The Caliph

The Caliphate, a form of rule in Islam that lasted for almost 13 centuries from the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the year 632 A.D. to the overthrowing of the last Ottoman Caliph in 1924. Through the centuries the title of Caliph has been used and at times abused, it is a translation from the Arabic word ‘Khalifa’ which means successor or deputy.

In June 2014 a militant group calling itself the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (better known today as ISIL or ISIS) declared the establishment of a caliphate and through various acts of terror the now infamous group gained global notoriety. ISIS declared their leader to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, this declaration however was overwhelming rejected by the majority of the Muslim world.

This three part documentary series released by the media outlet Al Jazeera, goes into great depth in order to tell the story of the caliphate and its history. Through conversations and interviews with various experts on the matter we are given a fascinating insight into how the first caliphs of Islam built and expanded their empire, to the Sunni-Shia split which arose from an argument over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad.

Parts Are As Follows:

  1. Foundation
  2. Division
  3. Decline
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