2. GHADĪR (THE POND OF) KHUMM
AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE (1)
The pool (ghadir) in the valley of Khumm known as “Ghadīr Khumm” (غَدِيْرخُمّ)is situated about 5
kms from al-Jaḥfah (al-Juḥfah) between Makkah and Medinah. In this place on the 18 of Dhul-Hijjah 10 AH (16 March 632 CE) the
Prophet was said to have given his well-known sermon which, according to the Shi‘ah interpretation, he appointed ‘Ali as his
successor. This event is the strongest
evidence of the appointment of Ali as his successor, so that the appointment of
Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman by Muslims as his successors is considered the
usurpation of Allah’s divine decree and disobedience of the Prophet’s command.
To commemorate this important
event the Shi’is have a yearly celebration called “Eid al-Ghadir” which is
considered by them “is one of the most important days of rejoicing for Shia
Muslims around the world as that was the day our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
declared Hazrat Ali’s vicegerency at Ghadir e Khumm on his return from his last
pilgrimage…” [1]
According to the Shi’ah tradition the Prophet after completing his
pilgrimage he and the crowd of people reached the valley of Khumm (غَدِيْرخُمّ). In this
place people coming from different provinces greeted each other then took different
routes for their homes. Here the Prophet said:
"It seems the time
approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call.
I am leaving for you two precious things and if you adhere to them both, you
will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny, which
is my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come
to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."
In a ḥadīth narrated by al-Barrā’ ibn
‘Āzib that he and other people were travelling with the Prophet where they
stopped at Ghadīr Khumm and prayed combined prayer. Then he said:
أَلَسْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ
مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ
أَلَسْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي أَوْلَى بِكُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ
مِنْ نَفْسِهِ ؟ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ فَأَخَذَ
بِيَدِ عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ
مَوْلَاهُ اللَّهُمَّ وَالِ مَنْ وَالَاهُ وَعَادِ
مَنْ عَادَاهُ. قَالَ فَلَقِيَهُ عُمَرُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ
هَنِيئًا يَا ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ
أَصْبَحْتَ وَأَمْسَيْتَ مَوْلَى كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ وَمُؤْمِنَةٍ
(رواه أحمد)
“Don’t
you know that I have more right (awlā) over
thebelievers than what they have over
themselves?"[2]
"Yes, O Messenger of Allah," they
replied. Then he
held up
the hand of Ali, and said: “He of whomever
I am the
Mawla (Master ), Ali is his Mawla (Master).
O Allah, love those who love him, and be hostile to
those
who are hostile to him.” Then al-Barrā’ said
that
‘Umar met him later and said to him:
“Congratulation, O Ibn Abi Talib! Today you
have
become the mawla (leader) of all
believing men and women."
(Reported by Ahmad)
In
Shi’ah tradition the Prophet said that he was leaving among them two things,
that if they adhere to both of them, they would never go astray after him: the
Book of Allah and his select progeny, namely his family (ahl al-bayt).[3]
It is also mentioned that the Prophet
told them to treat both of them carefully, and they would perish if they stay
away from them. He also said that Ali was his brother, his waṣī (executor,
commissioner), his successor, and the imām (leader) after him. Ali’s
position to him was like that of Hārūn (Aaron) to Moses, except that no prophet
came after him, and that Ali was their master after Allah and His Messenger.
The
Prophet also told them to obey Ali as their imam, his word was binding,
his order was obligatory, and his command should be obeyed, and curse would be
the man who disobeyed him.
These ḥadīths according to the Shi’is clearly
indicate that the Prophet had appointed Ali to be is successor in leading
the Muslim community. They say that the Prophet had been ordered by Allah to
announce his succession when He revealed to him in this place, Ghadir Khumm,
the following verse:
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ
بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ , وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ
رِسَالَتَهُ ,
وَاللَّـهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ , إِنَّ اللَّـهَ
لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ (المائدة:67)
O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath
been
sent to thee from thy
Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst
not have fulfilled and
proclaimed His mission. And Allah
will defend thee from men
(who mean mischief). For
Allah guideth not those
who reject Faith. (5:67
(
The last sentence in the above verse
indicates that the Prophet s.a.w. was mindful of the reaction of his
people in delivering that message, but Allah informed him not to worry, for He
will protect His Messenger from people.
They claim that the
intended message was the proclamation of the appointment of Ali as his
successor. Moreover, immediately after doing it, Allah revealed to him this
verse:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ
دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ
لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
...(المائدة:3)
"Today I have
perfected your religion and completed
my favour upon you, and I was satisfied that
Islam
be your religion." (Qur'an 5:3)
This means, in
their view, after proclaiming Ali to be his immediate successor in leading the
Muslim community, Islam becomes perfect. When the Prophet was still in ‘Arafah,
Islam was not yet complete, because the Prophet had not announced Ali his
immediate successor there.
