After the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ died in 632 CE, leadership passed to a succession of caliphates. The band below draws each era to scale on a shared timeline, so the brief Rashidun period stands beside the centuries-long Abbasid one. Hover or tap a band for its dates and sources.

The first caliphates in order: the Rashidun (632–661), the Umayyad (661–750), and the Abbasid (750–1258).

  1. Rashidun632–661 CE · 29 years

    The four Rightly-Guided Caliphs — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali — who led the community after the Prophet ﷺ.145

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    Abu Bakr (632–634), Umar (634–644), Uthman (644–656), Ali (656–661).

  2. Umayyad661–750 CE · 89 years

    The first hereditary dynasty, ruling from Damascus during a period of vast expansion.245

  3. Abbasid750–1258 CE · 508 years

    The dynasty centred on Baghdad, spanning the classical golden age until the Mongol conquest of 1258.345

For the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs of the Rashidun period in detail, see The Rightly-Guided Caliphs.