The Prophet asked all the nobles present...

The Prophet asked all the nobles present, ‘Who amongst you shall support me in this matter and be my brother, the executor of my will (wasi), and my successor (caliph)?’ All the listeners, with the exception of Ali, who was the youngest among them, kept silent.

Ali (pbuh) responded by saying, ‘I will be your helper, O prophet of God.’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) then put his hand on the back of Ali’s neck and said, ‘This is my brother, executor of my will and successor, therefore, listen to him and obey him.’ This event has been narrated by many sunni scholars including al-Tabari.

On many occasions the Prophet declared that Ali was to him like Harun was to Musa (pbut), that is, a brother and successor, but there would be no prophet-hood after Muhammad.[^2] Finally, when returning to Madinah after the final pilgrimage, the Prophet received revelation: ‘O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you do not do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people ...’ (Surah 5, al-Maidah, verse 67).

What was this message that was central to the faith, so much so that if it had not been delivered it would be as if the prophetic mission was not complete? We come to find what it was from the Prophet’s actions that followed this revelation. He stopped at an oasis at Khumm, and gathered all the pilgrims numbering over one hundred thousand.

He then delivered a speech in which he stated to the pilgrims: It seems the time has approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things and if you adhere to them both, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny, that is, my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)....

Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves? (The people answered yes, so the Prophet continued).. For whoever I am his Leader (maula), Ali is his Leader (maula).

O God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him .[^3] Following this, we are told that the final revelation of the Quran ever to descend came from Allah – ‘Today I have perfected your religion and completed my favour upon you, and I am satisfied that Islam be your religion.’ (Surah 5, al-Maidah verse 3).