International Conference: Current Security Challenges for the Western Balkan Region Addressed by Means of Joint Responsibility and Cooperation ISLAMIC SCHISM – THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS The divisions in the Muslim community began dissatisfaction which culminated in an open shortly after the death of Muhammad, in the rebellion. The rebellion erupted in Medina in early period of the caliphate. During his lifetime 656. and the caliph was killed in the urban riots. Muhammad did not appoint his successor, and After his death, the Muslim community started after his death Muslims were forced to choose a to slide into anarchy. Ali and Uthman's cousin new leader among them by consensus. Widely Muawiyah stepped as two most powerful accepted that Muhammad can't be inherited as a pretenders for the title of the new caliph. Ali's prophet of God, the question of succession followers in Medina proclaimed him as the new came down to the question of further management over the Muslim community. 21 caliph, but Muawiyah's supporters didn't accept this choice, and war among these fractions became inevitable. Ali came out as"virtual" The rst two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Omar, have winner from this conict. enjoyed the support of majority among the faithful, but the selection of Uthman ibn Affan to He became the fourth caliph, but he gambled the position of the third caliph became very controversial . 22 Turning a large number of away the opportunity to completely defeat his main rival Muawiyah. Wanting to avoid Muslims against himself, Uthman ibn Affan bloodshed among Muslims, Ali agreed to ended up as the victim of a conspiracy, which negotiate. Even though, during these 33 was a prelude to the bloody civil war which will sown the seeds of discord that would soon negotiations he was eventually recognized as Caliph, the decision to negotiate was fatal for permanently divide the Islamic community in to him for several reasons. Firstly, because of this three major branches of this religion- Sunni, decision he lost part of his followers, which will Shiitas and Kharijites. form a separate party, since then known as Kharijites. Secondly, Muawiyah proved to be Even during the election of Abu Bakr for the rst much more skilled politician than Ali, and by Caliph, there was a large number of faithful who skillful fraud and intrigue, he soon signicantly believed that the title of successor must remain weakened the political inuence of newly elected within the Muhammad's family. Given that caliph, and once again started to threaten him Muhammad did not leave male descendants, militarily. However, Ali remained caliph until the this group of believers gathered around end of his life. He was assassinated, not by his Mohammed's nephew and son in law Ali ibn Abi bitter opponent Muawiyah, but by the hand of Talib. They believed that he has the right of his former supporters. He felt as a victim of Mohammed's spiritual and secular heritage. Kharijites revenge, who accused him of being However, Ali has been forced to accept the too merciful toward Muawiyah and his appointments of the rst two caliphs, but when followers. he was bypassed for the third time, his party Shi'atu Ali began to confront the newly elected After his death, Muawiyah will take power and caliph more openly. establish Umaayad caliphate in Damascus. This led to the rst and most important division in the Uthman's rule has led to a general history of Islam. Muawiyah followers will 21 Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last in a series of prophets. Therefore the revelation that he brought(the Quran) is also God's last and nal revelation. 22 Controversy was most likely caused by the fact that Uthman ibn Affan was from a family of Umayyads, whose members initially opposed Muhammad's preaching of the Allah's truth. However, there are also different opinions on this subject. Some authors argue that dissatisfaction was provoked by much more practical reasons, primarily corruption, nepotism and greed of the third caliph. For more see text Fred M. Donner,"Muhammad and the Caliphate," in Oxford History of Islam(edited by John L. Esposito), Clio, Belgrade, 2002.