Hadith of the pond of Khumm
Encyclopedia
- This is a sub-article to the Succession to MuhammadSuccession to MuhammadThe Succession to Muhammad concerns the various aspects of successorship of Muhammad after his death, comprising who might be considered as his successor to lead the Muslims, how that person should be elected, the conditions of legitimacy, and the role of successor...
The Hadith of the pond of Khumm refers to the saying (i.e. Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
) about a historical event crucial to Islamic history. This event took place on 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah
Dhu al-Hijjah
Dhu al-Ḥijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar.This is a very sacred month in the Islamic calendar, marking the end of the year. It is in this month in which the Hajj takes place....
of 10 AH in the Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
( March 10, 632 AD) at a place called Ghadir Khumm
Ghadir Khumm
Wadi Rabigh is a wadi situated inland of the town of Rabigh, extending along the border of the Al Madinah and Makkah provinces of Saudi Arabia....
, which is located near the city of al-Juhfah, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and was a place where people from different provinces used to greet each other before taking different routes for their homes.
Shia Muslims believe this event to be an appointment of Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
by Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as his successor (Political and Religious). Sunni Muslims have two different points of view; one is that the appointment occurred the day when Ali's only spiritual authority was announced, while others believe that it was only a defense of Ali in the face of unjust criticism.
Background Context
A few months before his death, Muhammad – living in the city of MedinaMedina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
– made his last religious pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in a trip referred to as The Farewell Pilgrimage
The Farewell Pilgrimage
The Farewell Pilgrimage was the last and only Hajj pilgrimage the Islamic prophet Muhammad participated in, in 632 CE .-Preparations:...
. There, atop Mount Arafat
Mount Arafat
Mount Arafat or Mount Arafah is a granite hill east of Mecca. It is also known as the Mount of Mercy . The hill is the place Muslims believe the Islamic prophet Muhammad stood and delivered the Farewell Sermon to the Muslims who had accompanied him for the Hajj towards the end of his life...
, he addressed the Muslim masses in what came to be known as The Farewell Sermon
The Farewell Sermon
The Farewell Sermon , also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or The Last Sermon, was delivered by Muhammad on the 9th Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat The Farewell Sermon , also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or The Last Sermon, was delivered by Muhammad on the 9th...
. After completion of the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, or religious pilgrimage, Muhammad turned back towards his home in Medina.
The Revelation of Qur'anic Verse
following which Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
stopped at the pond of Khumm and delivered a sermon. Prominent narrators of traditions have attributed the revelation of this verse to be in relation to Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
on the occasion of Ghadeer Khumm
The exact meaning of the sermon is a matter of much dispute; While Shia Muslims believe that through this sermon, Muhammad nominated Ali to be his successor, Sunni Muslims disagree about the authenticity of some of the statements of the sermon and also disagree on the interpretations.
The Hadith
On the way back to Medina, he ordered his Companions to stop at Ghadeer Khum and delivered a sermon of which, a brief version is quoted below,Then he said,
Another similar narration of the Hadith goes as follows
Citations from Sunni Sources
The above hadith has been cited in various Sunni sources including:- Ahmad ibn HanbalAhmad ibn HanbalAhmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh...
in Musnad Ahmad ibn HanbalMusnad Ahmad ibn HanbalMusnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal is a collection of Hadith collected by the famous Sunni scholar Ibn Hanbal to whom the Hanbali madhab of Sunnis is attributed.-Description:... - Al-Nasa'iAl-Nasa'iAl-Nasā'ī , full name Aḥmad ibn Shu`ayb ibn Alī ibn Sīnān Abū `Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Nasā'ī, was a noted collector of hadith , and wrote one of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan al-Sughra, or "Al-Mujtaba", which he selected from his "As-Sunan al-Kubra"...
in Al-Khasa'is - Ibn AsakirIbn Asakir-Name:His full name was Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Hibat Allah ibn `Abd Allah, Thiqat al-Din, Abu al-Qasim, known as Ibn `Asakir al-Dimashqi al-Shafi`i al-Ash`ari.-Works:...
