2 GHADIR (THE POND OF) KHUMM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE (1)significance new docx

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2. GHADĪR (THE POND OF) KHUMM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE (1) The pool (ghadir) in the valley of Khumm known as “Ghadīr Khumm” )‫ ( َغ ِديْر ُخ ّم‬is situated about 5 kms from alJaḥfah (al-Juḥfah) between Makkah and Medinah. In this place on the 18 of Dhul-Hijjah 10 AH (16 March 632 CE) the Prophet was said to have given his well-known sermon which, according to the Shi‘ah interpretation, he appointed ‘Ali as his successor.

This event is the strongest evidence of the appointment of Ali as his successor, so that the appointment of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman by Muslims as his successors is considered the usurpation of Allah’s divine decree and disobedience of the Prophet’s command.

To commemorate this important event the Shi’is have a yearly celebration called “Eid al-Ghadir” which is considered by them “is one of the most important days of rejoicing for Shia Muslims around the world as that was the day our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) declared Hazrat Ali’s vicegerency at Ghadir e Khumm on his return from his last pilgrimage…” 1 According to the Shi’ah tradition the Prophet after completing his pilgrimage he and the crowd of people reached the valley of Khumm (‫) َغ ِديْر ُخ ّم‬. In this place people coming from different provinces greeted each other then took different routes for their homes. Here the Prophet said: "It seems the time 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, which is my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."

In a ḥadīth narrated by al-Barrā’ ibn ‘Āzib that he and other people were travelling with the Prophet where they 1

http://www.amaana.org/gadhir/gadhir1.htm

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stopped at Ghadīr Khumm and prayed combined prayer. Then he said: ‫ِين مِنْ أَ ْنفُسِ ِه ْم َقالُوا َب َلى َقا َل‬ َ ‫ُون أَ ِّني أَ ْولَى ِب ْالم ُْؤ ِمن‬ َ ‫أَلَسْ ُت ْم َتعْ لَم‬ ‫ُون أَ ِّني أَ ْولَى ِب ُك ِّل م ُْؤمِن مِنْ َن ْفسِ ِه ؟ َقالُوا َبلَى َقا َل َفأ َ َخ َذ‬ َ ‫أَلَسْ ُت ْم َتعْ لَم‬ ُ ‫ِب َي ِد َعلِي َف َقا َل َمنْ ُك ْن‬ ‫ال َمنْ َو َاَلهُ َو َعا ِد‬ ِ ‫ت َم ْو َ​َلهُ َف َعلِي َم ْو َ​َلهُ اللَّ ُه َّم َو‬ ‫ك َف َقا َل َهنِي ًئا َيا اب َْن أَ ِبي َطالِب‬ َ ِ‫ َقا َل َفلَ ِق َي ُه ُع َم ُر َبعْ َد َذل‬.ُ‫َمنْ َعا َداه‬ َ ‫ت َوأَ ْم َسي‬ َ ْ‫أَصْ َبح‬ )‫ْت َم ْولَى ُك ِّل م ُْؤمِن َوم ُْؤ ِم َنة (رواه أحمد‬

“Don’t you know that I have more right (awlā) over thebelievers than what they have over themselves?"2 "Yes, O Messenger of Allah," they replied. Then he held up the hand of Ali, and said: “He of whomever I am the Mawla (Master ), Ali is his Mawla (Master).

O Allah, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him.” Then al-Barrā’ said that ‘Umar met him later and said to him: “Congratulation, O Ibn Abi Talib! Today you have become the mawla (leader) of all believing men and women."

(Reported by Ahmad) In Shi’ah tradition the Prophet said that he was leaving among them two things, that if they adhere to both of them, they would never go astray after him: the Book of Allah and his select progeny, namely his family (ahl al-bayt).3 It is also mentioned that the Prophet told them to treat both of them carefully, and they would perish if they stay away from them.

