A question arose after the death of the Prophet. Who should lead the faithful? Muhammad had not chosen a successor.
The Islamic community was divided. Sunni Muslims believed that any pious Muslim man could lead the community.
Shiite Muslims believed that only descendants of Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali, should rule.
While this conflict led to the formation of separate branches of the faith, the majority of Muslims were Sunnis.
Early rulers of the Islamic Empire were caliphs. A caliph was elected by the community of the faithful. The word caliph means successor.
A caliph’s government was referred to as the caliphate.
By 750 A.D., a new Islamic dynasty ruled. The Abbasid dynasty moved the capital of the Islamic world to Baghdad in Iraq.
The Abbasid rulers were tolerant of other monotheistic faiths. They tolerated “people of the Book”. Jews and Christians were allowed to worship.
Although Jews and Christians were tolerated, they were forced to pay special taxes.
During the Abbasid dynasty, the Islamic world experienced a golden age or a time of great achievements.