Two factors hastened its assembly and emergence...

Two factors hastened its assembly and emergence: the first was the news of the Prophet’s impending death; and second was the Prophet’s repeated orders that ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib was to succeed him in leading the Muslim ummah.[^2] In the tenth year of the Hijrah (632 CE), the day came when the Prophet stunned the ummah by indicating that he would soon leave the world while returning from his first and last pilgrimage, forever known as the “Farewell Pilgrimage.” Surrounded by over 100,000 hujjaj (pilgrims) in the blazing heat, near the oasis pond of Ghadir Khum,[^3] the Prophet was intercepted with a revelation that forced him to stop the pilgrims in their track to hear a new revelation from Allah.

(5:67) After revealing this verse, the Prophet then gave his famous last sermon known as Khutbatul Widah (The Farewell Sermon).

After praising God, the Prophet openly spoke to the pilgrims that the Angel Gabriel had reviewed the Holy Qur’an with him twice that year instead of once, and this was a sign that his time of death was near.[^4] Then the critical question was at hand, the Prophet asked the pilgrims if he had more authority ( wilayah ) over the believers than they had over themselves, to which they all replied, “yes.” Then the Prophet raised the hand of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib and said, “Whosoever’s master ( mawla ) I am, this ‘Ali is also his master ( man kuntu mawlahu fa hadha Aliyun mawlahu ).” The order was sealed and ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib became the Prophet’s successor by Divine order.

At this point, the Prophet publicly took the oaths from those present, including Abu Bakr, ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab,[^5] Ammar Ibn Yasir, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Salman al-Farsi, al-Miqdaad Ibn al-Aswad, and Abdullah Ibn al-Abbas. Some even approached ‘Ali to congratulate him personally, like ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, who said, “Congratulations Ibn Abi Talib!

Today you became the leader ( mawla ) of all believing men and women.”[^6] An excerpt of the Prophet’s farewell sermon: It is probable that I will be called soon and I will respond.