The umma spiraled further into disorder and civil war after the sudden death of the caliph and the subsequent collapse of Umayyad authority. Ibn il Zubayr’s candidacy was transformed from an unlikely proposition to a victory by default as he became the last man standing. Despite being the only Qurayshi vying for leadership, the umma was too fractured to coalesce behind one man yet, and the fires of disunity had yet to burn out.