"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٣‎٥‎٢] (١٢٦٢/٨٦٩)

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Muhammadan denominations may be traced. Most of these historical
occurrences took place in the countries of the Persian Gulf^ and for this
reason, and also because they make more intelligible the subject of
Shi'ah holy places and pilgrims with which we shall deal further on, a
short notice of them appears desirable.
Abu^Bakr ^ ^ ie P 10 ?^ Muhammad-bin-^Abdullah in 632 A.D.,
*Umr and ' ^bu Bakr, the father of Muhammad''s favourite wife ^Ayishah, obtained
'Othutan, the Khalifate; he ruled until his death in 634.
632 -56 A. D. Aba Bakr was succeeded by ^Umr^ another father-in-law of
Muhammad^ under whom^ between the years 635 and 643, ; Iraq was
completely conquered from the Sassanians of Persia by the Arab hosts
of Islam. The important Muhammadan towns of Basrah and Kufah in
the new province were founded about the year 638. In 644 the Khalifah
•'Umr was assassinated.
"'Umr had appointed before his death a board of six, who were to
nominate from among themselves the next K halifah; these were ^Ali-
bin-Abi Talib^ the cousin and adopted son of Muhammad^ whose daughter
Fatimah he had married; Talhah-bin-^Obaid Ullah and Zubair-bin-al-
^ Aw warn, the latter a cousin of Muhammad, both of whom were early
and distinguished adherents of Islam; ''Othman-bin-''Affan, who belonged
to the family of the Banu ''Omaiyah but became the husband of the
prophets daughters Kuqaiyah and Umm Kulthum; and two others.
The choice of the board fell upon ■'Othman^ who thus succeeded to the
Khalifate; but his appointment was unwelcome to many, especially to
his disappointed rivals ''Ali, Talhah and Zubair, and in 656 he was
murdered^ having reigned for twelve years.
« m was ^ e11 ra i se d to the Khalifate; but Talhah and Zubair, who
^ ^ 6o6 " 6 had been associated with him in opposition to ^Othman, at once went into
rebellion and were joined by ■'Ayishah, the prophets widow. In the
Battle of the Camel, however, fought near Old Basrah where their
are still shown, Talhah and Zubair were defeated and slain ; and ; Ayishah,
the "Mother of the Faithful", became the prisoner of "'Ali. War was
next declared against ''Ali by Mu^awiyah, governor of Damascus, a
member of the Banu ''Omaiyah and a cousin of the murdered Khalifah
^Othman; and an encounter took place at Siffm, near Raqqah 0I J
Euphrates, after which^ in deference to the wishes of a majority of Ah s
supporters, the claims of the leaders were submitted to arbitration. 1 e
proceedings were practically inconclusive, for ''Ali remained in possession
at least of ''Iraq, while Mu^awiyah obtained the nominal Khalifate.
Rise of the Meanwhile a sect known as the Khawarij, having for their ideal
a theocratic state in which all other interests should be subordma e
to religion, had arisen in ^Iraq. At first these enthusiasts supported
■'Ali against Mu'awiyah, whose pronouncedly secular policy was repugnan
to them; but, having been convinced by the negotiations after e
battle of S iff in that ''Ali was at heart no less a worldling than 18
competitor, they subsequently rebelled against him in ' raq. 6
political power of the Khawarij was, however, completely broken by a
defeat which ^Ali inflicted on them in 658 in the vicinity of the Nahrwan
canal, near the modern Baghdad.
of 8 theAfter this, three of the Khawarij conspired to remove by assassination
on a single prearranged date in the month of January 661; not only