It
is also mentioned in the Shi‘ah tradition that on the day of Ghadir the Prophet
summoned people toward 'Ali and said:
"Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla." The news spread
quickly and reached Ḥārith Ibn Nu‘mān al-Fahrī (or Nadhr Ibn Ḥārith according
to another tradition). He rode his camel
and came to Madinah and went to the Prophet s.a.w. and said to him:
"You commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you
are the Messenger of Allah, and we obeyed you. You ordered us to perform the
prayers five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during
the month of Ramadhan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage
to Makkah and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised
your cousin by your hand and imposed him upon us as our master by saying `Ali
is the mawla of whom I am mawla.' Is this imposition from Allah
or from you?"
The Prophet s.a.w.
said : "By Allah who is the only deity! This is from Allah, the Mighty and
the Glorious."
On hearing this
Harith turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying: "O Allah!
If what Muhammad said is correct then fling on us a stone from the sky and
subject us to severe pain and torture." He had not reached his she-camel
when Allah, who is above all defects, flung at him a stone which struck him on
his head, penetrated his body and passed out through his lower body and left
him dead. It was on this occasion that Allah, the exalted, caused to descend
the following verses:
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ
وَاقِعٍ . لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ .
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ (الْمَعَارِجِ:1-3)
"A questioner questioned about the punishment
to fall. For the disbelievers there is nothing
to avert
it, from Allah the Lord of the Ascent." (70:1-3)
Although the existence of the above ḥadīths and many
similar ones are acknowledged by some and not all Sunnī scholars, such as Aḥmad
Ibn Ḥanbal in his Musnad, they
say that they are only indicating the Prophet’s urging the audience to hold his
cousin Ali in high esteem and affection.
Among the Sunni arguments are as follows:
1. The
term mawlā (مَوْلى)
or walī (وَلِي)has many meanings, such as: master,
lord, client, patron, friend, partner, ally, associate, helper, benefactor,
sponsor, close associate, relative, protector, legal guardian, tutor, etc. It
is said that the term mawlā itself has 27 different meanings. Therefore,
the meaning intended in the ḥadīths mentioned above is ambiguous. Had
the Prophet meant it a successor in leading the Muslim community immediately
after him, he would have used the clear term, such as: īmām (leader),
amīr (emir), khalīfah (caliph), sulṭān (sultan), and ulī’l-amr (rulers) rather than mawla
and wali which have many meanings.
2. According
to Sunnī Qur’an commentators, the injunction to convey and proclaim the message
which has been revealed to him by Allah in the above verse (Q. 5:67) is in
general term, namely, the whole message, not specified with the proclamation of
Ali as his successor claimed by the Shi‘is. Not conveying a single message
would mean that he had not conveyed the whole message. Allah promised to
protect him from his enemy the non-believers who always wanted to harm him.
Before this verse was revealed the Prophet was being guarded. Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
recorded that one night the Prophet said to his wife ‘Ā’ishah:
“Would that
a pious man from my companions guard me tonight.”
When she heard the
clatter of arms, the Prophet asked: “What is that?”
“I am Sa‘d ibn Mālik (Sa‘d ibn
Abī Waqqāṣ),” answered the man.
“What brought you here?,” asked
the Prophet.
“I have come to guard you, O Messenger of Allah!” answered the man.
When the verse “And Allah will defend thee
from men (who mean mischief)” was revealed to him he told his companions to
stop guarding him, as Allah had promised to protect him. Among those who used
to guard him at night were his uncle al-‘Abbās, and ‘Iṣmah ibn Mālik al-Khaẓmī.
The verse was revealed when the Prophet arrived Madinah when he needed
protection from non-Muslims in it, not in Gadīr Khumm when he needed protection
from his followers in proclaiming his cousin Ali as his immediate successor. Further Sunnī arguments will be dealt with in
the next khuṭbah, in shā Allāh.
(CIVIC, 30 September, 2016)
المكتبة الشاملة:
تفسير الطبري )ت. 310 هـ (
تفسير القرطبى )ت. 671 هـ (
تفسير ابن كثير )ت. 774 هـ(
htps://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/incident.htm
htps://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/incident.htm
http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-
9780195390155/obo-97801953
http://www.dd-sunnah.net/forum/showthread.php?p =553768#post55376
https://gift2shias.com/2013/10/24/hadith-of-ghadir-khumm-a-sunni-perspective/
http://www.amaana.org/gadhir/gadhir1.htm
[1] http://www.amaana.org/gadhir/gadhir1.htm
[2] This is an echo of the following Qur’anic verse: النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ
أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ... (الأحزاب:6) “The Prophet is closer (awlā) to the
believers than their own selves, and his wives are their (believers’) mothers
(as rregards respect and marriage…” (Q.
33:6)
[3] Similar ḥadīth was also reported by Aḥmad, but
instead of ‘itraty (“my selected progeny”) the Prophet mentioned his sunnah,
namely, the hadiths of the Prophet,
in Sunni traditions.
