Event of Ghadir Khumm

Event of Ghadir Khumm

Key to symbols 

The following is a description of the historic event of Ghadir Khumm. Click on the booksymbols/pictures below to see the described/explained references backing up each important thing of this event. The separation into contexts enables one to see how well each part of the event is (certified/promised) in the sources. 

For example, to see how many Sunni sources record the sentence spoke by the Predictor of the future [s] to appoint Imam 'Ali [a] - man kuntu mawlahu fa `Aliyyun mawlahu - click here: . 

The Goodbye Holy trip 

Ten years after the moving (from one place to another) (hijrah), the Messenger of Allah [peace and blessings be upon him and his Child/outcome] ordered to his close followers to call all the people in different places to join him in his last holy trip. On this holy trip he taught them how to perform the holy trip in a correct and brought together (as one) form. 

This was first time that the Muslims with this importance gathered in one place in the presence of their leader, the Messenger of Allah [s]. On his way to Makkah, more than seventy thousand people followed Predictor of the future [s]. On the fourth day of Dhu'l-Hijjah more than one hundred thousand Muslims had entered Makkah. 

Date 

The date of this event was the 18th of Dhu'l-Hijjah of the year 10 AH (10 March 632 CE). 

Location 

After completing his last holy trip (Hajjatul-Wada'), Predictor of the future [s] was leaving Makkah toward Madinah, where he and the crowd of people reached a place called Ghadir Khumm (which is close to today's al-Juhfah). It was a place where people from different areas of a countryused to greet each other before taking different routes for their homes. 

(something that is suddenly shown or understood) of Qur'anic Verse 5:67 

In this place, the following verse of the Qur'an was showed/told about: 

"O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you don't do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people ..." (Qur'an 5:67) 

The last sentence in the above verse points to/shows that the Predictor of the future [s] was mindful of the reaction of his people in delivering that message but Allah informs him not to worry, for He will protect His Messenger from people. 

The Religious speech 

Upon receiving the verse, the Predictor of the future [s] stopped on that place (the pond of Khumm) which was very hot. Then he sent for all people who have been ahead in the way, to come back and waited until all pilgrims who fell behind, arrived and gathered. He ordered Salman [r] to use rocks and camel toolings to make a pulpit (minbar) so he could make his announcement. It was around noon time in the first of the Fall, and due to the extreme heat in that valley, people were wrapping their robes around their feet and legs, and were sitting around the pulpit, on the hot rocks. 

On this day the Messenger of Allah [s] spent about five hours in this place; three hours of which he was on the pulpit. He said nearly one hundred verses from The Beautiful Quran, and for seventy three times reminded and warned people of their deeds and future. Then he gave them a long speech. 

The following is a part of his speech which has been widely narrated by the Sunni traditionists: 

Tradition of the Two Serious Things (thaqalayn) 

The Messenger of Allah [s] declared: 

"It seems the time approached when I will be called away (by Allah) and I will answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things and if you stick to them both, you will never go away from what's right after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Child/outcome, that is my Ahlul Bayt. The two will never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)." 

[See also: Hadith al-Thaqalayn: A Study of its tawatur] 

Admission/response/recognition of Authority 

Then the Messenger of Allah continued: 

"Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves?" 

People cried and answered: 

"Yes, Of Messenger of God." 

Text (nass) of the Name/label 

Then followed the key sentence representing the clear name/label of 'Ali as the leader of the Muslim ummah. The Predictor of the future [s] held up the hand of 'Ali and said: 

"For whoever I am his Leader (mawla), 'Ali is his Leader (mawla)." 

[In some narrations the word used was wali rather than mawla - with the same hint/result/effect]

The Predictor of the future [s] continued: 

"Of God, love those who love him, and be hateful to those who are hateful to him." 

These were the important parts of the speech of the Predictor of the future [s]. There are also more described/explained versions of this religious speech which are recorded by many Sunni authorities. 

