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Incident of Saqifa: Difference between revisions
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{{about|'''Incident of Saqifa'''|other article named '''Saqifa'''|Saqifa (disambiguation)}} | {{about|'''Incident of Saqifa'''|other article named '''Saqifa'''|Saqifa (disambiguation)}} | ||
{{Template:Early Islam}} | {{Template:Early Islam}} | ||
The '''Event of Saqīfa Banī Sāʿida''' (Arabic: {{ia|وَقعَة سَقیفَة بَني ساعِدَة}}) was the first political event that took place right after the [[demise of the Prophet (s)]] in [[11]]/632. In this event, [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa]] was chosen as the first [[caliph]] and leader of the Muslim community. The event took place when [[Imam Ali (a)]] and other [[Companions]] were occupied with performing burial ceremonies for the [[Prophet (s)]]. It started when a group of the [[Helpers]] under the leadership of [[Sa'd b. 'Ubada]] gathered in a place called the [[Saqifa (portico) of Banu Saʿida]] to appoint a leader after the Prophet (s). | The '''Event of Saqīfa Banī Sāʿida''' (Arabic: {{ia|وَقعَة سَقیفَة بَني ساعِدَة}}) was the first political event that took place right after the [[demise of the Prophet (s)]] in [[11]]/632. In this event, [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa]] was chosen as the first [[caliph]] and leader of the Muslim community. The event took place when [[Imam Ali (a)]] and other [[Companions]] were occupied with performing burial ceremonies for the [[Prophet (s)]]. It started when a group of the [[Helpers]] under the leadership of [[Sa'd b. 'Ubada]] gathered in a place called the [[Saqifa (portico) of Banu Saʿida|Saqifa (portico) of Banu Sa'ida]] to appoint a leader after the Prophet (s). | ||
According to some historians, the Helpers gathered in the saqifa only to appoint a leader for [[Medina]], but when some of the [[Immigrants]] entered the sessions, the conversations were shifted to deciding who would succeed the Prophet (s) as the leader of all Muslims, and eventually Abu Bakr was chosen for the position. Apart from Abu Bakr, who was the representative of the Immigrants, [[Umar b. al-Khattab]] and [[Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah]], two other Immigrants, were also present in the event. | According to some historians, the Helpers gathered in the saqifa only to appoint a leader for [[Medina]], but when some of the [[Immigrants]] entered the sessions, the conversations were shifted to deciding who would succeed the Prophet (s) as the leader of all Muslims, and eventually Abu Bakr was chosen for the position. Apart from Abu Bakr, who was the representative of the Immigrants, [[Umar b. al-Khattab]] and [[Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah]], two other Immigrants, were also present in the event. | ||
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[[File:سقیفه بنی ساعده قرن 15ق.jpg|thumbnail|Place of Saqifa Bani Sa'ida in 15th/21th century]] | [[File:سقیفه بنی ساعده قرن 15ق.jpg|thumbnail|Place of Saqifa Bani Sa'ida in 15th/21th century]] | ||
{{Main|Saqifa Bani Sa'ida}} | {{Main|Saqifa Bani Sa'ida}} | ||
The Saqifa was a portico that belonged to Banu Sa'ida, a major [[Khazrajite]] clan based in Medina. Prior to the advent of [[Islam]], the public sessions of the clan where held in this place. When the Prophet (s) moved to Medina, the place lost its significance. | |||
==The Details of the Event of the Saqifa== | ==The Details of the Event of the Saqifa== | ||
The main account of the event seems to have been narrated by [[Abd Allah b. Abbas]] on the authority of Umar b. al-Khattab. The account is reported by Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari, Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam, al-Bukhari, and [[Ahmad b. Hanbal|Ibn Hanbal]] with different chains of transmitters.<ref>Wilferd Madelung, ''Jānishīnī-yi Muḥammad'', p. 47.</ref> All other accounts are based on this account, a summary of which is as follows. | The main account of the event seems to have been narrated by [[Abd Allah b. Abbas]] on the authority of Umar b. al-Khattab. The account is reported by Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari, Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam, al-Bukhari, and [[Ahmad b. Hanbal|Ibn Hanbal]] with different chains of transmitters.<ref>Wilferd Madelung, ''Jānishīnī-yi Muḥammad'', p. 47.</ref> All other accounts are based on this account, a summary of which is as follows. | ||
