Caliph

Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. It is an Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah ({{Audio|Ar-khalifa.ogg|listen}}) which means "successor", that is, successor to the prophet Muhammad. Some Orientalists wrote the title as Khalîf. The Caliph has often been referred to as Ameer al-Mumineen (أمير المؤمنين), or "Prince of the Faithful," where "Prince" is used in the context of "commander." The title has been defunct since the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1924. Historically selected by committee, the holder of this title claims temporal and spiritual authority over all Muslims, but is not regarded as a possessor of a prophetic mission, as Muhammad is regarded in Islam as the final prophet.

List

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The Rashidun ("Righteously Guided")

• Abu Bakr - 632 - 634
• Umar ibn al-Khattab - 634 - 644
• Uthman ibn Affan - 644 - 656
• Ali ibn Abi Talib - 656 - 661

The Umayyads of Damascus

• Muawiyah I - 661 - 680
• Yazid I - 680 - 683
• Muawiya II - 683 - 684
• Marwan I - 684 - 685
• Abd al-Malik - 685 - 705
• al-Walid I - 705 - 715
• Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik - 715 - 717
• Umar II - 717 - 720
• Yazid II - 720 - 724
• Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik - 724 - 743
• Al-Walid II - 743 - 744
• Yazid III - 744
• Ibrahim ibn al-Walid - 744
• Marwan II - 744 - 750

The Abbasids of Baghdad

(Not accepted by the Muslim dominions in the Iberian peninsula and parts of North Africa)

Related Topics:
Iberian peninsula - North Africa

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• Abu'l Abbas As-Saffah - 750 - 754
• Al-Mansur - 754 - 775
• Al-Mahdi - 775 - 785
• Al-Hadi- 785 - 786
• Harun al-Rashid - 786 - 809
• Al-Amin - 809 - 813
• Al-Ma'mun - 813 - 833
• Al-Mu'tasim - 833 - 842
• Al-Wathiq - 842 - 847
• Al-Mutawakkil - 847 - 861
• Al-Muntasir - 861 - 862
• Al-Musta'in - 862 - 866
• Al-Mu'tazz - 866 - 869
• Al-Muhtadi - 869 - 870
• Al-Mu'tamid - 870 - 892
• Al-Mu'tadid - 892 - 902
• Al-Muktafi - 902 - 908

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• Al-Muqtadir - 908 - 932
• Al-Qahir - 932 - 934
• Ar-Radi - 934 - 940
• Al-Muttaqi - 940 - 944
• Al-Mustakfi - 944 - 946
• Al-Muti - 946 - 974
• At-Ta'i - 974 - 991
• Al-Qadir - 991 - 1031

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The Umayyads of Cordoba

(Not universally accepted)

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• Abd-ar-rahman III, as caliph, 929-961
• Al-Hakam II, 961-976
• Hisham II, 976-1008
• Mohammed II, 1008-1009
• Suleiman, 1009-1010
• Hisham II, restored, 1010-1012
• Suleiman, restored, 1012-1017
• Abd-ar-Rahman IV, 1021-1022
• Abd-ar-Rahman V, 1022-1023
• Muhammad III, 1023-1024
• Hisham III, 1027-1031

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• Al-Qa'im - 1031 - 1075
• Al-Muqtadi - 1075 - 1094
• Al-Mustazhir - 1094 - 1118
• Al-Mustarshid - 1118 - 1135
• Ar-Rashid - 1135 - 1136
• Al-Muqtafi - 1136 - 1160

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The Almohads of Spain and Morroco

(Not universally accepted)

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• Abd al-Mu'min 1145-1163
• Abu Ya'qub Yusuf I 1163-1184
• Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur 1184-1199
• Muhammad an-Nasir 1199-1213
• Abu Ya'qub Yusuf II 1213-1224
• Abd al-Wahid I 1224
• Abdallah 1224-1227
• Yahya 1227-1235
• Idris I 1227-1232
• Abdul-Wahid II 1232-1242
• Ali 1242-1248
• Umar 1248-1266
• Idris II 1266-1269

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• Al-Mustanjid - 1160 - 1170
• Al-Mustadi - 1170 - 1180
• An-Nasir - 1180 - 1225
• Az-Zahir - 1225 - 1226
• Al-Mustansir - 1226 - 1242
• Al-Musta'sim - 1242 - 1258

The Abbasids of Cairo

• Al-Mustansir - 1259-1261
• Al-Hakim I - 1262 - 1302
• Al-Mustakfi I - 1302 - 1340
• Al-Wathiq I - 1340 - 1341
• Al-Hakim II - 1341 - 1352
• Al-Mu'tadid I - 1352 - 1362
• Al-Mutawakkil I - 1362 - 1383
• Al-Wathiq II - 1383 - 1386
• Al-Mu'tasim - 1386 - 1389
• Al-Mutawakkil I (restored) - 1389 - 1406
• Al-Musta'in - 1406 - 1414
• Al-Mu'tadid II - 1414 - 1441
• Al-Mustakfi II - 1441 - 1451

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• Al-Qa'im - 1451 - 1455
• Al-Mustanjid - 1455 - 1479
• Al-Mutawakkil II - 1479 - 1497
• Al-Mustamsik - 1497 - 1508
• Al-Mutawakkil III - 1508 - 1517

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The Ottomans

• Mehmed (Muhammed) II (the Conqueror) - 1451 - 1481 (actively used title of Caliph and Caesar )
• Beyazid II - 1481 - 1512
• Selim I - 1512 - 1520 (actively used title of Caliph )
• Suleiman the Magnificent - 1520 - 1566
• Selim II - 1566 - 1574
• Murad III - 1574 - 1595
• Mehmed(Muhammed) III - 1595 - 1603
• Ahmed I - 1603 - 1617
• Mustafa I (First Reign) - 1617 - 1618
• Osman II - 1618 - 1622
• Mustafa I (Second Reign) - 1622 - 1623
• Murad IV - 1623 - 1640
• Ibrahim I - 1640 - 1648
• Mehmed (Muhammed) IV - 1648 - 1687
• Suleiman II - 1687 - 1691
• Ahmed II - 1691 - 1695
• Mustafa II - 1695 - 1703
• Ahmed III - 1703 - 1730
• Mahmud I - 1730 - 1754
• Osman III - 1754 - 1757
• Mustafa III - 1757 - 1774
• Abd-ul-Hamid I - 1774 - 1789
• Selim III - 1789 - 1807
• Mustafa IV - 1807 - 1808
• Mahmud II - 1808 - 1839
• Abd-ul-Mejid I - 1839 - 1861
• Abd-ul-Aziz - 1861 - 1876
• Murad V - 1876
• Abd-ul-Hamid II - 1876 - 1909 (actively used title of Caliph)

Note: From 1908 onwards constitutional monarch without executive powers, with parliament consisting of chosen representatives.

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• Mehmed(Muhammed) V - 1909 - 1918 (constitutional monarch/Caliph without executive powers, parliament consisting of chosen representatives)
• Mehmed (Muhammed)VI - 1918 - 1922 (constitutional monarch/Caliph without executive powers, parliament consisting of chosen representatives)

The Republic of Turkey

• Abdul Mejid II - 1922 - 1924; only as Caliph (Head of state: Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha)
• Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi) 1924-1937

Although the title of Caliph is currently unused, it could conceivably be used again if the Turkish parliament were to decide to reactivate it.

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