in The History of Damascus - Ali ibn al-AthirAli ibn al-AthirAbu al-Hassan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad, better known as Ali 'Izz al-Din Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari was a Kurdish Muslim historian from the Ibn Athir family...
in Usud al-Ghabah fi Ma'rifah al-Sahabah - Ibnul-Maghazili’s Manaqib
- Ibn MajaIbn MajaAbū ʻAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Rabʻī al-Qazwīnī , commonly known as Ibn Mājah, was a medieval scholar of hadith...
in Sunan ibn Majah - Majma al-Zawa'idMajma al-Zawa'idMajma' al-Zawa'id wa Manba' al-Fawa'id is a secondary hadith collection written by Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami . It compiles the 'unique' hadith of earlier primary collections-Al-Zawa'id:...
- Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Kanji ash-Shafii in "Kifayat at-Talib"
- Ibn Hajar al-AsqalaniIbn Hajar al-AsqalaniAl-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin , was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith...
in Al-Isaba - Ibn Abi al-Hadid in Sharh Nahjul Balagha
- Hafiz Abu Nuaim in Hilayatul Awliya
- Al-Khatib al-BaghdadiAl-Khatib al-BaghdadiAbu Bakr Ahmad ibn `Ali ibn Thabit ibn Ahmad ibn Mahdi al-Shafi`i, commonly known as al-Khatib al-Baghdadi or the lecturer from Baghdad , was a Sunni Muslim scholar and historian.-Early life:...
in The History of Baghdad - Al-Kuna wa al-Asma
- Mushkil ul-Athar
- Al-TirmidhiAl-TirmidhiTirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī...
in Sunan al-TirmidhiSunan al-TirmidhiJāmi` al-Tirmidhi , popularly and mistakenly Sunan al-Tirmidhi , is one of the Sunni Six major Hadith collections. It was collected by Abu 'Eesa Muhammad ibn 'Eesa al-Tirmidhi.-Title:... - Muwazihul-Awham
- Ibn KathirIbn KathirIsmail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
in Al-Kafi ash-Shafi - Ibn KathirIbn KathirIsmail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
in Tafsir ibn KathirTafsir ibn KathirTafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim, popularly Tafsir ibn Kathir , is a classic Sunni Islam tafsir by Ibn Kathir.... - Al-TabaraniAl-TabaraniAbu al-Qasim Sulaiman ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Tabarani was born sometime in 260 AH and lived until 360 AH . He narrated numerous aḥadīth.-Students:...
in Al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer - Ibn KathirIbn KathirIsmail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
in Al-Bidaya wa'l-NihayaAl-Bidaya wa'l-Nihayaal-Bidayah wa'an-Nihayah or Tarikh ibn Kathir is a classic work by the Sunni scholar Ibn Kathir.-Overview:... - Hakim al-NishaburiHakim al-NishaburiAbu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishaburi , and also known as Ibn Al-Baiyi.) was a Sunni scholar and the leading traditionist of his age, frequently referred to as the "Imam of the Muhaddithin" or the "Muhaddith of Khorasan."-Biography:Al-Hakim, who hailed from Nishapur, had vast...
in Al-Mustadrak alaa al-SahihainAl-Mustadrak alaa al-SahihainAl-Mustadrak alaa al-Sahihain is a five volume hadith collection written by Hakim al-Nishaburi d. 405H.-History:He wrote it in the year 393 AH , when he was 72 years old. It contains 9045 hadith... - Talkhis al-Mustadrak
- Arjah ul-Matalib
- Al-Khawarizmi’s Manaqib
- Al-TabaraniAl-TabaraniAbu al-Qasim Sulaiman ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Tabarani was born sometime in 260 AH and lived until 360 AH . He narrated numerous aḥadīth.-Students:...
