Immediately after the Prophet's death , the question arose as to who was to succeed him . Some alleged that the post should be hereditary in the Hashemite family; others believed that it would be elective among all of Muslims and some others admitted that it should be elective from the tribe of Koreish .
Ali's adherents said that he was more worthy to succeed the Prophet (Pbuh) and that the claims to the Caliphate of Abu Baker , Omar , and Osman were false . They continued: "Had Ali been accepted for the headship of Islam , the birth of those disastrous pretensions that led to so much bloodshed in the Moslem world would have been averted . " These adherents are called "Shi'ites" since they fully supported Ali and his descendants .
The Shi'ites were hostile to the
Ommeyades
who usurped the Caliphate from Ali and his sons , particularly after the Massacre of Karbela and the murder of Hussein Ibn Ali in Yezid's reign .
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