ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Leading The Ummah Chapter 12: The Logic Of The Ansar And The Muhajirin So far we have read the Saqifah event fairly carefully. We must now analyze the logic behind its planning. The significant points of this gathering could be summed up in the following manner: The holy Quran orders the believers to unite and to solve their problems collectively.

The purpose behind this significant Islamic order is for the rational scholars to come together in a quiet atmosphere and discuss different affairs without prejudice. But was the Saqifah convention really without prejudice? Did the wise members of the Islamic community gather together in this convention? Did they try to solve the problems of caliphate through discussion? The course of action was quite the opposite.

In this so-called “gathering” there were only three members of Muhajirs present and even these three had not informed the others, in order to keep them in the dark. Could then such a gathering in which great personalities of Islam, such as Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) Salman, Abizar, Meqdad, Hozaifeh, Ibn Abi Kaab, Talhah, Zobayr and tens others, were not present, be called a counseling gathering?

Was it the right thing to convene such a short meeting on such a significant issue while the candidates for Ansar were beaten up? Or should such a vital gathering have been convened several times so that the Islamic scholars and dignitaries could have expressed their views and could have elected their true leader with more deliberation?

Abu Bakr's election for caliphate in such a hurry was so baseless and opposable that Omar was heard later to have said: “كانت بيعة أبي بكر فلتة ...” “Abu Bakr's election was nothing more than a coincidence; it was not done with deliberation. From now on you are to kill anybody who invites you for a similar action”[^1]. Another important issue is the people’s logic.

Muhajir's reasonings revolved around two issues: One was their ability to pioneer in accepting the Prophet's religion; and the second one was their kinship with the Prophet. If these two items distinguished them from others, then Abu Bakr should not have misused Omar and Abu Obaydah in this political game because there were other dignitaries in Medina who had accepted the Prophet's religion much earlier than the two and were even closer to the Prophet than them.

Ali (as) was the first to believe in the Prophet. He was his close relative, honest disciple, and son-in-law.