Caliph·Rashidun
Ali ibn Abi Talib Becomes Fourth Caliph
- Date
- June 656 CEDhu al-Hijjah 35 AH1,370 years ago
- Place
- Medina
- People
- Ali ibn Abi Talib, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
After Uthman was killed, many people in Medina asked Ali ibn Abi Talib to accept the caliphate. He took the pledge of allegiance in the mosque. Some leading companions, including Talha and Zubayr, later challenged him and went to Basra. Ali moved the capital to Kufa in Iraq in 657 CE. His caliphate was contested for the rest of his life.
Why it matters
His rule was disputed from the start, and the civil wars under his caliphate shaped the later Sunni and Shia divide.