Ghadir Khumm
Ali ibn Abi Talib – claimed by the Shia as evidence of the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor and as the completion of the message of Islam | |
Outcome | The commemorative Eid al-Ghadir involving prayers, gift-giving, festive meals, recitation of the Du'a Nudba |
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Muhammad |
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The Ghadīr Khumm (
In the sermon, made shortly before his death in June 632, Muhammad made a declaration in favor of
Etymology
Ghadir Khumm refers both to the gathering of Muslims for Muhammad's sermon and its location, which was a pond (ghadir) fed by a nearby spring in a
The word khumm has been translated as 'deceiver', and the valley was so named because the water of its pond was saline and unfit for consumption.
Background
Ten years after
The sermon
At the Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad called the Muslim caravan to a halt ahead of the noon congregational prayer, before the pilgrims parted their ways,
I left among you two treasures which, if you cling to them, you shall not be led into error after me. One of them is greater than the other: The book of God, which is a rope stretched from Heaven to Earth, and my progeny, my ahl al-bayt. These two shall not be parted until they return to the pool [of paradise] (kawthar).[13]
Known as the
"He whose mawla I am, Ali is his mawla," (
which is known as the hadith of the
Historicity
The historicity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely disputed within the Muslim community,
Accounts of the Ghadir Khumm appear elsewhere in both Sunni and Shia sources, and these accounts have occasionally been used interchangeably without sectarian prejudice.
Some Sunni historians, such as
Links to the Qur'an
In Shia and some Sunni sources, The verse of tabligh warns Muhammad,
O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent down unto thee from thy Lord, and if thou dost not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. And God will protect thee from mankind. Surely God guides not disbelieving people.[40]
Revealed before the Ghadir Khumm, according to the Shia, this verse spurred Muhammad to deliver his announcement about Ali, which he had delayed fearing the reaction of some of his companions.[39] Sunnis offer different views, one of which connects this verse to Muhammad's criticism of Jews and Christians.[41] Nevertheless, the verse of tabligh is highly likely linked to the events that followed the Farewell Pilgrimage, including the Ghadir Khumm, because chapter (sura) five of the Qur'an is often associated with Muhammad's final years in Medina.[42] Verse 5:3 of the Qur'an, also known as the verse of ikmal al-din (lit. 'perfection of religion'), is similarly connected to the Ghadir Khumm in some Sunni reports by al-Tabari and the Sunni exegete al-Baghdadi (d. 1071),[43] and by the Shia exegete al-Tusi (d. 1067),[44] among others.[37][9][45] In contrast, most Sunni commentators associate this verse with the Farewell Pilgrimage,[46] and this is also the opinion of al-Ya'qubi.[47] Among various Sunni views, the verse of ikmal al-din may refer to the establishment of the rites for Hajj during the Farewell Pilgrimage or the closure of Islamic legislation with the revelation of dietary instructions in the remainder of this verse, although some injunctions about riba were possibly revealed after this verse.[48][44] The verse of ikmal al-din includes the passage,
This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My Blessing upon you, and have approved for you as religion, Submission (Islam).[46]
Other literary references
The Ghadir Khumm has also been preserved in the Arabic literature.[1][49][9] The earliest such instance is a disputed poem attributed to Hassan ibn Thabit (d. 674),[1][31] who accompanied Muhammad during the pilgrimage.[31] For instance, the poem is quoted by the prominent Shia theologian al-Mufid (d. 1022).[50] The poem appears also in some other Shia and Sunni sources, according to the Islamicist Husain M. Jafri (d. 2019).[31] Included in this poem is the verse, "Stand up, O Ali, for I find only you to be an imam and a guide after I [Muhammad] depart."[18][24][51] In regards to its authenticity, Mohammad A. Amir-Moezzi, another expert, does not find this attribution problematic,[9] while Jafri considers it highly improbable that these events would have passed unrecorded by Ibn Thabit, who was the "official poet-reporter of Muhammad."[31] By contrast, the Islamicists Josef Horovitz (d. 1931) and Ignác Goldziher (d. 1921) reject the veracity of this poem.[31] The Shia al-Kumayt ibn Zayd (d. 743) is another early poet who composed verses on the same theme.[9]
Historical references
On one occasion during his caliphate, Ali is known to have asked Muslims to come forward with their testimonies about the Ghadir Khumm.[52][53][54] In doing so, he may have publicly laid claim to a spiritual and political authority greater than others, particularly his predecessors.[52][54][55] Muhammad's statement at the Ghadir Khumm, "O God, befriend the friend of Ali and be the enemy of his enemy," was likely the standard formula for pledging allegiance at that time.[56] Indeed, Ali and his son Hasan both demanded a similar pledge from their supporters during their caliphates.[57] The hadith of the walaya is also cited by Ammar ibn Yasir, a companion of Muhammad, to support the legitimacy of Ali's caliphate in the account of the Shia historian Ibn A'tham al-Kufi (ninth century) of the negotiations before the Battle of Siffin (657). This might be the earliest such reference in historical sources.[58]
Interpretation
Mawla
While the authenticity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely contested, its interpretation is a source of controversy between Sunni and Shia.
