Incident of Saqifa: Difference between revisions

[[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] maintains that “the view of the scholars of the Shi'a and the true opinion is that [[Amir al-Mu'minin Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] never pledged his allegiance to Abu Bakr.” During the first days after the Saqifa, when the supporters of Abu Bakr tried to force him to pledge his allegiance to Abu Bakr, Imam Ali (a) said to them, “I am more deserving of the caliphate than you, and I will not pledge my allegiance to you. You are more deserving of pledging your allegiance to me. You took the caliphate away from the Helpers arguing that … because you were closer to the Prophet and were his kin, you were more deserving of the caliphate than them. Now, I argue against you by the same reasons that you mentioned against the Helpers. If you fear God, be fair with me, and accept from me the same thing that the Helpers accepted from you; otherwise, you will have knowingly done wrong”.

It is reported that Ali (a) had a gentle but frank and lengthy debate with Abu Bakr, in which he condemned Abu Bakr for neglecting the right of Ahl al-Bayt (a) in the Event of Saqifa. Abu Bakr accepted the arguments of Ali (a) and was about to abdicate and pledge his allegiance to the Imam (a), but he consulted some of his companions and eventually refused to do so.  

[[Al-Shiqshiqiyya Sermon]] is one of the most well-known speeches of the Imam (a) in this regard. In the beginning of this sermon, Imam Ali (a) says, “Beware! By Allah, the son of Abu Quhafah [Abu Bakr] dressed himself with it [the caliphate] and he certainly knew that my position in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly up to me.”

It is reported that after the Event of the Saqifa and before the demise of [[Fatima (a)]], Ali (a) and Fatima (a) would go together to the houses and gatherings of the Helpers and ask them for support. The helpers would say in response, “O daughter of the Prophet! We have already pledged our allegiance to Abu Bakr. Had Ali (a) come forth, we would not have chosen anyone else.” Then Ali (a) would respond, “Was I to leave the Prophet (s) unburied and argue about the caliphate?!”