He also said that Ali was his brother, his waṣī (executor, This is an echo of the following Qur’anic verse: ‫ِين مِنْ أَ ْنفُسِ ِه ْم‬ َ ‫ال َّن ِبي أَ ْولَى ِب ْالم ُْؤ ِمن‬ )6:‫ (األحزاب‬...‫“ َوأَ ْز َواجُ ُه أ ُ َّم َها ُت ُه ْم‬The Prophet is closer (awlā) to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their (believers’) mothers (as rregards respect and marriage…” (Q. 33:6) 2

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Similar ḥadīth was also reported by Aḥmad, but instead of ‘itraty (“my selected progeny”) the Prophet mentioned his sunnah, namely, the hadiths of the Prophet, in Sunni traditions.

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commissioner), his successor, and the imām (leader) after him.

Ali’s position to him was like that of Hārūn (Aaron) to Moses, except that no prophet came after him, and that Ali was their master after Allah and His Messenger.

The Prophet also told them to obey Ali as their imam, his word was binding, his order was obligatory, and his command should be obeyed, and curse would be the man who disobeyed him.

These ḥadīths according to the Shi’is clearly indicate that the Prophet had appointed Ali to be is successor in leading the Muslim community. They say that the Prophet had been ordered by Allah to announce his succession when He revealed to him in this place, Ghadir Khumm, the following verse: ُ َ َ ‫ َوإِن لَّ ْم َت ْف َع ْل َف َما َبلَّ ْغ‬, ‫ك‬ , ‫ت ِر َسا َل َت ُه‬ َ ‫ك مِن رَّ ِّب‬ َ ‫نز َل إِ َل ْي‬ ِ ‫َيا أي َها الرَّ سُو ُل َبلِّ ْغ َما أ‬ )66:‫ين (المائدة‬ َ ‫ إِنَّ اللَّـ َه َ​َل َي ْهدِي ْال َق ْو َم ْال َكاف ِ​ِر‬, ‫اس‬ َ ‫َواللَّـ ُه َيعْ صِ ُم‬ ِ ‫ك م َِن ال َّن‬ O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith. (5:67( The last sentence in the above verse indicates that the Prophet s.a.w. was mindful of the reaction of his people in delivering that message, but Allah informed him not to worry, for He will protect His Messenger from people.

They claim that the intended message was the proclamation of the appointment of Ali as his successor.

Moreover, immediately after doing it, Allah revealed to him this verse: ُ ِ‫ْت َعلَ ْي ُك ْم نِعْ َمتِي َو َرض‬ ُ ‫ت لَ ُك ْم دِي َن ُك ْم َوأَ ْت َمم‬ ُ ‫ْال َي ْو َم أَ ْك َم ْل‬ ‫يت‬ )3:‫(المائدة‬... ‫اْلسْ َ​َل َم دِي ًنا‬ ِ ْ ‫لَ ُك ُم‬ "Today I have perfected your religion and completed my favour upon you, and I was satisfied that Islam be your religion." (Qur'an 5:3)

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This means, in their view, after proclaiming Ali to be his immediate successor in leading the Muslim community, Islam becomes perfect. When the Prophet was still in ‘Arafah, Islam was not yet complete, because the Prophet had not announced Ali his immediate successor there.

It is also mentioned in the Shi‘ah tradition that on the day of Ghadir the Prophet summoned people toward 'Ali and said: "Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla." The news spread quickly and reached Ḥārith Ibn Nu‘mān al-Fahrī (or Nadhr Ibn Ḥārith according to another tradition). He rode his camel and came to Madinah and went to the Prophet s.a.w. and said to him: "You commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah, and we obeyed you. You ordered us to perform the prayers five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during the month of Ramadhan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to Makkah and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin by your hand and imposed him upon us as our master by saying `Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla.' Is this imposition from Allah or from you?"

The Prophet s.a.w. said : "By Allah who is the only deity!

