What were the differences between the two successors of Muhammad?

Abu Bakr was not directly related to the Prophet ; Ali was his son in law.

With Muhammad's death in 632, there was a moment of confusion about who would succeed to leadership of the Muslim community. With a dispute flaring between the Medinese Ansar and the Meccan Muhajirun as to who would undertake this task, Umar ibn al-Khattab, a prominent companion of Muhammad, nominated Abu Bakr: Muhammad's intimate friend and collaborator.[90][91] Others added their support and Abu Bakr was made the first caliph, literally "successor", leader of the community of Islam.

Abu Bakr's death in 634 resulted in the succession of Umar as the caliph, and after him, Uthman ibn al-Affan, and then Ali ibn Abi Talib. These four are known as the "khulafa rashidūn" ("Rightly Guided Caliphs").[92] Under them, the territory under Muslim rule expanded greatly. The decades of warring between the neighboring Persian and Byzantine empires had rendered both sides weakened and exhausted.[2] Not only that, it had also caused them to underestimate the strength of the growing new power. This, coupled with the precipitation of internal strife within Byzantium and its exposure to a string of barbarian invasions, made conditions extremely favorable for the Muslims. Exploitation of these weaknesses enabled the Muslims to conquer the lands of Syria and Palestine (634—640), Egypt (639—642); and, towards the east, the lands of Iraq (641), Armenia and Iran (642), and even as far as Transoxiana and Chinese Turkestan.[2]

Emergence of hereditary caliphates

Despite the military successes of the Muslims at this time, the political atmosphere was not without controversy. With Umar assassinated in 644, the election of Uthman as successor was met with gradually increasing opposition.[93] He was subsequently accused of nepotism, favoritism and of introducing reprehensible religious innovations, though in reality the motivations for such charges were economic.[93] Like Umar, Uthman too was then assassinated, in 656. Ali then assumed the position of caliph, although tensions soon escalated into what became the first civil war (the "First Fitna") when numerous companions of Muhammad, including Uthman's relative Muawiyah (who was assigned by Uthman as governor of Syria) and Muhammad's wife Aisha, sought to avenge the slaying of Uthman. Ali's forces defeated the latter at the Battle of the Camel, but the encounter with Muawiyah proved indecisive, with both sides agreeing to arbitration. Ali retained his position as caliph but had been unable to bring Mu'awiyah's territory under his command.[94] When Ali was fatally stabbed by a Kharijite dissenter in 661, Mu'awiyah was ordained as the caliph, marking the start of the hereditary Ummayad caliphate.[95] Under his rule, Mu'awiyah was able to conquer much of North Africa, mainly through the efforts of Muslim general Uqba ibn Nafi.[96]

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Abu Bakr and Ali were neither Shiite Nor Sunni, they were only "muslims".......this gropuing is self made by muslims started after death of Muhammad(PBUH)....one group claimed that Abu Bakr should be the first caliph and other beleived in Ali as hazrat Ali was muhammad(PBUH) 's cousin ans son-in-law....And thus after death of Hazrat Ali m the fourth , caliph they have devided into two groups ....... But basically both groups are muslims.and there is no change in basic believes of islam .the difference stands only regarding Caliphs !!

Ali was Muhammad's cousin and he also married Muhammad's daughter, Fatima. Abu Bakr was a good friend of the prophet's. It's just who your ancestors chose to follow.

both of them were good believers, and they were fine with each other following the path of Muhammad. people who came after have divide the religion, and God already warned us from this division. Ali did not complain of giving the lead to Abu bakr, but people after him did.

Abu bakr was like the best friend of Muhammad or his right hand man. and Muhammad married his daughter Ayisha.

Ali, is related to Muhammad and married to his Muhammad daughter.

All the successors of Muhammad (PBUH) Abu Bakr Umar Usman and Ali were sunnis the shite sect was not born at that time, it came into being after the martyrdom of Hussain the son of Ali

Abu Bakr - first caliph

Ali - Son-in-law of Muhammad

Shiite came after Ali(ra) disappeared

before that there was no sunni and shia

First Caliphah Abu Bakr(ra)

Second Umar(ra)

Third Usman(ra)

Fourth Ali(ra)

They all were muslims

Tweedledum and Tweedeldee. Omar, the caliph who succeeded Mohammed, delineated in his Charter of Omar the twelve laws under which a dhimmi, or non-Muslim, was allowed to exist as a "nonbeliever" among "believers." The Charter codified the conditions of life for Jews under Islam -- a life which was forfeited if the dhimmi broke this law. Among the restrictions of the Charter: Jews were forbidden to touch the Koran; forced to wear a distinctive (sometimes dark blue or black) habit with sash; compelled to wear a yellow piece of cloth as a badge (blue for Christians); not allowed to perform their religious practices in public; not allowed to own a horse, because horses were deemed noble; not permitted to drink wine in public; and required to bury their dead without letting their grief be heard by the Muslims.

They hate each other today more than they hate anyone else, except the Jews.

Ali was not "Shiite", nor was Abu Bakr "Sunni", they were just Muslims at the time.

there isn'y shiits and suuni , islam teachings is one ,

those categories and differnces made by the followers .

neither abu bakr nor ali was called sunni and shiits ,

muslim should follow islam and our prophet's teachings and what god has told us in the Quran.