[QUOTE] When religion is mixed with politics, there is never a full stop. People will continue debating until the day of judgement. And given a chance they will still debating even in Jahanuum and Jannat
religion and politics are inseperable in islam, even if u are sunni u think abu bakr & umar were merely political leaders?.
[QUOTE]
If we had a clean slate to start over, And Ali rah was the first Khalifah, who should have been the next Khalifah?
[/QUOTE]
thats a hard one, ....even Ali died in 40 AH his supporters unanimously elected Hasan, Ali did not appoint anyone
if ALi had been first caliph he was the youngest of the 4 ...so assuming he died early like 30 AH there are still many senior companions alive anyone of which cud be caliphs abubakr & umar though wud likely be dead by that time
secondly under Ali is unlikely that Quraish solely held the right to caliphate as ALi had appointed a lot of non-quraishi or ansars to high posts [including his successor at one time] ...so it very likely that a medina ansar might have been a second caliph