: Umayyad power and the beginning of Shi'i opposition
b. 'Uthman's critics: 'Ammar b. Yasir and Abu Dharr al-Ghifari
c. 'Uthman and the clash between religious authority and political power
d. The siege and 'Uthman's violent death
VI. Ali Wasi Rasul Allah: The Clash of Religion and Politics
a. The Battle of the Camel
b. Mu'awiyah's opposition
c. The Battle of Siffin
d. 'Amr's scheme and its consequences
VII. Conclusion
Appendix I
Appendix II
Bibliography