'Coronation' of Imam 'Ali [a] 

[under development] 

(something that is suddenly shown or understood) of Qur'anic Verse 5:3 

Immediately after the Predictor of the future [s] finished his speech, the following verse of the Qur'an was showed/told about: 

"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) 

The above verse clearly points to/shows that Islam without clearing up matter of leadership afterPredictor of the future [s] was not complete, and completion of religion was due to announcement of the Predictor of the future's immediate (person or thing that comes after something else). 

Hassan b. Thabit's poetry 

Immediately after the Predictor of the future's speech, Hassan b. Thabit, the Companion and poet of the Messenger of Allah [s], asked for his permission to compose a few verses of poetry about Imam 'Ali [a] for the audience. The Predictor of the future [s] said: "Say with the blessings of Allah". Hassan stood up and said: "Of people of Quraysh. I follow with my words whathappened before and saw by the Messenger of Allah [s]. He then composed the following verses at the scene: 

He calls them, (on) the day of Ghadir, their Predictor of the future 

In Khumm so hear (and listen to) the Messenger's call, 

He said: "Who is your guide and leader? (mawlakum wa waliyyukum)" 

They said, and there was no apparent blindness (clearly): 

"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 Of Ali, for I am 

pleased to announce you Imam and guide after me (min ba'di imam(an) wa hadiy(an)), 

So whomever I was his leader (mawla), then this is his leader (mawla) 

So be to him supporters in truth and followers," 

There he prayed: "Allah! Be a friend and guide to his follower 

And be, to the one who is Ali's enemy, an enemy" 

Promise of Loyalty 

After his speech, the Messenger of Allah [s] asked everybody to give the promise of loyalty to 'Ali [a] and congratulate him. Among those who did so was 'Umar b. al-Khattab, who said: 

"Well done Ibn Abi Talib! Today you became the Leader (mawla) of all believing men and women." 

Number of Companions in Ghadir Khumm 

Allah ordered His Predictor of the future [s] to inform the people of this name/label at a time of crowded full of people so that all could become the narrators of the tradition, while they went beyond a hundred thousand. 

Narrated by Zayd b. Arqam: Abu al-Tufayl said: "I heard it from the Messenger of Allah [s], and there was no one (there) except that he saw him with his eyes and heard him with his ears." 

(something that is suddenly shown or understood) of Qur'anic Verse 70:1-3 

Some Sunni (people who give their opinions) further report that the first three verses of the chapter of al-Ma'arij (70:1-3) were showed/told about when an argument rose up after thePredictor of the future [s] reached Madinah. It is recorded that: 

On the day of Ghadir the Messenger of Allah called for the people toward 'Ali and said: "Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla." The news spread quickly all over city-based and areas away from cities. When Harith Ibn Nu'man al-Fahri (or Nadhr Ibn Harith according to another tradition) came to know of it, he rode his camel and came to Madinah and went to the Messenger of Allah [s] and said to him: "You commanded us to say in court/give proof that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. You ordered us to perform the prayers five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe (does not eat food) during the month of Ramadhan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer holy trip to Makkah and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin by your hand and(forced (on people)/caused an inconvenient situation) him upon us as our master by saying `Ali is the mawla of whom I am mawla.' Is this (something forced on people/an inconvenient situation)from Allah or from you?" 

The Predictor of the future [s] said : "By Allah who is the only god! This is from Allah, the Mighty and the Beautiful." 

On hearing this Harith turned back and went ahead/moved forward towards his she-camel saying: "O Allah! If what Muhammad said is correct then throw/sexual relationship on us a stone from the sky and subject us to extreme pain and torture." He had not reached his she-camel when Allah, who is above all defects, threw/thrown 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 praised, caused to descend the following verses: 

"A questioner questioned about the punishment to fall. For the do not believers there is nothing to turn away/avoid it, from Allah the Lord of the Rise." (70:1-3)