ABSTRACT
The death of the Prophet left the infant Islam without a leader. Three groups in Mecca vied for the position of successor, or caliph. One group favoured Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, as the only legitimate caliph. Believing that God must have arranged for a line of succession through the Prophet's immediate family, these followers of Ali, the Alids, vigorously pressed their claim to the caliphate.
