Over half a century ago the burning lands of Zakhara were in turmoil and the will of Fate was weakening. If things continued a cataclysm and great descruction would follow.
A man called Ahmad al-Asad finds the scrolls containing the Laws of the Loregiver. He sees at once that they can be used to unify Zakhara and put an end to the death and chaos.
Ahmad was banished by his family. He travelled in the desert with the Al-Hanif tribe who accepted the Laws of the Loregiver and from there he spread the word to local villages
He manages to spread the Law of the Loregiver, which is only accepted grudgingly by some cities. He is able to raise a large army to drive out or destroy the unenlightened cities that threaten Zakhara - now the "Land of Fate".
Ahmad and his successors are called the Grand Caliph. He is a spritual leader. He is the defender of the faith and the champion of the land. He is also technically the ruler of all Zakhara, and all the local caliphs of other cities bow down to him.