in Al-Mu'jam As-Saghir - Ibn Abi Hatim in Al-Jarh wa at-Ta’dil
- Al-DhahabiAl-DhahabiMuhammad ibn Ahmad ibn `Uthman ibn Qaymaz ibn `Abd Allah, Shams al-Din Abu `Abd Allah al-Turkmani al-Diyarbakri al-Fariqi al-Dimashqi al-Dhahabi al-Shafi`i , known as Al-Dhahabi , a Shafi'i Muhaddith and historian of Islam.-Biography:...
in The History of Islam - Al-JuwayniAl-JuwayniImam al-Haramayn Dhia' ul-Din Abd al-Malik ibn Yusuf al-Juwayni al-Shafi'i was a Sunni Shafi'i hadith and Kalam scholar...
in Fara'id al-SimtaynFara'id al-SimtaynFara'id al-Simtayn is a Shia hadith collection by the Shia scholar Ibrahim b Muhammad b Himaway al Juwayni who died in 1322 AD/ 722 AH..... - al-Hasaqani in Du’atul-Hudat
- Ibn QutaybahIbn QutaybahIbn Qutaybah was a renowned Islamic scholar of Persian origin.-Biography:His full name is Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullaah bin Muslim Ibn Qutaybah Ad-Dinawaree. He was born in Kufa in what is now modern day Iraq. He was of Iranian descent; his father was from Merv...
in Al-Imama wa al-SiyasaAl-Imama wa al-SiyasaAl-Imama wa al-Siyasa is an Arabic work falsely attributed to the Sunni Islamic scholar Ibn Qutaybah about the history of Islam.This book is traditionally known as Ta’rikh al-Khulafa’ .-Editions:*ed. Zini Taha , 21.... - Ahmad in Manaqib
- Mizanul-I’tidal
Abd Al Husayn Amini
Abd Al Husayn Amini
Abd al-Husayn Ahmad al-Amini al-Najafi Iranian Shia scholar and the writer of Al Ghadir born in Tabriz in 1320 AH .He succeeded his primary educations in Tabriz and then traveled to Najaf to continue his studies. After a while he came back to Tabriz again...
, Iranian
Iranian
Iranian is of, from, or related to the nation of Iran .* Iranian or Persian people who are persons from the nation of Iran/Persia, or of Iranian descent...
Shia scholar also has gathered narrations of more than 110 companions (Sahaba)of Muhammad, as well as 40 followers of the prophet about this event in his book named Al Ghadir.
Oath of Allegiance by Umar and Gabriel's advice to him
On the completion of Muhammad's sermon, Umar al-Khattab said, "Congratulations to you, Ali! This morning has brought you a great blessing. Today you have become the master of all believing men and women". At a later occasion when Umar was asked about his special treatment to Ali as compared to other companions, his reply was, "He is my master."Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani
Mir Syed Ali bin Shahab-ud-Din Hamadani was a Persian Sūfī of the Kubrāwī order, a poet and a prominent Muslim scholar. He was born on Monday, 12th Rajab 714 AH in Hamadan and died in 786 AH in Kunar and was buried in Khatlan...
, a Shafi'i
Shafi'i
The Shafi'i madhhab is one of the schools of fiqh, or religious law, within the Sunni branch of Islam. The Shafi'i school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shafi'i.-Principles:...
scholar, writes in his book, Mawaddat al-Qurba in Mawadda 5, that many companions quoted Umar in different places as having said that the Prophet made Ali the chief and leader of the nation and that the Prophet announced publicly that Ali was their master. Umar was also quoted saying that on the day of that announcement, a handsome youth was sitting besides him and that the youth said to him, "Surely, the Prophet has bound a covenant which none but a hypocrite would break. So Umar! Avoid breaking it." When Umar told Muhammad about the incident, Muhammad said that the youth was not of Adam's progeny but was Gabriel and was stressing the point about Ali.
