A brief introduction to Ghadeer Khum incident

1. A brief introduction to Ghadeer Khum incident It is a presentation of Islamic Occasions http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/

2. Scope • Background of Ghadeer Khum • The urgent revelation • Location of Ghadeer Khum • Hayya Ala Khair-il-Amal • When & in front of how many Muslims? • What happened at Ghadeer Khum • Homage to Ali • Contexts • Quranic Exegesis (Tafseer): • Prophetic Traditions (Hadith): • Historical Reports (Tarikh): • Narrators • Further studies / References

3. Briefly Said #1 • Ghadir Khumm is an event that took place in March 632. • Ali was in Yemen, preaching Islam, • when he was informed about Muhammad's Hajj, • he moved towards Mecca together with some people and • joined Muhammad before rituals began. • When the rituals of Hajj were finished, Muhammad left Mecca for Medina together with other Muslims • On Thursday the 18th of Dhul Hijjah in the year 10 A.H. (March 632), after the Muslims arrived at Ghadeer Khum; the following verse of the Quran was revealed to Muhammad (pbuh):

4. Briefly Said #2 • O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which had been sent to thee from thy Lord. If you do not, you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed His (Allah’s) mission. And We will defend you from men (of mischief). For Allah guides not those who reject Faith (5:67) • Both Shi’a and Sunni sources state that this verse relates to the event of Ghadeer Khum. • According to Sunni traditional narratives, this verse was revealed during the event, [ • Over 360 Sunnis traditional scholars have mentioned about Ghadeer and its connection with the mentioned verse.

6. Haj of Wadaa: Farewell Pilgrimage

7. The urgent revelation • On the return journey to Medina, the caravan passed Ghadeer Khum near Al-Johfa. • The Prophet (pbuh) ordered to encamp here after he received the following divine revelation: يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ O Messenger! deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people;Ayah 5:67.

9. Location of Ghadeer Khum • Ghadeer is on the way from Mecca to Medina. • Ghadeer means a pond in Arabic, named as Khum. So this place is known as Ghadeer Khum. • The Prophet (pbuh) broke the journey at this pond, which is located 3 miles away from Al-Johfa. • He (pbuh) halted at Ghadeer Khum in midday. • Which is a wayside tract of barren land with no shade other than that provided by a few acacia trees. • Significant aspect attached to Ghadeer, where all the routes of the different caravans coming from various points of Arabia normally parted. It was a major intersection of roads. • In the course of time, this pond dried up. All traces of water and vegetation vanished. So the name Ghadeer is no longer in use.

10. Location of Ghadeer Khum

11. Ghadeer Khum half way between Mecca and Medina

12. Hayya Ala Khair-il-Amal

13. Hayya Ala Khair-il-Amal • On hearing this urgent command, the Prophet (pbuh) ordered the place to be swept. • He also ordered Bilal (the Mu’athin) to recite the ‘Athan’ –with the words: • “Hayya Ala Khair-il-Amal” meaning O people! Hasten towards the best of deeds.

14. When & in front of how many Muslims? • It was the 18th day of Dhul Hajja – the 10th year after Hijrah. • In front of between 90,000 to 120,000 Muslims (some say 18,000-70,000). • Those who had gone ahead and those who were still behind. • Also those who had begun to depart in different directions. • All were recalled to this junction and instructed to assemble in order to hear an important message. • It was midday and it was very hot.

15. What happened at Ghadeer ? • A shade was arranged for the Holy Prophet (pbuh). • The Prophet offered the noon prayers in congregation. • Thereafter, He (pbuh) delivered the sermon. • Tabarani and others have recorded the following tradition as related by Zayd ibn Arqam and transmitted through sources unanimously acknowledged to be reliable: • Zayd says that the Messenger of Allah, delivered a sermon at Ghadeer Khum under a cloth spread as a canopy on two large trees. He said:

16. "O people! I am soon to be recalled (by God) and I must comply. I shall be interrogated and you also shall be interrogated. What will you say then?“ • The entire audience answered: "We shall bear witness that you did convey to us the message of Allah, and did your best to guide us on the right path and always gave us good console. May Allah bless you with a good reward." • The Holy Prophet proceeded: "Will you bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and that Paradise is true, Hellfire is true, Death is true, Resurrection after death is true, that the Day of Judgment will doubtlessly come and that Allah will raise to life the dead from their graves?” • They answered: "O Yes! We bear witness to all this." • Then Holy Prophet said: “O Allah! You are also may witness.“ ‘O my people! Allah is my Mowla and I am Mowla of the faithful and I have higher rights on and control over their lives. And this Ali is the Mowla of all those of whom I am his Mowla. O Allah! Love the person who loves him (Ali) and antagonize him who antagonizes him (Ali)."

