With the revelation of the verse...

(Qur'an, 5:67) *** The Prophet (S) held Ali’s (a.s.) hand, and raising him high, he proclaimed, مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلاهُ فَهذا عَلِيٌّ مَوْلاهُ The Holy Prophet (S) appointed Ali (a.s.) as his legatee in a very lucid manner. The Prophet (S) fell sick and on Monday, he rested his head on Ali’s (a.s.) chest and expired. As a duty, Ali (a.s.) along with just a few of his close friends and relatives were engaged in giving Ghusl (ceremonial bath) to the Prophet (S) and shrouding him.

At that very moment, the Ansars had gathered at Saqifa Bani Saaedah for paying allegiance to Sa.’d ibn Ubadah and for appointing him as the Prophet’s (S) successor. Among the Muhajirs, the Quraish dashed to Saqifa. Once there, they claimed their right for the caliphate and argued, “The Prophet was from the Quraish. (So) the Arabs will not allow the caliphate to fall in the hands of the non- Quraish.

“ The Muhajir Quraishites achieved their objective through this dispute, and paid allegiance to Abu Bakr! They said to each other, “If anyone from the Prophet’s (S) Ahle-bait becomes the Caliph, then nobody else will get a chance of attaining the caliphate ever. Allow the caliphate to rotate amongst the Quraish families so that every tribe of Quraish gets a chance (to rule). “ The group that paid allegiance to Abu Bakr took him around the streets till dawn (to introduce him as the new Caliph).

They brought whomsoever they met on their way before Abu Bakr and urged him to pay allegiance to the Caliph. Thus passed the black Monday in Islamic history. On Tuesday, they took Abu Bakr to the Prophet’s (S) mosque and made him sit on the Prophet’s (S) pulpit and paid allegiance to him for the second time. Thereafter, Abu Bakr and Umar delivered sermons and the people recited their prayers behind the former. This was the manner in which allegiance to Abu Bakr came to an end on Tuesday.