In the context of the Ghadir Khumm, the interpretation of the word mawla tends to be split along sectarian lines. Shia sources interpret this word as meaning 'leader', 'master', and 'patron', [31] while Sunni accounts of this sermon tend to offer little explanation,[1] or interpret the hadith as a statement of love or support,[66] or substitute the word mawla with its cognate wali (of God, lit. 'friend of God').[1][9][67] Shias therefore view the Ghadir Khumm as the investiture of Ali with Muhammad's religious and political authority (walaya),[62][68][18] while Sunnis regard the event as an indication of the rapport between the two men,[69][9][70] or that Ali should execute Muhammad's will.[69] At any rate, the correct interpretation of the polysemous word mawla depends on its context.[71] In his sermon, Muhammad may have employed the word mawla synonymously to his earlier word awla ('in charge of the believers more than themselves', awla bi-kum min anfusi-kum). This then supports the Shia interpretation of the word mawla in the sense of authority (awla bi al-tasarruf).[72][71] Alternatively, the Sunni theologian al-Baqillani (d. 1013) rejects any connection between the immediate uses of awla and mawla by Muhammad.[20]
Shia view
For Shia Muslims, the Ghadir Khumm signifies the investiture of Ali with the guardianship (walaya) of the Muslim community after Muhammad.
For Shias, the dramatic announcement at the Ghadir Khumm to thousands of Muslims in the heat of day hardly supports its Sunni interpretation of love (muhabba) and support (nusra) for Ali.[66] These two are also the obligations of every Muslim towards other Muslims, not just Ali.[66] While the Sunni Ibn Kathir considers the Ghadir Khumm a response to complaints about Ali during his expedition to Yemen,[1] the Shia jurist Ibn Shahrashub (d. 1192) argues that Muhammad had earlier dismissed those objections.[18] As for the various meanings of the word mawla, the standard practice in Shia theology is to eliminate all those meanings in the hadith one by one until only the meaning of authority remains.[47]
Sunni view
Among Sunni Muslims, the Ghadir Khumm is not associated with the succession to Muhammad.[77] Instead, the event is often connected to Ali's campaign in Yemen, from which he had just returned prior to the Farewell Pilgrimage. Ali is said to have strictly imposed the Islamic guidelines for the distribution of booty and that reportedly angered some soldiers. Ibn Kathir, for instance, sides with Ali in his account of the episode but also suggests that the Ghadir Khumm sermon was simply intended as a public declaration of Muhammad's love and esteem for Ali in light of the earlier events.[1]
For Sunnis, it is also unimaginable that most companions would act wrongly and ignore a clear appointment of Ali at the Ghadir Khumm.[62] Indeed, some suggest that the Muslim community did not act as if they had heard about such an appointment,[78][79] and thus consider this designation improbable.[78][80] By contrast, Shias believe that the community deliberately ignored the designation of Ali,[81] pointing to the designation of the second caliph Umar by his predecessor Abu Bakr,[82][83] other historical evidence,[9][37] and that majority does not imply legitimacy in the Qur'an.[84][62] Some have instead argued that Muhammad would have made such an important announcement earlier, during the Hajj, while others consider this tantamount to criticizing Muhammad's judgement.[24]
Eid al-Ghadir
While 18
See also
- Succession to Muhammad
- Verse of the walaya
- Hadith of the twelve successors
- Mubahala with the Najrani Christians
- Hadith of warning
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Veccia Vaglieri 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Lalani 2011.
