If Imam said...

If Imam said: “O people, the Messenger of Allah has committed caliphate to me at Ghadir Khumm”, this wouldn’t have had that influence and impression upon the hearts and minds of the attendants, and they would have surely disputed with him due to the silence he kept throughout all that period.

But when he said: I appeal to every Muslim, who heard what the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH) declared on the day of Ghadir Khumm, to stand up and give witness, so as to make the incident reported through a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH), by thirty among whom were sixteen men attending Badr (Battle).

In this way, Imam closed the door before the deniers and sceptics, and those protesting against his keeping silent all that period, since keeping silence by these thirty men, who were the magnates among the , would be strong evidence indicating the preciousness of the situation, and that silence implying the interest of Islam as known by all. To be continued! NOTES: ______________________________________________ 1.

This incident reveals the presence of some of the Bedouins living outside al-Madinah, who detest ‘Ali…