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The period immediately following the death of Muhammad was included some uncertainty about the future leadership of Islam. The tradition tells of some confusion before Abu Bakr, Muhammad's trusted friend and associate took control. For the next 30 years the Muslim world was governed by four leaders known as caliphs, meaning successor.

These four were all close to Muhammad during his life and they are regarded as the leaders who ensured the maintenance of Muslim orthodoxy in the period after Muhammad's death. The first four caliphs are known by the Arabic term "Rashidun" which means rightly guided.

Abu Bakr was the father of Aisha, the youngest of Muhammad's wives. He became the first caliph. He was a wealthy man and was willing to put his personal fortune into the service of the Muslim community.

He had been a long time friend and associate of Muhammad's. He was the only person allowed to accompany Muhammed during the Hijra and was entrusted by Muhammad to carry out other important tasks during the Prophet's lifetime.

The most pressing task facing Abu Bakr was to restore stability to the region which had broken out in widespread revolt at the death of Muhammad. To put down this uprising took great effort and cost considerable resources. Most importantly, many Muslims were killed in the battles that followed.

Among those killed were many of Muhammad's companions who had memorised large portions of the Qur'an. This loss created a potential crisis with the possible loss of the Qur'an which at this time was totally committed to memory.

Following the advice of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Bakr began a process leading to the first written version of the Qur'an.

Abu Bakr's caliphate lasted until 634 CE when he died.

The second of the rightly guided caliphs was `Umar ibn al-Khattab. His caliphate lasted from 634-644 CE until his assassination. The death of `Umar highlighted the ongoing instability and risk in the period following Muhammad's death.

During the decade of `Umar's caliphate the Muslim empire was extended well beyond the Arabian peninsular. This empire now stretched through Palestine and Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Persia to Armenia.

`Umar was a highly effective military leader and political administrator who successfully managed what was now an enormous empire. Among `Umar's conquests was the city of Jerusalem.

The tradition tells that on his arrival in Jerusalem he found that the site of the old Jewish temple was being treated as a rubbish dump. Distressed by this he began to clear the mess himself and was soon joined by others who worked with him until the "holy rock" was uncovered. This is now the site for the mosque in Jerusalem known as the dome of the rock.

Before his death, `Umar appointed a committee of six to choose the next caliph.

The third caliph was 'Uthman ibn Affan . 'Uthman had been one of the six appointed to choose a successor to `Umar.

The decision did not come easily though as Ali first refused to accept the conditions of the caliphate placed on him by the committee. They insisted that Ali accept not only the Qur'an and Hadith but also the decisions of the two previous caliphs. Ali would not accept this final element and accordingly the caliphate was given to 'Uthman who was willing to accept the conditions.

Under his leaderhship the Muslim empire continued to expand to the East. Despite his military success, the caliphate of 'Uthman continued to be controversial. He was accused of nepotism through appointing those of his own clan to key positions. He also rejected the suggestion that he should retire upon reaching the age of 80.

Finally, his management of the occupied Egypt was harsh and resulted in great resentment. He rejected the pleas of a delegation of Egyptian authorities for fairer treatment and publicly renounced their claims. Soon after he was murdered by Egyptian assassins.

The caliphate of 'Uthman lasted 12 years from 644- 656 CE.

The fourth of the rightly guided caliph's was Muhammad's son in law Ali. Many had thought that Ali would succeed the Prophet upon his death and of course Ali was offered the caliphate in 644 after the death of `Umar.

Now finally Ali became caliph, though it was not unanimous. Muhammad's wife Aisha had supported 'Uthaman's cousin Muawiya for the position. Muawiya and Aisha were outraged that Ali did not seek to avenge the death of 'Uthman.

Ali ruled from 656-661 CE. During this time the internal tensions in the Muslim community came to a head resulting in a kind of civil war and political upheaval which ultimately split Muslim allegiances. In 661 Ali, like his two predecessors was assassinated. Muawiya was chosen to succeed him, however, given the split in allegiances, the caliphate of Muawiya and those that followed are not regarded in the same light as the four rightly guided caliphs.

The divisions that surfaced during the time of Ali's caliphate are the basis for the existence of the Shi'ia and Sunni groups in Islam today.

The two main groups of Islam today are known as Sunni and Shi'ia. The Sunni group makes up about 90% of the Muslims in the world today. The Shi'ia group makes up most of the remaining 10%.

The differences between Sunni and Shi'ia Muslims are not theological or doctrinal. Rather they are essentially political differences centred around who should be recognised as the leader of the Muslim community.

The Shi'ia group are those who believe that the leader of the Muslim's must be a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. Their position derives from the group of supporters of Ali, the fourth of the rightly guided caliphs. They believed that it should have been Ali that succeeded the Prophet after his death and they supported Ali in the dispute with Muawiya. The choice of Muawiya after Ali's assassination was the trigger that led to the schism in Islam.

The Sunni group believed that the leader should be chosen from among all the descendents of the tribe of Muhammad, the Quaraish tribe but not necessarily from the family of Muhammad.

Some tensions continue to exist between the Sunni and Shi'ia groups today. Many Shi'ite Muslims regard the Sunni majority to be less than sincere in their devotion and too accustomed to the comforts of the world. On the other hand Sunni Muslims sometimes regard elements of the Shi'ia group as extremist and fanatical.

Shi'ia Muslims use the term Imam as a title for their leader as they believe the caliphate has been discredited with the election of Muawiya. Different factions within the Shi'ia group claim that there have been 12 or 7 Imams. In either case the group claims that the last Imam vanished from history without dying and now acts as a hidden force, appearing to faithful Muslims in times of need.

Sunni Muslims are likely to be critical of such beliefs seeing it as an addition to Islam and something which threatens its purity.