Saqifah

Significance of Saqifah

The name of the house is used as shorthand for the event, or the gathering, which was a crucial turning point in the history of Islam. On the day Muhammad died (June 8, 632 CE), the Medinan Muslim or "Ansar" gathered in the Saqifah to discuss the future and leadership of the Muslims. There were two Ansar tribes, the Khazraj and the Aws; both were present. However, the Muhajirun, or Muslim emigrants from Mecca, had not been notified of the gathering. Muhammad Ibn Jarir Tabari writes in his Ta'rikh at page 456, Volume II that ‘Umar came to the door of the Prophet's house but did not enter. He sent a word to Abu Bakr: "Come immediately; I have urgent business with you." Abu Bakr sent message to him that he had no time. ‘Umar sent another message: "We have come across a critical issue. Your presence is required."

Abu Bakr came out and was informed secretly about the gathering of the Ansars in the Saqifah by Umar. ‘Umar said that they should go there at once and both of them moved. After a tumultuous debate, the details of which are highly contested, those who gathered there gave their allegiance, or bay'ah, to Abu Bakr as the new leader of the Islamic community. There were some Muslims who felt that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law should have been the new leader, as Ali was appointed for the leadership role by Muhammad at Ghadir Khumm a week after the prophet's return from the Farewell Pilgrimage. They initially refused to take the oath to Abu Bakr and were known as the Shi'ah Ali or "Follower of Ali." They did so because Ali himself didn't take the oath as described by Shia sources. On the other hand Sunni sources like, Sahih Bukhari, Seerat Ibn Ishaq, Seerat Ibn Hatham, Tareekh Ibn Kathir, Tareekh e Al-Tabari, Tareekh Ibn Khaldun and almost all other sources heavily disagree with Shia Historians on the matter of pledges of allegiance of Ali with first Caliph Abu Bakr and then with Umar and Uthman.

Though Sunnis do not give much importance to this event. Shias still consider the Event at Saqifah to be one of the turning points in Islamic history where Ahlul Bayt, the household of Muhammad suffered many tribulations afterwards.

Ali (as per Shia sources) observed active passivity in the years following the event of Saqifah. Ali chose not to voice his opposition to the decision of appointing Abu Bakr as this would cause much fitna (infighting) among the early Muslims. The Sunnis consider this to be wrong as Ali would take active participation in the stately matters but this claim doesn't hold up because there is not any legitimate source of hadith.

Ibn Ishaq's account

One of the earliest accounts of Saqifah is to be found in Ibn Ishaq's sira, or biography of Muhammad. It is based on the words of Umar himself, as reported to Ibn Ishaq by Ibn Al-Abbas.

According to this account, after the death of Muhammad the Ansar gathered at the Bani Sa'ida's saqifah while the closest relatives of Muhammad, Fatimah and Ali and their relatives, were preparing Muhammad's body for burial. Abu Bakr and Umar were sitting with some of the Muhajirun, the emigrants from Mecca. Having heard that the Ansar were meeting, they went to stop Ansar from it. One three Muhajirun went to Saqifah as they had no intentions to select a ruler, but only to stop the Ansar. There, Abu Bakr addressed the Ansar.

Abu Bakr argued that only a leader from the Quraysh, Mecca's leading clan, could keep the community intact. Only the Quraysh were universally recognized as a noble clan, worthy of leadership. He suggested that the meeting choose either Umar or Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah (both Quraysh) as a leader.

One of the Ansar suggested that the Ansar should choose a leader for themselves and the Meccans should choose another for themselves. Abu Bakar mentioned the sayings of Muhammad and convinced a large number of Ansar that the leader can be from Quraysh only. But some Ansar still insisted that the leader should be chosen from them. The meeting became loud and unruly. Umar is reported to have said that he feared that the unity of the Muslim community would dissolve then and there. So he seized Abu Bakr's hand and swore the bay'ah to him as the leader of the Muslims. The Muhajirun followed his lead and then the Ansar.

Ultimately all the people present over there rendered allegiance to him without any fight.

At the end, Muslims were saved from internal conflict due to the wisdom of Omar. If they hadn't gone to Saqifah, Ansar would have chosen a leader from amongst them which would have caused disunity as Muhajirun would never accept it in the light of prophetic traditions which state that the ruler can be from Quraish only.

The next day, the Muslim community of Medina gathered for prayers and Umar spoke, praising Abu Bakr and urging the community to swear allegiance to him. Ibn Ishaq says that the bulk of the community did so.