A person considered a religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad (Muhammad ibn ʿAbdullāh) and a leader of the entire Muslim community would have used what financial institution?
Caliphate A caliphate (Arabic: خِلافة‎ ‎ "khilāfa") is a territory under the leadership of an Islamic steward known as a caliph ( , Arabic: خَليفة‎ ‎ "khalīfah ",    ), a person considered a religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad (Muhammad ibn ʿAbdullāh) and a leader of the entire Muslim community. Historically, the caliphates were polities based in Islam which developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. During the medieval period, three major caliphates existed: the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) and the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258). The fourth major caliphate, the Ottoman Caliphate, established by the Ottoman Empire in 1517, was a manifestation whereby the Ottoman rulers claimed caliphal authority. During the history of Islam, several other Muslim states, almost all of them hereditary monarchies, have claimed to be caliphates.
Shia view of Ali Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a member of the "Ahl al-Bayt". Shias regard Ali as the first Imam and is considered, along with his descendants, to be one of the divinely appointed successors of Muhammad who are claimed by the Shia the only legitimate religious and political leaders of the Muslim community. Although Ali was regarded, during the lifetime of Muhammad, as his initial successor, it would be 25 years before he was recognized with the title of Caliph "(successor)". Like the rest of his household, Shias claim that Ali is infallible and sinless and is one of The Fourteen Infallibles of the household of Muhammed.