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The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate
In a convincing reinterpretation of early Islamic history, Wilferd Madelung examines the conflict that developed after the death of Muhammad for control of the Muslim community. He demonstrates how this conflict, which marked the demise of the first four caliphs, resulted in the lasting schism between Sunnite and Shi'ite Islam. In contrast to recent scholarly trends, the author takes up the Shi'i cause, arguing in defense of the succession of 'Ali. This book will make a major scholarly contribution to the debate over succession.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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August 10, 2023
In this important work, Wilferd Madelung explores the succession of the first four caliphs following the death of the Prophet. Many historians have held that the Sunni-Shia conflict began over a century later as a political justification for the overthrow of the Umayyad caliphate by the Abbasids. Madelung shows the selection of Muhammad's companion and father-in-law Abu Bakr over Ali, his cousin, and son-in-law, initiated the conflict much earlier.
In the Quran the prophets were descendants of a single bloodline from Adam, Noah, and Abraham down through Ismael and Muhammad. Madelung argues as far as the Quran represents the beliefs of the Prophet, Ali would have been seen as a natural successor over Abu Bakr and the other companions. After the Prophet's death Abu Bakr assumed command disinheriting Ali and the family of Muhammad. By not concentrating spiritual and political power in one family others maintain this was a paradigm shift from dynastic succession to one based on religious merit.
The remaining early caliphs were each elected by a council of the companions. The second caliph Umar, who greatly expanded the empire, was felled by dagger in the mosque of Medina after a ten year reign. The third caliph Uthman perished by the sword at prayer in his palace, following a twelve-year reign criticized for nepotism. Finally elected, Ali resisted a coup by the Prophet's wife Aisha, only to be slain by saber in the mosque of Kufa after five years of civil war. The Ummayad caliphate in Damascus reverted command of the faithful to a dynasty with a hereditary head of state.
This is not an easy book, but it hasn't been superseded in twenty years since its publication. For anyone interested in the political aspects of the first caliphate it is essential. It is not a complete history because it includes nothing about the major conquests that occurred during the period. Instead, it unravels the complex internal conflicts of tribes and clans in the medieval Mideast. Covering the thirty year period of the Rashidun caliphate in four hundred pages allows for much detail to be developed. Towards the end of the story, the accounts of internecine warfare can become tiresome.
The book received the 1997 Book of the Year from the Republic of Iran, so it is an acceptable Shia view of events. Without much objection from Sunni critics, it may not be terribly biased against their views either. While there is bitter disagreement over the succession to Muhammad, both sides see Ali as an important spiritual and political leader. For an account of the struggle after the death of the Prophet it may be the best English language book available.
In the Quran the prophets were descendants of a single bloodline from Adam, Noah, and Abraham down through Ismael and Muhammad. Madelung argues as far as the Quran represents the beliefs of the Prophet, Ali would have been seen as a natural successor over Abu Bakr and the other companions. After the Prophet's death Abu Bakr assumed command disinheriting Ali and the family of Muhammad. By not concentrating spiritual and political power in one family others maintain this was a paradigm shift from dynastic succession to one based on religious merit.
The remaining early caliphs were each elected by a council of the companions. The second caliph Umar, who greatly expanded the empire, was felled by dagger in the mosque of Medina after a ten year reign. The third caliph Uthman perished by the sword at prayer in his palace, following a twelve-year reign criticized for nepotism. Finally elected, Ali resisted a coup by the Prophet's wife Aisha, only to be slain by saber in the mosque of Kufa after five years of civil war. The Ummayad caliphate in Damascus reverted command of the faithful to a dynasty with a hereditary head of state.
This is not an easy book, but it hasn't been superseded in twenty years since its publication. For anyone interested in the political aspects of the first caliphate it is essential. It is not a complete history because it includes nothing about the major conquests that occurred during the period. Instead, it unravels the complex internal conflicts of tribes and clans in the medieval Mideast. Covering the thirty year period of the Rashidun caliphate in four hundred pages allows for much detail to be developed. Towards the end of the story, the accounts of internecine warfare can become tiresome.
The book received the 1997 Book of the Year from the Republic of Iran, so it is an acceptable Shia view of events. Without much objection from Sunni critics, it may not be terribly biased against their views either. While there is bitter disagreement over the succession to Muhammad, both sides see Ali as an important spiritual and political leader. For an account of the struggle after the death of the Prophet it may be the best English language book available.
