Wherever the light of Islam shone for the first time...

Wherever the light of Islam shone for the first time, however much or little it shone, he always appointed a worthy administrator for that place to look after its affairs. For armies which he sent off on jihad he appointed a specific commander of the troops, and he sometimes appointed several persons as assistant leaders to the commander, so that if one was killed, the army would not be without a commander.

Thus we know of persons whom the Prophet appointed as his deputies and representatives whenever he travelled from Medina so that Medina should not be without a leader m his absence The Shi'ites ask how, with this evidence, it is consistent with the wisdom of the Prophet (S) that he should die without appointing a successor. Which of the following possibilities accords with reason: Was Islamic society, after the death of the Prophet (S) not in need of a leader again?

Or did the Prophet (S) attach no importance to the community of Muslims after he had gone? Or were concern and prudence something he could do nothing about? Or did he not know who was the most worthy successor? Which of these possibilities accords with reason? With his all-embracing love, and the signs of leadership and determining of duties which he gave to the Muslims in all the ups and downs of their lives, how could the Prophet of Islam (S) not give an order on this great matter?

In the light of these realities, the followers the Imams proceeded to investigate the first and original texts and documents of Islam, and in this investigation they came across an enormous quantity of sources, which their Islamic wisdom and consciences judged to be the most important, and they arrived at this result: that there are dear, sufficient, exact orders from the Prophet (S) about the detailing of a successor: the ayah of wildcat, the hadith of Ghadir, the hadith of Safinah, the hadith of Thaqalayn, and many more, all of which 'are tested, explained and examined with great details in these great books.

From all these we shall select the hadith of Ghadir and we shall seek to judge its value in an unprejudiced manner. The Historical Hadith of Ghadir In the tenth year of the hijrah, the Prophet (S) set out for Mecca to perform the rites of Hajj. This H. ad was under taken in the last years of the dear Prophet's life and for this reason history has given it the name of the “Farewell Hajj” (hijjah al- wida').