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How long did the Rashidun caliphs rule?

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The Rashidun caliphs, known as the "Rightly Guided" or "Perfect" caliphs, ruled for a total of 29 years. This period, which followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad, spanned from 632 to 661 CE.1

The four caliphs who served during this era were:

This era marked the Islamic community's first experience without the Prophet's direct leadership, during which the caliphs assumed all of his duties except the prophetic. The period began with the riddah wars and concluded with the first Muslim civil war, or fitnah.1