- ^ Eliash 1966, p. 144.
- ^ Williams 1994, p. 171.
- ^ Donaldson 1933, p. 5.
- ^ Haider 2014, p. 60.
- ^ a b Stewart 2002.
- ^ Abbas 2021, p. 79.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Amir-Moezzi 2014.
- ^ a b Campo 2009, p. 257.
- ^ Shah-Kazemi 2014.
- ^ a b Mavani 2013, p. 79.
- ^ a b c d Momen 1985, p. 16.
- ^ a b Mavani 2013, p. 80.
- ^ Abbas 2021, pp. 81, 209.
- ^ a b Abbas 2021, p. 81.
- ^ Lalani 2000, pp. 70–71.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bulookbashi 2015.
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 34.
- ^ a b c Lalani 2000, p. 71.
- ^ Jafri 1979, p. 18.
- ^ Mavani 2013, pp. 70, 98n11.
- ^ Momen 1985, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Abbas 2021, p. 82.
- ^ Jafri 1979, pp. 18–20.
- ^ Mavani 2013, p. 20.
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 35.
- ^ Soucek 1975, p. 156.
- ^ Robinson 2000, p. 129–146.
- ^ Najafabadi 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jafri 1979, p. 20.
- ^ Jafri 1979, pp. 20, 231.
- ^ Jafri 1979, pp. 19–20.
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 36.
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 38.
- ^ a b Dakake 2007, p. 39.
- ^ a b c d Mavani 2013, p. 70.
- ^ Abbas 2021, pp. 80, 209n27.
- ^ a b Nasr et al. 2015, p. 718.
- ^ Nasr et al. 2015, p. 717.
- ^ Lalani 2000, pp. 61, 145n15.
- ^ Nasr et al. 2015, p. 719.
- ^ Abbas 2021, pp. 83, 210n38.
- ^ a b Nasr et al. 2015, p. 650.
- ^ Amir-Moezzi 2020, pp. 237–239.
- ^ a b Nasr et al. 2015, p. 648.
- ^ a b Dakake 2007, p. 46.
- ^ Mavani 2013, p. 71.
- ^ a b Jafri 1979, p. 19.
- ^ Haider 2014, pp. 61–62.
- ^ Haider 2014, p. 61.
- ^ a b McHugo 2018, §2.IV.
- ^ Lalani 2006, p. 590.
- ^ a b Madelung 1997, p. 253.
- ^ Shah-Kazemi 2019, p. 79.
- ^ Hazleton 2009, p. 77.
- ^ Madelung 1997, p. 312.
- ^ Ayoub 2014, p. 114.
- ^ a b Wensinck & Crone 2012.
- ^ Mavani 2013, p. 46.
- ^ Lalani 2000, pp. 71–72.
- ^ a b c d Mavani 2013, p. 2.
- ^ Goldziher 1889, p. 105.
- ^ Dakake 2007, pp. 18, 21, 23.
- ^ Lalani 2006, p. 682.
- ^ a b c Dakake 2007, p. 45.
- ^ Afsaruddin 2006.
- ^ Dakake 2007, p. 47.
- ^ a b Afsaruddin & Nasr 2022.
- ^ Jafri 1979, p. 21.
- ^ a b Lalani 2000, p. 72.
- ^ Mavani 2013, pp. 80–81.
- ^ Tabatabai 1975, p. 35.
- ^ Donaldson 1933, p. XXV.
- ^ Sanders 1994, p. 122.
- ^ Pierce 2016, p. 75.
- ^ a b Campo 2009, pp. 257–8.
- ^ a b Shaban 1976, p. 16.
- ^ Poonawala 1982.
- ^ Lewis 1968, p. 50.
- ^ Daftary 2013, p. 28.
- ^ Lalani 2000, p. 6.
- ^ Abbas 2021, p. 95.
- ^ Mavani 2013, pp. 2, 25.
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