Incident of Saqifa: Difference between revisions

[[Saqifa Bani Sa'ida]] was a place owned by the Banu Sa'ida b. Ka'b b. Khazraj clan, and it was located near [[al-Masjid al-Nabawi]]. The place had a historical prominence among Arabs. Saqifa was located on the west side of the Prophet's (s) Mosque near the Bida'a well. Sa'd b. 'Ubada who was Ansar's candidate for caliphate lived near Saqifa.

According to Sunni sources, the [[Prophet (s)]] passed away on Monday [[Rabi' I 12]]/[[June 10]], 632, and according to Shiite sources, he (s) passed on Monday, [[Safar 28]], [[11 ]]([[May 28]], 632). The news about the Prophet's (s) demise was soon circulated around the then small city of [[Medina]], and some people immediately started campaigns to introduce a successor or caliph for the Prophet (s), while [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]], [[Fadl b. 'Abbas]] and some others were engaged in the ritual washing of the Prophet's (s) corpse.

On this account, when Abu Bakr arrived in the Mosque, [['Umar b. al-Khattab]] was standing among people, and was angry at people who were talking about the Prophet's (s) death, calling them hypocrites and threatening them to death. When Abu Bakr went to the Prophet's (s) house, he removed the cloth that was on his face, kissed the point between his two eyes, and then went to the Mosque, asking 'Umar to calm down. He then appealed to a verse of the [[Qur'an]] and confirmed the news about the Prophet's (s) demise.

Some scholars believe that 'Umar knew about the Prophet's (s) death, but he denied it so that no person other than the one he had in mind (that is, Abu Bakr) becomes the caliph. What supports this hypothesis is that 'Umar withdrew his denial when Abu Bakr confirmed the news.

On some accounts, it is probable that Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and [[Abu 'Ubayda al-Jarrah]] consulted about the selection of the Prophet's (s) successor in Abu 'Ubayda's house before they learned about, and joined, Ansar's assembly in Saqifa.

The news about what happened in Saqifa Bani Sa'ida, and verbal exchanges between Muhajirun and Ansar is well known. According to sources, Abu Bakr's selection happened amongst a lot of quarrels and disputes such that [[Habab b. Mundhir]], from Ansar, drew his sword against Muhajirun, and Sa'd b. 'Ubada was nearly trampled by disputing people. 'Umar b. al-Khattab reported the quarrels in the event in a speech he delivered during his caliphate in Medina, and [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]], who was present in his speech, confirmed 'Umar's report. This historical document is reported by [[Ibn Hisham]], [[al-Tabari]], [[Ibn Hibban]] and others. According to this speech and other sources, the tensions were assuaged by Abu Bakr's intervention and by taking the sick Sa'd b. 'Ubada out from Saqifa.