June 21, 2016
Early Islamic history is interesting because the reader is struck by how immensely human the figures are (though later history writing tends to gloss over the “flaws” of human frailty and recast the stories in a hagiographic light, which makes them more boring. Nevertheless I have a fondness for Umar's most quotable quotes). Madelung takes it even further by giving the traditional narrative history a thorough and critical read and gave a forceful conclusion of what he considers to be the truth to the question of Muhammad's succession and the characters’ motivations in the drama that still haunts us today. In brief, he concludes that Abu Bakr and Umar worked out some kind of conspiracy to keep Ali out of the leadership, which were partly motivated by personal grudges as well as by differing visions for the Muslim community. At such a nascent stage, the fragile alliance between tribes could have easily fractured at the death of its prophet, and action needed to be taken quickly. Unfortunately, while the politicking have succeeded in ensuring the religion’s survival, it may have come at a cost to what its founder had intended. Madelung puts forth a convincing argument that Ali should have been the rightful heir to Muhammad, following similar parallels in prophetic history. However I’m not certain if the fact that this was not exactly a father-son succession may have any effect.
Madelung writes in a forceful, narrative style in attempting to pierce together and validating/rejecting various accounts. However it is clear his mind was made up by the time of writing the work. As a reader I found it convincing and worth a read but does not make the issue a closed case. He took on a lot of assumptions about personal motivations of men and women who cannot speak to us now, and who lived in a time and setting we cannot know directly. Unfortunately as historians, erudite and thorough guesswork is the best we can do. In that, Madelung was successful.
Madelung writes in a forceful, narrative style in attempting to pierce together and validating/rejecting various accounts. However it is clear his mind was made up by the time of writing the work. As a reader I found it convincing and worth a read but does not make the issue a closed case. He took on a lot of assumptions about personal motivations of men and women who cannot speak to us now, and who lived in a time and setting we cannot know directly. Unfortunately as historians, erudite and thorough guesswork is the best we can do. In that, Madelung was successful.
November 7, 2016
Not much can be written about this amazing book without causing any controversy amongst the fellow Muslims therefore I would not comment on the content (which can clearly be judged by the cover).
It is a very detailed and scholarly researched account of the events following Muhammad's (PBUH) death. It is not a definitive account but challenges very sources being used in the narrative propagated by two major sects in Islam.
It would have been 5 stars had it not been so much difficult to read due to thesis style writing.
It is a very detailed and scholarly researched account of the events following Muhammad's (PBUH) death. It is not a definitive account but challenges very sources being used in the narrative propagated by two major sects in Islam.
It would have been 5 stars had it not been so much difficult to read due to thesis style writing.
September 22, 2014
A good book that shows the most important stage of Islamic history with the forces that led to the First Civil War that Muslims still suffer from its aftermath.
November 3, 2022
Rarely do I have the pleasure of coming across a writer and academic gifted with the rigour for such detailed, rich research. Yet, is able to present what is truly dense history, with footnotes that could fill a book of their own, with such readability.
Madelung has painstakingly condensed centuries worth of sources into 400 pages, while maintaining the integrity of a historian of his stature with what is a deeply contentious issue to date. But it's not simply a rehashing of history, Madelung consistently engages with his source material with insightful commentary and gifted storytelling. The Caliphs, their companions, and their enemies are humanised, and the reader becomes well-acquainted with their traits and temperaments.
Perhaps my only critique, as it usually is, is the overreliance on 'Aisha as an accurate historical source. No doubt, one of the most crucial narrators of early Islamic history, but often too heavily depended on - even when contradictions exist. In addition, many times 'Aisha seems almost omnipresent. Being an authoritative source for conversations she was not present for, inclinations she cannot ascertain. In the matter of the succession to the Prophet ,or accounts of his family, 'Aisha is an odd choice. With a clearly articulated enmity with 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, being the daughter of his rival Abu Bakr, and documented tension with the Prophet's daughter, it wouldn't be irreverent to acknowledge a conflict of interest - which Madelung does do, but depends of her to carry some of the story forward anyway. Though, given the sources available, it's an understandable choice.
Ironic, given Madelung has been accused of Shi'a-centricism for this book. And while he certainly cites Shi'a sources in his work, can inclusion of the minority position constitute bias? I recall attending a lecture of his in 2015, and think if your interpretation of history managed to somehow irritate each denomination in a lecture theatre, you may just have done your job well enough.
Madelung, however, does away with the notion that history is written by the victor. Presenting, what could be pereceived irreverent, insight into each caliph's failings, incompetencies, and legacies - for better or worse. Going so far as to bring more repressed accounts of history - which Al-Tabari is particularly guilty of - to light, addressing how and why history is documented.
Overall, the book invites reflection on Sunni and Shi'a tellings of succession, more importantly what these interpretations imply. Both accounts enable us to reflect on our ummah's successes and failures, but history results in often deeply complex questions. Should knowledge of truth come at the expense of unity? How do we endeavour for a community built on trust and respect with such an inflammatory past? Do we address historical injustices even if it means our beliefs, ideologues, heroes, and identities must be scrutinized? Is is possible to acknowledge those we revere as human, and therefore, flawed?