This is from Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious."

On hearing this Harith turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying: "O Allah! If what Muhammad said is correct then fling on us a stone from the sky and subject us to severe pain and torture." He had not reached his shecamel when Allah, who is above all defects, flung at him a stone which struck him on his head, penetrated his body and passed out through his lower body and left him dead. It was on this occasion that Allah, the exalted, caused to descend the following verses: . ‫ْس لَ ُه َدافِع‬ َ ‫ين لَي‬ َ ‫ ل ِْل َكاف ِ​ِر‬. ‫َسأ َ َل َسائِل ِب َع َذاب َواقِع‬ )3-1:‫ار ِج‬ ِ َّ ‫م َِن‬ ِ ‫ار ِج ( ْال َم َع‬ ِ ‫ّللا ذِي ْال َم َع‬

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"A questioner questioned about the punishment to fall. For the disbelievers there is nothing to avert it, from Allah the Lord of the Ascent." (70:1-3) Although the existence of the above ḥadīths and many similar ones are acknowledged by some and not all Sunnī scholars, such as Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal in his Musnad, they say that they are only indicating the Prophet’s urging the audience to hold his cousin Ali in high esteem and affection.

Among the Sunni arguments are as follows: The term mawlā )‫ ( َم ْولى‬or walī )‫(ولِي‬ َ has many meanings, such as: master, lord, client, patron, friend, partner, ally, associate, helper, benefactor, sponsor, close associate, relative, protector, legal guardian, tutor, etc. It is said that the term mawlā itself has 27 different meanings. Therefore, the meaning intended in the ḥadīths mentioned above is ambiguous. Had the Prophet meant it a successor in leading the Muslim community immediately after him, he would have used the clear term, such as: īmām (leader), amīr (emir), khalīfah (caliph), sulṭān (sultan), and ulī’l-amr (rulers) rather than mawla and wali which have many meanings.

2. According to Sunnī Qur’an commentators, the injunction to convey and proclaim the message which has been revealed to him by Allah in the above verse (Q. 5:67) is in general term, namely, the whole message, not specified with the proclamation of Ali as his successor claimed by the Shi‘is.

Not conveying a single message would mean that he had not conveyed the whole message. Allah promised to protect him from his enemy the non-believers who always wanted to harm him. Before this verse was revealed the Prophet was being guarded. Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal recorded that one night the Prophet said to his wife ‘Ā’ishah: “Would that a pious man from my companions guard me tonight.”

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When she heard the clatter of arms, the Prophet asked: “What is that?”

“I am Sa‘d ibn Mālik (Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ),” answered the man.

“What brought you here?,” asked the Prophet.

“I have come to guard you, O Messenger of Allah!” answered the man.

When the verse “And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief)” was revealed to him he told his companions to stop guarding him, as Allah had promised to protect him. Among those who used to guard him at night were his uncle al-‘Abbās, and ‘Iṣmah ibn Mālik al-Khaẓmī.

The verse was revealed when the Prophet arrived Madinah when he needed protection from non-Muslims in it, not in Gadīr Khumm when he needed protection from his followers in proclaiming his cousin Ali as his immediate successor. Further Sunnī arguments will be dealt with in the next khuṭbah, in shā Allāh.

(CIVIC, 30 September, 2016) :‫المكتبة الشاملة‬ (‫ هـ‬313 .‫تفسير الطبري )ت‬ (‫ هـ‬661 .‫تفسير القرطبى )ت‬ (‫ هـ‬667 .‫تفسير ابن كثير )ت‬ htps://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/incident.htm htps://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/incident.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadith_of_the_pond_of_Khumm http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo9780195390155/obo-97801953 http://www.dd-sunnah.net/forum/showthread.php?p =553768#post55376 https://gift2shias.com/2013/10/24/hadith-of-ghadir-khumm-asunni-perspective/ http://www.amaana.org/gadhir/gadhir1.htm