Incident of Saqifa: Difference between revisions

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. 'Ubadah]] gathered in a place called the [[Saqifa (portico) of Banu Saʿida]] to appoint a leader after the Prophet (s).

the Saqifa was a portico that belonged to Banu Saʿida, 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 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 Ibn Hanbal with different chains of transmitters. 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, Saʿd 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. The audience generally affirmed his statements and proclaimed that they would choose Saʿd 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.

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). 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. 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 Bak’s suggestion. 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 my allegiance to you.’” But before Umar, Bashir b. Saʿd, one of the Khazrajite rivals of Saʿd b. Ubada held Abu Bakr’s hand and pledged his allegiance to him. Afterwards, the participants rush to pledge their allegiance to Abu Bakr such that they almost stepped on the sick Saʿd b. Ubada. This led to a severe conflict between Umar, Saʿd, and Qays b. Saʿd, which ended with the intervention of Abu Bakr.

====Saʿd b. Ubada====

He spoke mainly in the beginning of the session and prior to the coming of Abu Bakr and his companions. Because he was sick, his speech was delivered to the audience with the help of his son. The main themes of his speech were the following: the virtues and excellence of the Helpers, their superiority over the other Muslims, their service to Islam and to the Prophet (s), and the fact that the Prophet (s) was pleased with them when he passed away. With these points, he stated that the Helpers should choose a leader from themselves. Against the suggestion of choosing one leader from the Helpers and one from the Immigrants, he said that the suggestion was a failure and a retreat.  

Abu Bakr’s sayings in this gathering determined the direction toward which it moved. He talked several times,  and the main themes of his speeches were the following: the advantages of the Immigrants over the Helpers—including being the vanguard in accepting the Prophet’s call, faith and worshipping God, their kinship with the Prophet (s)—which made them more deserving of the succession to the Prophet (s) than the Helpers, and the virtues of the Helpers and their being better fitted to be viziers, not caliphs.  

Umar mostly reinforced Abu Bakr’s statements by mentioning some points, including the claim that the Arabs would not disagree with the succession of the Prophet’s relatives and the impossibility of choosing two rulers, because two swords do not fit in one sheath.  

====Bushayr b. Saʿd====

He was one of the Helpers from the tribe of Khazraj. He spoke several times and affirmed the arguments of Abu Bakr and his companions. Urging the Helpers to fear God and respect Muslims’ rights, he warned them against disagreeing with the Immigrants.  

He was one of the Helpers. In the Saqifa and against the arguments of Abu Bakr and Abd al-Rahman b. Awf, he introduced Ali (a) as the one who had all the mentioned virtues. He stated that if Ali (a) is ready to accept the position, no one would oppose him. Mundhir’s saying was affirmed by a group of the Helpers who proclaimed that they would only pledge their allegiance to Ali (a).   

Most available reports of the Event of the Saqifa in Sunni sources indicate that the Helpers and Immigrants were generally present in the event. However, many sources have mentioned two phases for the people’s pledging their allegiance to Abu Bakr: the first phase was during the Event of the Saqifa, and the second phase occurred on the next day when the rest of the Medinans pledged their allegiance. These reports challenge the claim that the majority of the Immigrants and Helpers were present in the event.  

Historical studies show that, from the Immigrants, only Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abu Ubayda, probably together with a few of their servants and companions, were present in the gathering. Some scholars also mention that Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfa, was one of the first individuals who pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr at the Saqifa, but none of the reliable early sources mention his presence. Considering the evidence, some scholars have concluded that the number of the Immigrants present at the Saqifa was very small.  

The most well-known Helpers present at the Saqifa were Saʿd b. Ubada, his son Qays, Bushayr b. Saʿd, Usayd b. Hudayr, Thabit b. Qays, Mundhir b. Arqam, Baraʾ b. ʿAzib, and Habab b. Mundhir.  

According to some scholars, the gathering of the Helpers at the Saqifa was caused by their concern for their future after the demise of the Prophet (s). They were especially worried that after the conquest of Mecca, the formation of a united Quraysh would throw the balance of power out of kilter.  

Some other scholars maintain that the gathering at the Saqifa was a result of the following factors:  

- Because of their great sacrifices, the Helpers regarded the new religion of Islam as their own child and did not see anyone as more compassionate to it as themselves.  

- According to some scholars, the Helpers felt that the Quraysh would not accept the sayings of the Prophet (s) regarding Ali’s (a) succession to him. According to some others, Abu Bakr announced in the mosque of the Prophet (s) that the Apstle of God (s) had died. So a group of the Medinans gathered around him and pledged their allegiance to him as the successor of the Prophet (s). This created a misunderstanding in the minds of a group of the Helpers that it was permissible to appoint a caliph other than Imam Ali (a), which led to the gathering at the Saqifa.