Rabbi zidni 'ilma
(My Lord, increase me in knowledge)
Madelung has painstakingly condensed centuries worth of sources into 400 pages, while maintaining the integrity of a historian of his stature with what is a deeply contentious issue to date. But it's not simply a rehashing of history, Madelung consistently engages with his source material with insightful commentary and gifted storytelling. The Caliphs, their companions, and their enemies are humanised, and the reader becomes well-acquainted with their traits and temperaments.
Perhaps my only critique, as it usually is, is the overreliance on 'Aisha as an accurate historical source. No doubt, one of the most crucial narrators of early Islamic history, but often too heavily depended on - even when contradictions exist. In addition, many times 'Aisha seems almost omnipresent. Being an authoritative source for conversations she was not present for, inclinations she cannot ascertain. In the matter of the succession to the Prophet ,or accounts of his family, 'Aisha is an odd choice. With a clearly articulated enmity with 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, being the daughter of his rival Abu Bakr, and documented tension with the Prophet's daughter, it wouldn't be irreverent to acknowledge a conflict of interest - which Madelung does do, but depends of her to carry some of the story forward anyway. Though, given the sources available, it's an understandable choice.
Ironic, given Madelung has been accused of Shi'a-centricism for this book. And while he certainly cites Shi'a sources in his work, can inclusion of the minority position constitute bias? I recall attending a lecture of his in 2015, and think if your interpretation of history managed to somehow irritate each denomination in a lecture theatre, you may just have done your job well enough.
Madelung, however, does away with the notion that history is written by the victor. Presenting, what could be pereceived irreverent, insight into each caliph's failings, incompetencies, and legacies - for better or worse. Going so far as to bring more repressed accounts of history - which Al-Tabari is particularly guilty of - to light, addressing how and why history is documented.
Overall, the book invites reflection on Sunni and Shi'a tellings of succession, more importantly what these interpretations imply. Both accounts enable us to reflect on our ummah's successes and failures, but history results in often deeply complex questions. Should knowledge of truth come at the expense of unity? How do we endeavour for a community built on trust and respect with such an inflammatory past? Do we address historical injustices even if it means our beliefs, ideologues, heroes, and identities must be scrutinized? Is is possible to acknowledge those we revere as human, and therefore, flawed?
Rabbi zidni 'ilma
(My Lord, increase me in knowledge)
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May 8, 2018ارتبكت و أنا أقارن بين عنوان الكتاب و محتواه!!!
اعتقد أن من الأفضل أن يكون العنوان على الغلاف :
عرض و نقد كتاب (خلافة محمد -صلى الله عليه وآله- لوليفرد مادلونغ)
و أن يكون اسم المؤلف هو السيد هاشم الميلاني
لأن العنوان هنا يوحي أن هذا هو النص الكامل لكتاب
The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate
للمستشرق Wilferd Madelung وهذا غير صحيح.
لأن محتوى الكتاب كان مجرد عرض موجز للأفكار الرئيسيّة لكتاب خلافة محمد -صلى الله عليه وآله- و بعد ذلك نقدها من طرف السيد هاشم الميلاني.
اعتقد أن من الأفضل أن يكون العنوان على الغلاف :
عرض و نقد كتاب (خلافة محمد -صلى الله عليه وآله- لوليفرد مادلونغ)
و أن يكون اسم المؤلف هو السيد هاشم الميلاني
لأن العنوان هنا يوحي أن هذا هو النص الكامل لكتاب
The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate
للمستشرق Wilferd Madelung وهذا غير صحيح.
لأن محتوى الكتاب كان مجرد عرض موجز للأفكار الرئيسيّة لكتاب خلافة محمد -صلى الله عليه وآله- و بعد ذلك نقدها من طرف السيد هاشم الميلاني.
June 18, 2023
The internecine warfare of the first century post the prophet Muhammad’s death is a subject of immense political, religious and social complexity playing out on the fields of Arabia as the Muslim empire is beginning to spread all over the influential known world. With history written after the fact for many events, what remains is a sum of possibilities and probabilities with which you can assess the literature and historiographies of the earliest days. Can you completely make up your mind with perfect surety? Hardly. What do you do when walking across the various narratives can take you to completely different worlds that oppose each other? Such is the state of a lot of sectarian conflict and the political history of early Islam. In this excellent book, the author presents a thesis that is in support of the legitimacy of Ali’s claim to the caliphate. The author attempts to assess the history and produces a compelling case for Ali that answers for the controversies he was mired in due to the events that unfolded in the end of the caliph Usman’s reign, followed by his murder and then the battles with Muawiya and the formation of the kharijite sect.
The book is a must read for anyone who wishes to challenge the mainstream narratives, or who wishes to explore an alternate viewpoint on the political history of early Islam.