18. “O my Lord, support him who supports Ali, and antagonize him who antagonizes Ali, and help him who assists Ali and forsake him who will forsake Ali.”

19. The Two Precious Matters • The Prophet further said: "O my people! I will precede you and you also shall arrive at the pool of Kawthar. When you shall reach me I shall interrogate you about your behavior towards the two precious matters (thaqalayn) after my death: • One precious matter is the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, one end of which is with Allah, the Exalted, and the other end is in your hands. Grasp it tightly and do not go astray and do not change or amend it. • The other precious matter is my Progeny, who are my Ahlul Bayt. Allah the Gracious and Omniscient has informed me that these two will never part from each other till they reach me at the pool (of blessings in Heaven). • When the ceremony was over, the Archangel Gabriel delivered Ayah 5:3 to the Prophet as follow:

20. “…Today have I perfected upon you your religion and completed upon you My blessings and approved for you Islam as your religion...” (Al-Ma’ida/5:3)

21. The COMPLETION OF RELIGION? • It was right at the event, after the Prophet’s sermon, that this final verse of the Quran was revealed • "Today I have perfected your religion and completed my favor upon you, and I was satisfied that Islam be your religion." (Qur'an 5:3) • Many companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s) are on record confirming that this verse of the Quran was revealed at Ghadeer Khum. The narrations are many and recorded in multiple Sunni books of Quranic commentary, Hadith and history.

22. Homage to Ali • At this moment the Prophet (pbuh) said loudly Allaahu Akbar, then he added: • “I thank Allah for having perfected His religion and for having completed His favor and for having been pleased with the mastership and succession of Ali after me.” • Then he (pbuh) stepped down from the platform and said to Ali: • “Sit in a tent to let the distinguished men of Islam swear oath of allegiance to you and congratulate you”.

23. “Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib, You have become my Mowla and the Mowla of every believer, men or women.” These are the words of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab

24. Al-Ghadeer spring that might be the historic spring cited in history books in the context of the Farewell Pilgrimage

25. Al-Ghadeer spring that might be the historic spring cited in history books in the context of the Farewell Pilgrimage

26. Al-Ghadeer mountain where waters run and valleys form in seasons of rain

27. Ghadeer Khum Today (in Juhfah)

28. Prophetic Tradition (Hadiths): • Imam Ahmad has recorded the tradition related by Baraa' ibn 'Azib in his Musnad, vol.4, p. 281, transmitted through two different sources. Baraa' says: "We were with the Messenger of Allah. • We alighted at Ghadeer Khum. Congregational prayer was in order. An area under two trees was swept and cleaned for the Messenger of Allah. • He offered midday prayers and he grasped the hand of Ali and said: 'Do you not know that I have more authority over the lives of the faithful than the faithful themselves?‘ • 'Yes you have,' they replied. He again inquired: 'Do you not know that I have more right over the life of every believer than the believer himself?' 'Surely, you have,' they answered. • Then he grasped the hand of Ali and said: 'Ali is the Mowla of all those of whom I am his Mowla. O Allah! Love the one who loves him (Ali) and hate him who hates him (Ali).'" • Baraa' ibn 'Azib says: "Then Omar came to Ali and said: 'Congratulations to you the son of Abu Talib. You have become my Mowla and the Mowla (master) of every faithful men and women.'"

29. Historical reports (Tarikh):

30. Story of Al-Fihri   الـفـــــهــري • After Ghadeer Khum the throngs dispersed, and the Prophet (pbuh) arrived at Medina, • an Arab dignitary by the name of Al-Fihri, came forth to investigate.  • He asked the Prophet in a quarrelsome way if Ali's appointment was a command by Allah or an idea of Muhammad himself.  • The Prophet (pbuh) answered, “This was a command by Allah, Most High.”  • Al-Fihri retorted, “Wasn't it enough that you asked us to declare the Shahaada and we did, then you asked for Prayers and we did, then for Saum and we complied, and then for Zakat and we complied. 

31. Al-Fihri Continued   الـفـــــهــري • Now you ask us to accept your cousin to take your place.”  He left in a huff saying, • “O' Lord, if Muhammad was saying the truth, let the sky rain stones over us.”  • Soon after a stone came hurling from high above, dashing powerfully, hitting Al-Fihri on the head.  • Once so hit, Al-Fihri collapsed, falling to the ground with a thud, dead.

