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Who do Shiites believe are qualified to be a caliph?

Updated: 8/20/2019
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Answer 1

Imam Ali a.s. and any successors to Ali from Prophet Mohammed's family.

Shia believe after death of prophet God selected the successive for prophet who is the political leader of Muslim community and people can not and does not the right to selected it.

More Information on the Shiite Claim of Divinely Mandated Authority

In order to buttress the claim that only Divine Authority could choose the next Caliph, the Shia refer to many verses of Qura'n like: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30) or "O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth" (Quran 38:26) also other verses.

Shia believe such verses mean that only God can select an Islamic political leader (Caliph) and there is no mention in Qur'an that people have the right to select a leader. Shura is not allowed to be used for selecting leader and the Prophet himself always selected leaders of wars and other leaders by command of God.

In Shia Islam, the Caliphs after prophet are 12 infallible Imams who have inherited divine knowledge of Prophet.

Shia Muslims do not consider selection of Abubakr as Caliph by people valid because God did not select him. They believe God ordered prophet to declare people that Ali is selected as successor of prophet and prophet did this mission many times during his prophet-hood and mainly in Ghadir event after last Hajj of his life at a 3-4 hour speech in front of 120,000 Muslims at Ghadir in hot desert after 2 days stop of long caravan for gathering and 3 days after speech for congratulations and homage of Muslims to Ali.

Islam at that time had high power in world and Some companions had high interest in leadership position after prophet. Muslims knew that it is the final Hajj of prophet (predicted by prophet) and were going along with prophet to hear what prophet says at end of his life.

The Shia believe the Ghadir event is the most important event of Islam and is mentioned in Qur'an in many verses like "Today" (اليوم) in verse 5:3 of Qur'an is the day of Ghadir. Or Verse 5:67: "(O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith)" is revealed at Ghadir day and is about declaring political and spiritual leadership of Ali S.A. after prophet.

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims accept the Events at Ghadir event but have different interpretations. Some Sunni writers tried to reject the event of Ghadir as declare of leadership of Ali S.A. and said at Ghadir prophet only wanted to say Ali S.A. is my friend and no one should bother him.

Ali S.A. had 3 different missions to Yemen by prophet during 10 years and in 2 of them some companions of prophet had some conflicts with Ali S.A. and prophet said some sayings about Ali S.A. to solve conflicts and some sunni writers have mixed stories of missions of Ali S.A. to Yemen with story of Ghadir to prove Ghadir event is not about Leadership of Ali and is not important.

Shia scholars believe some Sunni writers who were related to Kigns have changed and deviated historical evidences about political leadership of Ali S.A. in old historical books and republished them to destroy evidences of leadership of Ali from old Sunni books.

The famous Shia book Al-Ghadir (الغدير) by Allameh Amini is a collection of evidences and proofs for Ghadir Events written all from Sunni historical books by referring to 100,000 Sunni books and full reading of 10,000 Sunni books. Allameh Amini is a famous Shia scholar and spent 40 years of his life in traveling to access original old Sunni books in libraries in different countries to write this 20 volume book only from Sunni books and not using any Shia book. Some Sunni scholars tried to reply this book but then said if we want to reply this book we should first destroy all Sunni books.

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Q: Who do Shiites believe are qualified to be a caliph?
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Shiites (not Sunni) Muslims flagellate, cut, beat or smear themselves with red paint on Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, to empathise with Husayn (Muhammad's grandson) who was killed on Ashura. Husayn was killed because he refused to be obedient to Yazid, the second caliph and has since become a martyr to the Islamic religion. Husayn was a descendant of Ali, the forth caliph, and since Shiites believe that only descendants of Ali are entitled to rule the event is only important to Shiites, not Sunnis.


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Why do some Shiites hate Hazrat Abu-Bakr Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali?

I am not aware of any Shiite who hates Caliph 'Ali. Perhaps you are asking why some Shiites hate Caliphs Abu-Bakr, 'Omar, and 'Othman. Those Shiites who do opposed these leaders do so because they believe that Mohammed intended 'Ali to succeed him and these three individuals conspired with other Muslims to prevent 'Ali's ascendance as Caliph. They consider the shura or election that led to Abu-Bakr's appointment and the direct appointments of 'Omar and 'Othman to be a violation of the true nature of Mohammed's succession.


When hazrath did not worry about becoming fourth caliph then why shiites?

If I understand your question correctly, you are asking "If 'Ali did not worry about becoming the fourth Caliph, then why did the Shii'at 'Ali exist?" This question is based on a false supposition that 'Ali "created" the Shiites. The Shiites existed as a political front throughout the reigns of Abu Bakr and 'Omar and solidified their opposition during the Caliphate of 'Othman. When 'Ali became Caliph, the Shiites were naturally ecstatic and their movement became more popular when it was clear just how pious 'Ali was as leader. Shiite Islam became a separate religious movement when the Shiites began to form their own separate Caliphates such as the Idrissid and Fatimid Caliphates which saw 'Ali as the hallmark against which all rulers should justify themselves.


Who was the rightful first caliph according to the shiites?

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Did Sunnis split from Shiites over the battle of Karbala?

Answer 1Yes. However, there was no real split between Shiites and Sunnis. It is just some different views over some side issues that are not critical.Answer 2No. The split between Sunnis and Shiites occurred nearly 30 years earlier when Abu Bakr was elected by the Shoura Council to the position of Caliph against the will of Ali's supporters. Those supporters rejected the decision of the Shoura Council and became the Shiites. The Battle of Karbala crystallized this division since Ali had, by then, been assassinated, and his son Hussein (who was the next candidate supported by the Shiites) was butchered by the Caliph Yazid I without Sunnis rejecting Yazid's right to the Caliphate.


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Are Muslims Shiites?

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Why don't the Shiites and Sunnis disagree with each other?

Sunnis and Shiites do disagree with each other on several theological issues. ______________________________________________________________ They disagree on minor side issues that not affecting basic Islam beliefs. They ; for example; disgreed on the way the successor of the prophet (after his death) should be chosen. Muslims elected Abou Bakr to be the first Caliph after prophet Muhammad (PBUH) death. However, some Muslims believed that the successor should be from the family of the prophet and hence should Ali Ibn Abou Taleb (the prophet cousin and husband of his daughter). However, after the election of AbouBakr, they joined the majority and even Ali Ibn Abou Taleb (God be pleased with him) supported the elected Caliph. The same scenario was repeated after election of Omar Ibn Alkhattab as the second Caliph and Othman Ibn Affan as the third Caliph. Ali Ibn Abou Taleb was then elected as the fourth Caliph. Sunnis and Shiites are just two Islamic schools that differ in minor issues.The outsiders are trying to feed up assumed differences and conflicts between Muslim groups to gain control on Muslim countries and on their resources. The two main groups are Sunnis and Shiites. Both groups agree upon basic Islam pillars, believe in same and only version of Quran, believe and follow the sunnah of same prophet (PBUH), pray to same direction (facing Kaba in Makkah or Mecca in Saudi Arabia, go to same places on pilgrimage (or Hajj), and adhere to same Islam morals and ritual worships. They only differ on some side issues that are not critical. Some other groups as Taliban and Al-Qaeda are in disagreement with both Sunnis and Shiites true Muslims.


What is the Sunni-Shiite division?

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