When the people in Medina were informed of the [[demise of the Prophet (s)]], a group of the [[Helpers]] gathered in the Saqifa to decide about the issue of leadership. In the beginning of the session, [[Sa'd b. 'Ubada]], the chief of the tribe of [[Khazraj]] who was very sick at the time, delivered a speech with the help of his son. He mentioned a number of reasons to argue that choosing the successor of the Prophet (s) was the right of the Helpers, and he urged them to take this position.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsaʾ'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> The audience generally affirmed his statements and proclaimed that they would choose Sa'd as their leader and would obey him. However, some of the participants mentioned that the Immigrants would probably disagree with this decision, and thus suggested that there should be one ruler from the Helpers and one from the Immigrants.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsaʾ'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> | When the people in Medina were informed of the [[demise of the Prophet (s)]], a group of the [[Helpers]] gathered in the Saqifa to decide about the issue of leadership. In the beginning of the session, [[Sa'd b. 'Ubada]], the chief of the tribe of [[Khazraj]] who was very sick at the time, delivered a speech with the help of his son. He mentioned a number of reasons to argue that choosing the successor of the Prophet (s) was the right of the Helpers, and he urged them to take this position.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsaʾ'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> The audience generally affirmed his statements and proclaimed that they would choose Sa'd as their leader and would obey him. However, some of the participants mentioned that the [[Emigrants|Immigrants]] would probably disagree with this decision, and thus suggested that there should be one ruler from the Helpers and one from the Immigrants.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsaʾ'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> | ||
The news of the gathering reached Abu Bakr and Umar, and the two, together with Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah, rushed to the Saqifa. There, Abu Bakr delivered a speech in which he argued for the superiority of the Immigrants and the [[Qurashites]] were more deserving of the succession to the Prophet (s).<ref>Ibn al-Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 327.</ref> His statements were accepted by some of the audience and rejected by others. Some of the participants mentioned that Ali (a) deserved that position and no one else should be chosen as the Prophet's (s) successor.<ref>Ibn al-Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 325.</ref> However, Abu Bakr was able to convince the majority of the participants to choose the successor of the Prophet (s) from the [[Quraysh]] and suggested Umar or Abu Ubayda as two candidates for that, but the two refuse Abu Bakr's suggestion.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī'', vol. 3, p. 206.</ref> Umar reports the course of events as follows, "At that moment, voices were raised, and vague words were heard from every corner such that we got afraid that disagreements may ruin things. For that reason, I told Abu Bakr, ‘Bring your hand so that I pledge | The news of the gathering reached Abu Bakr and Umar, and the two, together with Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah, rushed to the Saqifa. There, Abu Bakr delivered a speech in which he argued for the superiority of the Immigrants and the [[Qurashites]] were more deserving of the succession to the Prophet (s).<ref>Ibn al-Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 327.</ref> His statements were accepted by some of the audience and rejected by others. Some of the participants mentioned that Ali (a) deserved that position and no one else should be chosen as the Prophet's (s) successor.<ref>Ibn al-Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 325.</ref> However, Abu Bakr was able to convince the majority of the participants to choose the successor of the Prophet (s) from the [[Quraysh]] and suggested Umar or Abu Ubayda as two candidates for that, but the two refuse Abu Bakr's suggestion.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī'', vol. 3, p. 206.</ref> Umar reports the course of events as follows, "At that moment, voices were raised, and vague words were heard from every corner such that we got afraid that disagreements may ruin things. For that reason, I told Abu Bakr, ‘Bring your hand so that I pledge allegiance to you.’" But before Umar, [[Bashir b. Sa'd]], one of the Khazrajite rivals of Sa'd b. 'Ubada held Abu Bakr's hand and pledged [[allegiance]] to him.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī'', vol. 3, p. 206; Ibn al-Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 327.</ref> Afterwards, the participants rush to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr such that they almost stepped on the sick Sa'd b. 'Ubada. This led to a severe conflict between Umar, Sa'd, and Qays b. Sa'd, which ended with the intervention of Abu Bakr.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsaʾ'', vol. 1, p. 27.</ref> | ||
==The Conversations at the Saqifa== | ==The Conversations at the Saqifa== | ||