ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Then I was Guided The Reasons Behind the Enlightment The reasons behind my enlightenment are many, but I shall only mention a few of them here: The text regarding the succession to the Caliphate I have committed myself, before embarking on this study, to never depending on any reference unless it is considered authentic by the two parties, and to discarding those references that are solely referred to by only one of the parties.

Thus, I shall investigate the idea regarding the preference between Abu Bakr and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and that the succession of the caliphate was by written text (Dictate) for ‘Ali, as the Shiites claim, and not by election and Shura (consultation) as the Sunnis claim.

Any researcher in this subject, if he considers nothing but the truth, will find that the text in support of ‘Ali is very clear, like the following saying by the Messenger of Allah: Whoever considers me his master, then ‘Ali is his master.

He said it at the end of the Farewell Pilgrimage, when it was confirmed that ‘Ali would succeed, and many people congratulated him on that, including Abu Bakr and Umar who were among the well-wishers, and who were quoted as having said to the Imam, Well done, Ibn Abi Talib, overnight you have become a master of all the believers."[^1] This text has been agreed on by both Shiites and Sunnis, and in fact I have only referred in this study to some Sunni references and not to all of them, for they are so many.

If the reader wants more information, he may read "al-Ghadir" by al-Amini (thirteen Volumes) in which the writer classifies the sayings of the Prophet according to the Sunnis. As for the alleged popular election of Abu Bakr on "The Day of al-Saqifah" and his subsequent acclamation in the mosque; it seems that it was just an allegation without foundation. How could it be by popular agreement when so many people were absent during the acclamation?

People like: ‘Ali, al-Abbas, most of the house of Bani Hashim, Usama ibn Zayd, al-Zubayr, Salman al-Farisi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, Ammar ibn Yasir, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman, Khuzayma ibn Thabit, Abu Burayd al-Aslami, al-Bura ibn Azib, Abu Ka'b, Sahl ibn Hanif, Saad ibn Ubada, Qays ibn Saad, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Jabir ibn Saad, Khalid ibn Saad, and many others.[^2] So where was the alleged popular agreement?