[215], Ali's distinctions are amply attested to in Islamic sources. The term "Shian e Ali" has come to be associated with the . And Allah knows of your movement and your resting place.. Surat Muhammad 47:19. [22] These held Ali to be the rightful successor to Muhammad,[34][35] possibly referring to the announcement by the latter at the Ghadir Khumm. [217] Later, he facilitated Muhammad's safe escape to Medina by risking his life as the decoy. Sunni Islam - Jewish Virtual Library Myth #19: Muhammad Endorsed Female Genital Mutilation Muhammad Husayn Haykal says that the (fatal) sickness of the Prophet began on the morning following the night on which he had visited the cemetery, i.e., on 20th of Safar. Within the century after Muhammads death, his followers had built an empire that stretched from Central Asia to Spain. Fatima's conflict with Abu Bakr and her untimely death has been the source of Muslim division for centuries. '"[104] God's pledge in this verse thus extends to just descendants of Abraham. [244] Other Imams include Abu Ubaidah Muslim, Abdallah ibn Yahya al-Kindi, and Umar ibn Abdul Aziz. [1] The advent of Mahdi is awaited by most Muslims, though different sects hold different views about him.[2]. According to Cooperson, however, this definition of the caliphate had its costs. [6] Many scholars accept these biographies although their accuracy is uncertain. . Shiites predominate where there is oil in Iran, in Iraq and in the oil-rich areas of eastern Saudi Arabia as well. The latter consider Husayn as their third Imam. The roots of the Sunni-Shia divide can be traced all the way back to the seventh century, soon after the death of the prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. Did the Prophet Muhammad (s) die from poisoning or from a natural death? A fresco painting from the Chehel Sotun Pavillion in Isfahan, Iran, depicts Persian warfare during the Safavid dynasty period. [139] Burton comments that this banquet "won for [Muhammad] a proselyte worth a thousand sabers in the person of Ali, son of Abu Talib. Read about our approach to external linking. "Shia believed that leadership should stay within the family of the prophet," notes Gregory Gause, professor of Middle East politics at the University of Vermont. Allah knows best. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images Despite their differences, Sunni and Shia have lived alongside each other in relative peace for most of history. [177] Instead, the event is often connected with Ali's earlier campaign in Yemen, where he is said to have strictly imposed the Islamic guidelines for a fair distribution of booty. The Sunni believe that Muhammad had not appointed a successor and had instead intended for the Muslim community to choose a leader from among themselves. [160][161] On the way, Muhammad called the Muslim caravan to a halt at the Ghadir Khumm before the pilgrims parted to go their separate ways. "Why has there been such a long and protracted disagreement and tension between these two sects?" Refuting the Suspicion that Says: The Prophet Tried to Commit Suicide Mario Tama/Getty Images Non-Nasebeh reference, 2. [209] Moreover, as with the past prophets in the Quran,[208] God chose Muhammad's successor from his family. [92], Before his death in 680, Muawiya arranged for the succession of his son, Yazid, who is often remembered as a debaucher who openly violated the Islamic norms. Their leaders also often seem to be in competition. The 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is said to have disappeared from a cave below a mosque in 878. [3] Historical works of later Muslim writers include the traditional biographies of Muhammad and quotations attributed to himthe sira and hadith literaturewhich provide further information on Muhammad's life. [205], In the Twelver Shia view, after a prophet's death, it is deemed as essential that a divinely-appointed successor would guide the faithful towards the righteous path. Ali | Biography, History, & Facts | Britannica In the early 20th century, the victorious Allies divided the territory held by the former Ottoman Empire after World War I, cutting through centuries-old religious and ethnic communities in the process. There are mentioned three meanings for the conjunction "or" in the Arabic syntax science: 1. Hussein was decapitated and his head carried in tribute to the Sunni caliph in Damascus. [42] The boycott was successful,[42] and those who initially supported Ali gradually turned away and pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr. The Muhajirun, Abu Bakr argued, were the best of Arabs in lineage and location,[23][16] had accepted Islam earlier, and were closer to Muhammad in kinship. However, some