Event of Ghadir Khumm

Most historical sources regarding the life of Muhammad (such as Al-Tabari, Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'd)[note 1] either make no mention of Ghadir Khumm or, if it is acknowledged, avoid discussion of Muhammad's address. However, it is probable that such writers purposefully abstained from commenting on the event so as to not anger the Sunni rulers of the time; such discourses could have been used to provide potential fodder for Shia claims to Ali's right to the caliphate. It cannot be doubted however, that Muhammad had spoken at Ghadir Khumm and had given the legendary statement simply due to the sheer number of well-attested hadiths which mention the event.[5] Shia sources claim that over a hundred Sahaba and eighty-four Tabi'un recount the event with different chains of transmission.[7] Preservers of such accounts include Shi'ites, such as Ya'qubi, as well as Sunnis like Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his famous Musnad, with the traditions recorded in the latter generally being considered canonical.[5]

While the authenticity of the event is not contested, its interpretation is a source of controversy between Sunnis and Shias.[8] The Sunni historian Ibn Kathir for example, while himself having collected a huge number of hadiths regarding Ghadir Khumm, states that they supply no basis for Ali's succession.[5] Conversely, the Iranian scholar Abdul Hosein Amini compiled eleven volumes worth of sources in support of the Shia view.[6] However, notable in its lack of mention of Ghadir Khumm is the Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, attributed to the Fourth Shia Imam and considered by some to be the third holiest book in Shia Islam.[9][note 2] Having provided special prayers for the "two great feasts" of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr as well as other prominent days, its neglect to comment on Eid al-Ghadir is conspicuous, possibly casting doubt on the Shi'ite interpretation of the event and implying that it may have been a later invention.[10] Conversely, it is notable that the first undisputed mention of Ghadir Khumm (aside from the hadiths) is roughly contemporary to the Fourth Imam's time; a verse by the 8th Century poet al-Kumayt. Further to this, verses attributed to Hassan ibn Thabit referencing the event are recorded by Ibn Shahr Ashub which, barring authenticity issues,[note 3] predate Al-Sahifa by almost a century.[5]

Situated between Mecca and Medina, Ghadir Khumm was a pond which was fed by a nearby spring.[5] It received its name (meaning "Deceiver Pond") in reference to the salinity of its water which made it unfit for consumption.[12] It was here that a trijunction existed where routes from Medina, Egypt and Iraq intersected.[13] The area was surrounded by bushes and trees, providing shade and later hosting a mosque constructed in honour of Muhammad. However, the climate was very hot and unhealthy. The original inhabitants of the region, members of the Banu Khuza'a and Banu Kinanah tribes, were forced to abandon it due to its poor pasturage and the tendency for them to be afflicted by fevers.[5] Prior to Muhammad's address, Ghadir Khumm had never previously been used as a caravan stop.[14]

Ten years after the migration and on the last days of Dhu al-Qi'dah (coinciding with 632 in the Gregorian calendar), Muhammad moved from Medina to Mecca accompanied by thousands of his followers. He only once attended Hajj rituals, a few months before he died. Since this Hajj took place in the last year of his life, he made his farewells to people. Ali was in Yemen, preaching Islam, when he was informed about Muhammad's Hajj, so he moved towards Mecca together with some people and joined Muhammad before rituals began. When the rituals of Hajj were finished, Muhammad left Mecca for Medina together with other Muslims.[15][16]

On 18 Dhu al-Hijjah 10 AH (March 632 CE), while returning from his Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad stopped at Ghadir Khumm to make an announcement to the pilgrims who had accompanied him before they parted ways. Due to the extreme heat, a dais was constructed for him which was shaded by branches. Calling up Ali and taking him by the hand, Muhammad asked the assembled pilgrims whether he, Muhammad, was not closer to them than they were to themselves. In response, the gathered shouted their agreement.[5] Muhammad then gave the famous proclamation "Anyone who has me as his mawla, has Ali as his mawla". Some versions add the additional sentence "O God, befriend the friend of Ali and be the enemy of his enemy."[6]

The Investiture of Ali at Ghadir Khumm, an illustration from Al-Biruni's Chronology of Ancient Nations

There are some doubts regarding Ali's role in the sermon. Some have questioned the veracity of Muhammad naming Ali his successor, as well as the subsequent oaths of allegiance, given that there is evidence that Ali was not present at Ghadir Khumm at all, instead being stationed in Yemen at the time. Historian Al-Tabari published his two-volume work (now lost), Ahadith Ghadir Khumm, to refute this belief upon learning of it from a Baghdadi scholar. However, Ibn Kathir, another influential historian, disputed the work and upheld the theory, stating that Al-Tabari had failed to distinguish between weak and reliable sources.[30]

In addition to this, it may be considered unlikely for Muhammad to have chosen a successor in Ali, given the latter's relative youth, being approximately thirty years old at the time of the speech. It is notable that Arabs of this period traditionally avoided entrusting young and untried men with great responsibilities. Historian M. A. Shaban adds that his sources regarding the community at Medina at the time gave no indication of them reacting as they would have done had they heard of this designation. Shaban concludes that had Muhammad intended on a successor at all, his most practical option would have been for his followers to choose one amongst themselves.[31]

Following the death of Muhammad in Rabi' al-awwal 11 AH (June 632 CE),[32] Abu Bakr, an eminent Sahaba, was chosen as the new leader of the Muslim community through an election at Saqifah. Several of Muhammad's companions, most prominent among them being Ali, initially disputed this succession.[33] It would not be until after the reigns of Abu Bakr and his successors, Umar and Uthman, that Ali would finally ascend the throne. Though these four rulers are referred to by Sunnis as the Rashidun (rightly-guided) Caliphs, only Ali is recognised by the Shia, with the remainder being viewed as usurpers to the latter's inheritance.[34]

Shia Muslims celebrate 18 Dhu al-Hijjah as the occasion on which Muhammad declared Ali as his successor, with the anniversary being termed Eid al-Ghadir.[5][6] Fasting, doing Ghusl (ritual bath), reciting the Du'a Nudba,[35] and giving food to believers is among recommended practice for the date.[36] Iraqi Shi'ites honour the holiday by making pilgrimages to Karbala[3] while in Iran, honey-filled pastry effigies are made representing Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, which are then stabbed with knives.[5][note 5]

It is also a public holiday[38] in countries such as: India, Azerbaijan,[39] Yemen, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Bahrain and Syria. Shi'ites also celebrate Eid Ghadir in Europe and Americas, particularly the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.[40][41][42]

• The verse of Wilayah
• Hadith of the Twelve Successors
• Hadith of Mubahala
• Hadith of Fatima tablet
• Hadith of Warning
• Ahl al-Kisa

• Resources on Ghadeer
• The Event of Ghadir Khumm –Shia perspectives
• Did the Prophet(s) appoint a successor? (Narrations from Sunni Sources)
• An Exegesis of the Qur`anic Verses Indicating the Incident of Ghadir Khumm (Citations from Sunni Sources)
• Ghadir
• "Al-Muraja'at: A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. (letters 55–58, which pertain to the Hadith of Ghadeer and its citations and interpretations from Sunni sources)
• Khetabe Ghadir
• Complete Sermon at Ghadir Khumm in English Version
• Ghadir, the Greatest Eid of All Religions
• Ghadir Khumm—Interesting Aspects of a Unique Event
• Did Umar congratulate Ali? (Narrations from Sunni Sources)