ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Analysis of the History of Aale Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) Terrible Consequences As is evident from our discussion, the superiority and caliphate of Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) was an established matter - but it's a pity that this issue caused adverse consequences.

Thus, when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) expired, while Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) was busy with the funeral arrangements, the event of Saqifah Bani Saaedah occurred and Caliphate was transferred to Abu Bakr, even though all the companions were aware of its adverse effects in the future. Thus Imam Muhammad Bukhari in Sahih Bukhari describes the events surrounding the last illness of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) in the following words: Ibn Abbas said, "Thursday!

What (a great calamity) took place on Thursday!" Then he started weeping till his tears moistened the gravels of the ground. Then he said, "On Thursday the illness of Allah's Apostle was aggravated and he said, "Fetch me a pen and ink so that I may write something for you, after whom you will never go astray." The people (present there) differed in this matter and people should not differ before a prophet.

They said, "Allah's Apostle is seriously sick." The Prophet said, "Let me alone, as the state in which I am now, is better than what you are calling me for." No one can deny the hadith quoted above. Many of the Sunni and Shia scholars have recorded this tradition and also commented upon it. The greatest commentator of Bukhari, Allamah Aini and the Commentator of Mishkat and Mirqat, Allamah Ali al-Qari, has written exegesis of this tradition.

But they have not dared to comment upon its after effects and instead blindly followed their predecessors. However we shall examine it in brief: This incident had such disastrous effects on the world of Islam that even today the minds of Muslims are not free from its impact. For if the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had indeed written a bequest specifying his chosen successor, the Muslim nation would not have been torn apart into sects till the day of Qiyamat. They would have been safe from deviation.

But Umar did not allow the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to fulfill his wishes and said, "The intensity of fever have overcome the Prophet (s.a.) and Quran is sufficient for us." Here we pose a question to Umar al-Khattab, "When Abu Bakr was writing the will to appoint you as the Caliph, why did you not say, 'Quran is sufficient for us, there is no need to write anything else'?