specific hadiths are used to justify that Muhammad intended Abu Bakr to succeed, but that he had shown this decision through his actions rather than doing so verbally. In countries which have been governed by Sunnis, Shia tend to make up the poorest sections of society. Battle of Karbala, (October 10, 680 [10th of Muarram, ah 61]), brief military engagement in which a small party led by al-usayn ibn Al, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Al, the fourth caliph, was defeated and massacred by an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazd I. [188], Sunni authors often refer to this event as evidence of Abu Bakr's right to succeed Muhammad,[15][55] though their accounts of the event might be colored by later Shia-Sunni polemics. [149] But when rumors spread that Ali was left behind because he was a burden to Muhammad, he left Medina and caught up with Muhammad, who reassured him, "Are you not content, Ali, to stand to me as Aaron stood to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me? [70] It has been suggested that Abd al-Rahman was well aware of Ali's disagreements with the past two caliphs and that Ali, known for his sincerity, would have inevitably rejected the second condition. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [97], The succession subsequently transformed under the Umayyads from an elective/appointed position to being effectively hereditary within the family. Ali is one of the Ahl al-Kisa, who are addressed by the sahih Hadith of Kisa and the related Verse of Purification in the Quran, which includes the passage, "Indeed God desires to repel all impurity from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and purify you with a thorough purification. [78] Talha and Zubayr, both companions of Muhammad with ambitions for the high office, likely gave their pledges though they later broke their oaths, claiming that they had pledged their allegiance to Ali under public pressure. In particular, verse 21:73 reads as[229]. [31] In chronological order, Abu Bakr obtained the backing of Uthman and of the Banu Umayyad, of Sa'd and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, of the Banu Zuhra, of Zubayr, and finally of Ali. [32] Walker notes that this and similar traditions suggest friendship and trust but are hardly related to succession because Muhammad regularly delegated this task and other positions of authority to others. Sunni Muslims relate various hadith, or oral traditions, in which Muhammad is said to have recommended shura, elections or consultation, as the best method for making community decisions.In this view of the succession, he did not nominate a successor because he expected that the community themselves would choose the new leader as was the custom in Arabia at the time. Sunni means the individual or a group who follows the path and tradition of the Prophet. [216] In Mecca, a young Ali is said to have been the first male to embrace Islam and the only person who offered his support when Muhammad first introduced Islam to his relatives. [211], The view advanced by the Shia is that Muhammad announced his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as his rightful successor shortly before his death at the Event of Ghadir Khumm and also earlier in his prophetic mission at the Event of Dhul Asheera. This group became known as the followers of Ali; in Arabic the Shiat Ali, or simply Shia. The roots of the Sunni-Shia divide can be traced all the way back to the seventh century, soon after the death of the prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images It's not known. How did our Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) die? - Islam Stack Exchange He further says: It was then that the people became concerned and the army of Usamah did not move. [196], The general Sunni belief is that Muhammad had not chosen anyone to succeed him, instead reasoning that he had intended for the community to decide on a leader amongst themselves. The committee included Ali, Uthman ibn Affan, and his brother-in-law, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. 