The book is a must read for anyone who wishes to challenge the mainstream narratives, or who wishes to explore an alternate viewpoint on the political history of early Islam.
July 25, 2022
This is a highly detailed and well researched book. That being said, I'm surprised that previous reviewers claimed to have not detected a bias. From my perspective, the work is clearly biased towards the Shia view. Madelung is essentially a scholar of Shi'ism and he is quite open in where his sympathies lie. This is fine of course, but one should be aware that you are not reading a neutral account. Aside from narrating an endless amount of historical detail, there is a lot of speculation into the intentions and motives of the individuals concerned. This is certainly where the author's prejudice is plain to see and frankly makes me question the veracity of some of the facts presented. All in all though, it is certainly a worthwhile read.
September 28, 2025
In "The Succession to Muhammad" the late Professor Wilferd Madelung has given us a thorough and fascinating examination of the early decades of Islamic history following the passing of the Prophet Muhammad, focussing on the unscrupulous political machinations by which the Quraysh seized the leadership of the Muslim community and sidelined the legitimate claims of the Prophet's closest kin, in particular the claims of his cousin and son-in-law 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, with a brief account of the equally sad fate of 'Ali's eldest son and successor al-Hasan. The conclusion wraps up with a lively retelling of the (perhaps legendary?) murder of the villainous Marwan at the hands of his disparaged wife. The book is a dense read but well worth the effort - highly recommended.
July 26, 2023
For those who want to understand the history of Rashidun Caliphate in detail. I read the first 3 chapters relating to first 3 caliphs, and it really helped me learn about certain important events. The chapter on Ali (RA) is the lengthiest and I only touched the first few pages of it, since there are a lot of names, facts and figures to make sense of, and I had already achieved my aim of picking this book, which was to arrive at some understanding of the early caliphate/governance and position and rise of Muawiyah.
March 14, 2025
This is an exceptional book about early Islamic history. It is a difficult book to digest, but the author has made an exceptional contribution to understanding Islamic divisions.
December 20, 2019
I watched Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story the other night, about the time I was at the post-Siffin section of the book. I am not now quite sure what I set out to know when I started reading this book, but the movie did give me my clearest thought on what I got out of reading it.
It was the sense of tragedy of Ummah. The prophet's wildly ambitious task of leading one community under God, rocked by 3 civil wars barely 100 years into his death and fractured to this day.
It is imperative that we know of this history, to see that the Rashidun caliphs were not a monolith - that they were men with sometimes deep differences in their interpretations of the design of the Ummah, how each tried to mold it and failed in important ways.
There is footnotes galore for anyone too concerned with partisanship ( not me - he was certainly positively disposed towards Ali A.S. having strongly hinted at it in the introduction ). I don't know enough to say if it was fully non-partisan but then again, is there ever such a thing?
I say this and I know none of it will matter, because those who will benefit most from reading will either never do so or will have already made up their minds before they attempt it. I know I did.
4 stars because truth is bitter and I'm still a Shia!
It was the sense of tragedy of Ummah. The prophet's wildly ambitious task of leading one community under God, rocked by 3 civil wars barely 100 years into his death and fractured to this day.
It is imperative that we know of this history, to see that the Rashidun caliphs were not a monolith - that they were men with sometimes deep differences in their interpretations of the design of the Ummah, how each tried to mold it and failed in important ways.
There is footnotes galore for anyone too concerned with partisanship ( not me - he was certainly positively disposed towards Ali A.S. having strongly hinted at it in the introduction ). I don't know enough to say if it was fully non-partisan but then again, is there ever such a thing?
I say this and I know none of it will matter, because those who will benefit most from reading will either never do so or will have already made up their minds before they attempt it. I know I did.
4 stars because truth is bitter and I'm still a Shia!
November 7, 2013
Well, I read this book more then 10 years ago and loved it so much that get the whole book photo copied (at that ebook was fantasy, for me at least). I still have that copy but content of this book are still fresh in my mind. Regard it as the most detailed work on how/who/why Islam was divided in Sunni/Shia. Madelung used almost all authentic sources for his research which is so much important to make your point.
Anyone who wants know why/what happned right after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) passed away, do read it.
June 12, 2014
after reading this, i know dat logic of being consult to others when making a decision is the best argument to refute those who are insist to accept Abu Bakr RA as the first Caliph... . And up to now, i dont know why those eyes are blinded...
My advice, read the book, see 'them' with your eyes and understand in your heart. May Allah guide us to the right path.
My advice, read the book, see 'them' with your eyes and understand in your heart. May Allah guide us to the right path.
June 29, 2013
A very interesting read concerning the early Caliphate of Islam. Wilferd Madelung does a very competent job writing the early history.
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