32. At the plain of Rahbah in Kufa • An instance that took place in Kufa during the Khilaafah of Imam Ali, 35 years after the Prophet's death. • At Ali's insistence a large number of people gathered in the plain of Rahbah in Kufa, he addressed them by saying: • “By an oath in the name of Allah to all Muslims who had heard the Prophet’s proclamation on the day of Ghadeer Khum, to stand up and testify what they heard him say. Only those who saw the Prophet (pbuh) that day with their own eyes and heard the proclamation with their own ears should stand up." • Thereupon, thirty companions of the Prophet (pbuh), including twelve of those who had participated in the battle of Badr, stood up and witnessed that the Prophet (pbuh) grasped his (Ali's) hand and said to the audience: "Do you know that I have a prior right to and higher authority over the lives of the faithful than the faithful themselves?" • "O yes!" they said. The Prophet (pbuh) then said: "He (Ali) is the Mowla (i.e., has the authority over the lives) of all those of whom I am his Mowla. O Allah, love him who loves him (Ali) and antagonize him who antagonizes (Ali)."

33. At the plain of Rahbah in Kufa • It is logically impossible that thirty companions might have secretly agreed to speak a unanimous lie. In addition to the thirty witnesses there were three others whose ill-feeling with Ali prevented them from standing and attesting as eye-witnesses, like Anas ibn Malik. • When Imam Ali said to Anas: "Why do you not stand and testify what you heard from the messenger of Allah on the day of Ghadeer?" • Anas answered, "O Amir al-Mu’mineen! I have grown old and do not remember." Thereupon Ali said: "May Allah deal with you in His own way.” • Later, Anas became affected with leukoderma, an embarrassing condition of loss of pigment of the skin. Thereafter, Anas used to say: "I am suffering due to the Du’aa of the righteous servant of Allah “Ali”.

34. Rahba Amir al-Mu'minin: in front of the Mosque of Kufa where the gate of the mosque is located, there is a bench on which Imam 'Ali (a) sat and answered people's questions. It is mentioned in some hadiths.

35. At the plain of Rahbah in Kufa • Bear in mind that this incident took place 35 years after the event of Ghadeer Khum, and during this period hundreds of eyewitnesses had died naturally or in the battles fought during the first two Khalifa's rule. • Also this incident took place in Kufa which was far from the center of the Sahaaba in Medina. • This incident took place in Kufa in the year 35 A.H. has itself been narrated by four Sahaaba and 14 Tabi’een and has been recorded in most books of history and tradition.

36. Narrators: • 110 companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) • 84 Successors (Tabi’een) • Over 360 scholars to the present day

37. Further studies/references: • Al-Ghadeer fi al-kitab wa al-sunnah wa al-adab • A book written in Arabic by Allamah 'Abd al-Husayn Ahmad al-'Amini al-Najafi (d. 1390 AH). Where he gives with full references the names of 110 Sahaaba of the Prophet and also 84 Tabi‘een (disciples of the Sahaaba) who have narrated the Hadith of Ghadeer. He has also chronologically given the names of the historians, traditionists, exegetists and poets who have mentioned the Hadith of Ghadeer from the first until the fourteenth Islamic century in 11 volumes . • Abaqat al-Anwar • A book written in Persian by Allama Sayyid Hamid Husayn Musawi Lakhnawi (d. 1306 AH) of India. He devoted two bulky volumes (1,080 pages) on the isnad, tawatur and meaning of the Hadith of Ghadeer.

39. Hassan b. Thabit the Poet • Hassan b. Thabit's poetry Immediately after the Prophet's speech, Hassan b. Thabit, the Companion and poet of the Messenger of Allah, asked for his permission to compose a few verses of poetry about Imam 'Ali [a] for the audience. • The Prophet said: "Say with the blessings of Allah". • Hassan stood up and said: • "O' people of Quraish. I follow with my words what preceded and witnessed by the Messenger of Allah [s]. He then composed the following verses at the scene:

40. حسان بن ثابت

41. Hassan b. Thabit's Poem • He calls them, (on) the day of Ghadeer, their Prophet • In Khum so heed the Messenger's call, • He said: "Who is your guide and leader? “ • They said: • "Your God, our guide, and you are our leader • And you won't find from among us, in this, any disobedient,“ • He said to him: "Stand up O' Ali, for I am pleased to announce you Imam and guide after me, • So whomever I was his leader (mawla), then this is his leader (mawla)  • So be it to him supporters in truth and followers,   • There he prayed: “O Allah! Be a friend and guide to his follower And be, to the one who is Ali's enemy, an enemy"

43. Nowadays • Shi’as celebrate the occasion of Muhammad declaring Ali as a Mowla on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah. • They do Ghusl (ritual bath), • recite Du’aa Nudba, and • give food to believers as a recommended practice on this occasion. • It is a public holiday in places such as Iran and Telangana in India.

44. Finally, Let us Read Al-Asr Together

45. Be in Allah’s Care Thank you and May God Bless you. Dr. A.S. Hashim