1981). "[143], Hadith of Position is a biblical analogy in favor of Ali that appears in canonical Sunni and Shia sources, including Sahih al-Bukhari and Kitab al-kafi. Ali eventually became caliph, but not in time to stop the rise of the Umayyads. According to Walker, too ill to lead the prayers himself, Muhammad instructed Abu Bakr to take his place, ignoring concerns that he was too emotionally delicate for the role. [187] Shia authors similarly dispute the authenticity of these reports, adding that Muhammad had earlier instructed his companions, including Abu Bakr and Umar, to leave Medina on a military campaign against the Byzantines under Usama ibn Zayd. They are the majority of the Shiites in the world today. Verse of Wilaya thus describes Ali as the rightful authority over the believers, after God and Muhammad, and underlines his right to succeed Muhammad as the spiritual and political leader of the Muslim community. Read about our approach to external linking. Instead, the rightful successors of Muhammad are believed to be Ali and eleven divinely-appointed Imams of his lineage. Editor's Note: Back in 2007, NPR reported on the Shiite-Sunni split that was contributing to conflicts in many parts of the Muslim world, including Iraq. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. In January 2016, the execution by Saudi Arabia of a prominent Shia cleric who supported mass anti-government protests triggered a diplomatic crisis with Iran and angry demonstrations across the Middle East. All Rights Reserved. Though the two main sects within Islam, Sunni and Shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. [210] A number of verses in the Quran and some hadiths might be linked to the prominent position of Muhammad's family in Islam, including the Verse of Purification, Verse of Mubahala, and Verse of Mawadda in the Quran, and the well-attested Hadith of the Thaqalayn and the Hadith of the Ark. [192][193], The disobedience to Muhammad in this incident has been downplayed by some Sunni scholars, whereas others view this incident as a missed opportunity to formally designate Abu Bakr as the successor. They. Was Prophet Muhammad a Shia, a Sunni, Neither or Both? [198] As this is difficult to enforce, Sunni Islam recognizes as caliph anyone who seizes power, as long as he is from the Quraysh, the tribe of Muhammad. 610-632)", The Shi'a: The Real Followers of the Sunnah, Peshawar Nights the Art of Fictional-Narration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Succession_to_Muhammad&oldid=1162041842, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 26 June 2023, at 17:07. [219] Ali commonly acted as Muhammad's secretary in Medina and served as his deputy during the Expedition of Tabuk. Prophet Died On Ayesha's Lap? - Shia/Sunni Dialogue - ShiaChat.com "[227], In Shia Islam, as the righteous guide after Muhammad, Ali is believed to be infallible. It was obviously intended by the Ummayads to put the definitive end to all claims to leadership of the ummah as a matter of direct descendence from Muhammad, says Hazleton of Husseins death, and the death of all the surviving members of Muhammads family, at Karbala. [95] The women and children were taken prisoner and marched to Kufa and then Damascus, some of whom are said to have perished from mistreatment. Shiites gradually became the glue that held Persia together and distinguished it from the Ottoman Empire to its west, which was Sunni, and the Mughal Muslims to the east in India, also Sunni. [175][176] Supporting the Shia interpretation,[172] the Shia Amini has compiled multiple volumes of Sunni and Shia historical documents about the Ghadir Khumm. [36], Among Sunni Muslims, the Ghadir Khumm is not associated with the succession to Muhammad. Ali is said to have accepted the first condition but declined the second one, adding that he would rely only on his own judgment in the absence of any precedent from the Quran or the Sunnah. [149], Despite its Shia coloring, the Hadith of Position nevertheless remains prominent in Sunni sources as one of the most important pieces of evidence supporting the finality of Muhammad in the chain of prophets. BRIA 20 4 b Islam Divided: The Shiites and Sunnis. [64] Though he was appointed caliph by those at Saqifah, Abu Bakr designated Umar as his successor, reportedly against the advice of the Quraysh elders. [85] Their rise to power marginalized both the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and reduced the caliphate, as an institution, to no more than a worldly kingship. [197], In Sunni Islam, the election of a caliph is ideally a democratic choice made by the Muslim community. [God] said: 'My compact will not comprise the evil-doers. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Where Sunnis and Shia live in South Asia and the Middle East. Reprinted from 'The Shia Revival' by Vali Nasr. In particular, if a leader fails to maintain a legitimate government in accordance with the Islamic law, it is the duty of the population to remove him from power. [13] However, there have been doubts regarding the reliability of the collection, with some believing that it was a later creation given that the earliest mention of the text only appears in the eleventh century. The process by which the community met this crisis has determined its strengths and its weaknesses in the subsequent centuries. Hasan | Biography, Facts, & Death | Britannica [16] The conventional wisdom is that the Ansar met there to decide on a new leader for the Muslim community among themselves, with the intentional exclusion of the Muhajirun. This "saying of the Prophet" mentioning female genital mutilation (infibulations) is widely regarded as a weak tradition amongst Islamic scholars (not to mention unsupported by any Qur'anic verse). "[160][158][169], The historicity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely disputed within the Muslim community,[158][170][171] as its recorded tradition is "among the most extensively acknowledged and substantiated" in classical Islamic sources, even as the statements made at the event remain open to interpretation. Afterward, his followers put the revelations that Muhammad claimed he had received from God in a sacred book called the Koran. In Shia theology, at any time, there is only one Imam and his successor, if alive, is called the silent Imam. Over the next centuries, Islam clashed with the European Crusaders, with the Mongol conquerors from Central Asia, and was spread farther by the Ottoman Turks. [106] His prayer is answered by God, as evidenced by verses 20:36-42, 25:35,[107] and 28:35. [204], Twelver Shia is the largest branch of the Shia Islam, with about 85% of the Shia population. The separation of Sunni and Shia is as old as Islam. [236], Initially, Zayd's activist approach gained him a large following. They view the rulers who followed Muhammad as illegitimate. However, as he increasingly compromised with the traditionalists, some of Zayd's supporters are said to have returned to Muhammad al-Baqir. [15] For the same reason, Shaban goes further and assigns no significance to the prayer story. "[243] Their first Imam was Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, who led the Kharijites after their withdrawal from Ali's camp. Muhammad However, Uthman is viewed as having committed grave sins during the latter half of his rule and was deserving of death. Shia are also guided by the wisdom of Muhammad's descendants through his son-in-law and cousin, Ali. Muhammad's succession - Authority - AQA - GCSE Religious - BBC [37][34][38][39] The scene soon grew violent,[31][40] but the mob retreated without Ali's pledge after his wife Fatima pleaded with them. Succession to Prophet Muhammad | Al-Islam.org [93] In particular, Muawiya summoned a council (shura) of the Muslim elite in 676 and won their support through flattery, bribes, and threats. The Martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - IslamPfr With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Co. The endangered languages that are fighting back. Ali eventually became the fourth caliph (or Imam, as Shiites call their leaders), but only after the two that preceded him had both been assassinated. [164][165] By some Shia and Sunni accounts, he then continued, "O God, befriend the friend of Ali and be the enemy of his enemy,"[36][166] which might have been the standard formula for pledging allegiance at the time,[167] used later both by Ali and his son Hasan during their caliphates. [41], Abu Bakr soon placed a boycott on Ali and also on Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim, to abandon their support for Ali. [4] The earliest surviving written sira (biography of Muhammad) is Sirat Rasul Allah (Life of God's Messenger) by Ibn Ishaq (d. 761 or 767 CE). Sunni Islam maintains Abu Bakr to be the . At stake was not only control of Muhammads religious and political legacy, but also a great deal of money, in the form of taxes and tributes paid by the various tribes united under the banner of Islam. prophet-muhammad death seerah Share Improve this question [89] Notably, under their agreement, it is said that Muawiya appointed Hasan as his successor. His sons, Hassan and Hussein, were denied what they thought was their legitimate right of accession to the caliphate. The essence of the problem is that Muhammad died without a male heir, and he never clearly stated who he would want to be his successor, says Lesley Hazleton, author of After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Sunni-Shia Split in Islam. Members of the two sects have co-existed for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices. Today, many conflicts in the region have strong sectarian overtones. Their beliefs over who should have succeeded the Prophet Muhammad is the key theological difference between the two. "[135] Muhammad's cousin Ali, the youngest among them, was the only relative who offered his assistance to Muhammad, who then declared, "This [Ali] is my brother, my executor, and my