Ali (p. b. h.) and the Conflicts of the Age of Caliphate

After the death of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) Islam's new-born political system encountered a theoretical–political conflict which changed the path of the theoretical base of Prophet's life style about Islamic government and this was a start for a new intellectual course in the concept of Islamic government. Eventually these conflicts changed the situation of Islamic communities such that two types of governments were formed in the world of Islam: one was based on Prophet's life style and Quranic reasons and the other one was formed considering common-sense and demands of the age. These two types resulted in the two theories of Imamate and caliphate such that the period of caliphate is a time with the main theorizing conflicts which ended up with the two views of Sunni and Shiite. They both believed that the leader after Prophet (peace be upon him) is a person who should control and organize the affairs. Yet they had two completely different views about the extent of his authority and the range of his power and this resulted in two manifestations of the essence of caliphate and the conditions of Imam which reinforced the theoretical conflict of Imamate. This article will explain the theoretical-political conflict at the age of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and the political-social reflections of these conflicts on the appearance of political-social changes in the Islamic nation which taints the convergence and unity of the world of Islam. Today’s situation of the world of Islam which is affected by previous theoretical-political changes makes it necessary to explicate a pervasive strategy to activate Islamic unity. Imam Ali’s theoretical-political behavior which is a pattern and prototype of the unity of Islamic nation can activate the unity strategy in the world of Islam.