Mu’awiyah is reminded about Ghadeer
When ‘Mu’awiyah arrived (in Mecca) during one of his pilgrimages, accordingly, Sa’d came to see him, and they happened to mention Ali. He (Mu’awiyah) thus diminished Ali. As a result, Sa’d became angry and said: ‘You are speaking of this man! I have heard the Messenger of Allah - peace and salutation of Allah be upon him - declare (On the day of Ghadeer) : ‘Of whomsoever I am the master, then Ali is his master. I have (also) heard him say: “You AliAli
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
are to me in position that Harun
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
was to Musa
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, except that there is no prophet after me (See Hadith of position
Hadith of position
Hadith al-Manzilah is a Hadith in Islam.It is one of the primary hadiths used by the Shia to justify Ali's right in the Succession of Muhammad. The Sunnis however, interpret it otherwise....
). And I have heard him announce: ‘Today I am indeed going to hand over the banner to a person who loves Allah and his Messenger".
Sunni Explanation
The Sunni version of the hadith states that Ali was accused of wrongdoing, and Muhammad defended Ali by praising him. The Sunnis believe that Muhammad's intent behind the praise was not to nominate Ali as his successor but rather to defend Ali against the slander.Sunnis also note that if indeed Muhammad had planned to publicly inform the people that Ali would succeed him after his death, then he would have done this during the Farewell Pilgrimage and more specifically in the Farewell Sermon (due to the fact that it would have reached a greater audience under a more appropriate setting). Sunni’s draw further attention to the wording Muhammad used in reference to Ali, i.e. Mawla. Sunni’s note, if Muhammad had indeed sought to inform the people that Ali would be his successor, then he would not have used such an ambiguous word as Mawla. Instead, Muhammad would have used definitive, straightforward and more appropriate words such as Caliph or Imam etc.
Sufi Explanation from Sunni Texts
The point of view taken up by Sufi's is the announcement of "Spiritual Authority" of Ali by Muhammad. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a famous Sufi scholar cites 51 different hadith about the incident of Ghadir from various Sunni sources. He states in his book, The Ghadir Declaration that, "This (Ghadeer declaration) was the declaration of ‘Alī’s spiritual sovereignty and its unconditional acceptance is binding on the believers till the Day of Judgment. It clearly proves that anyone who denies ‘Alī’s spiritual leadership in fact denies the Prophet’s leadership. "See also
- Hadith of the two weighty thingsHadith of the two weighty thingsThe Hadith al-Thaqalayn refers to a saying about al-Thaqalayn, which translates to "the two weighty things." In this hadith Muhammad referred to the Qur'an and Ahl al-Bayt as the two weighty things...
- Hadith of the Twelve SuccessorsHadith of the Twelve SuccessorsThe Hadith of the Twelve Successors is a famous hadith in Islam, in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad speaks about twelve Muslim rulers succeeding him...
- Hadith of MubahelaHadith of MubahelaThe Hadith of Mubahela is Muslim tradition about a debate of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Najran and summoned the members of his household, the Ahl al-Bayt....
- Hadith of the Cloak
Further reading
- Did the Prophet(s) appoint a successor? (Narrations from Sunni Sources)
- An Exegesis of the Qur`anic Verses Indicating the Incident of Ghadir Khumm (Citations from Sunni Sources)
- Ghadir (letters 55-58, which pertain to the Hadith of Ghadeer and its citations and interpretations from Sunni sources)
- خطابه غدیر Dealing with the meaning of the word mawla and the question of the successorship of Ali
- Map of Ghadeer showing distance from Mecca, almost halfway between Medina and Mecca
- Complete Sermon at Ghadir Khumm in English Version
- Ghadir, the Greatest Eid of All Religions
- The Event of Ghadir Khumm in the Qur'an, Hadith, History
- Ghadir Khumm - Interesting Aspects of a Unique Event
- http://www.utm.thaqalayn.org/files/ghadeer.pdf
- Ghadir Khumm
- Event of Ghadir Khumm
