alternatehistory.com

After the Prophet Mohammad died, there was a split within the Islamic community over who would succeed him. One faction elected his father in law, Abu-Bakr, as the first caliph, claiming this was laid down in Mohammad's sunnah. However, another faction claimed that Mohammad wanted his son-in-law and cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib to succeed him. Eventually, the schism became too great and Islam was split in two between the two factions, which now call themselves the Sunnis and the Shi'ias.

What if the Prophet Mohammad lived long enough to officially announce his successor, thereby preventing the schism?
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