successor among you, so listen to him and obey. [14], In the immediate aftermath of Muhammad's death in 11/632, a gathering of the Ansar (Medinan Muslims) took place at the Saqifa (lit. Death of the Prophet: 632 C.E. "An innocent spiritual figure is in many ways martyred by a far more powerful, unjust force," Nasr says. These events gave rise to the Shia concept of martyrdom and the rituals of grieving. Sunni Islam - Wikipedia [98], The Quran, as the central religious text of Islam, does not explicitly identify a successor to Muhammad,[99] though it grants key privileges to the families of the past prophets. [225][226] Often cited here is a well-attested hadith, attributed to Muhammad, which reads as, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate. [5] Although the original work is lost, portions of it survive in the recensions of Ibn Hisham (d. 833) and Al-Tabari (d. [198] At the same time, obedience to a caliph is often regarded as a religious obligation even if the caliph is unjust. But starting in the late 20th century, the schism deepened, exploding into violence in many parts of the Middle East as extreme brands of Sunni and Shia Islam battle for both religious and political supremacy. [27] Possibly because of its questionable legal authority, Umar also warned Muslims against ever following the example of Saqifa. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. By his death on June 8 . The contrasting opinions regarding the succession are primarily based on different interpretations of the events in early Islamic history as well as of hadiths (sayings of Muhammad). "He stood up to the caliph's very large army on the battlefield. [206] At the same time, in Shia theology, this designated successor would not rule by force if the faithful withhold their support. [37] During this time period Madelung says that Ali could see nothing but hypocrisy in Abu Bakr's tears and his claims to love Muhammad's family. [61], Abu Bakr adopted the title of khalifat rasul Allah, commonly translated as the successor to the messenger of God. After the Hajj, Muhammad set off on the return journey from Mecca to Medina, accompanied by a large number of pilgrims. It's rooted in the word Sunnah meaning tradition. Muhammad regarded himself as the last prophet of the Judaic-Christian tradition, and he adopted the theology of these older religions while introducing new doctrines. There he encountered hundreds of thousands of Muslims from all parts of Arabia and beyond. When the Prophet - the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - died his head was on my chest, and his (last) breath blew over my palms and I passed it over my face. Split, 5. ambiguity. A smaller group thought that someone from his family should take up his mantle. The succession to Muhammad is the central issue that split the Muslim community into several divisions in the first century of Islamic history, the most prominent among these sects being the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam. Later it was buried there. [131] For instance, the Sunni al-Razi (d.606/1210) holds that wilaya in this verse is nothing more than friendship or mutual support. [81] Immediately after his election, Ali quelled an armed insurrection led by Aisha, a widow of Muhammad, and Talhah and Zubayr. [230] After Hasan's death, his brother, Husayn, and nine of his descendants are regarded as Imams, the last of whom, Mahdi, went into occultation in 260 AH (874 CE), compelled by the hostility of his enemies. [21] These three companions were the only members of the Muhajirun in the Saqifa meeting, possibly accompanied by some relatives and servants. The war continued with Ali's son, Hussein, leading the Shiites. [218] In Medina, Ali sworn a pact a brotherhood with Muhammad and later took the hand of Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah, in marriage. [72] Uthman installed his relatives, including his cousin, Muawiya, to rule the Islamic territories. The violence and war split the small community of Muslims into two branches that would never reunite. hide caption. [106] The Shia al-Kulayni (d.329/941) adds that Moses' successor Joshua later designated the progeny of Aaron to succeed him instead of his own or Moses'. [17][20], When they found out about the meeting via an informant,[16] Abu Bakr and Umar rushed to the Saqifa, accompanied by Abu Ubaida. [223], In Shia theology, while direct revelation ended with Muhammad's death, Ali remained the righteous guide towards God, similar to the successors of the past prophets in the Quran. The death of Prophet Muhammed (p) was the first historical crisis faced by the Islamic community.
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