The Shīʿa believe that the Caliphate, like prophethood, is a divinely-chosen position: An Imam must be appointed by God, not the people, in the same manner as the Prophets
The Event of Saqifa
Main article: Incident of Saqifa
After the demise of the Prophet (s), while Ali (a) and Banu Hashim were busy with the burial rituals and ceremony, the Helpers (Ansar) gathered in the Saqifa Bani Sa'ida to choose a…
