First Election of Islam

The First Election of Islam in the light of Shia-Sunni Sectarianism

Table of Contents

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Abstract 1

Introduction 2

The Election 3

Shia’s Claim to Caliphate: 4

Abu Bakr claims to Caliphate: 6

Conclusion: 9

References 13

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Abstract

For over 1400 years Muslims have stood divided among themselves, sometimes the division taking a bloody outlook. It looks ironical as to why has this happened for a religion that came to unite the pre Islamic tribal Arabia. The shia sunni is now a clear division among the Muslims, its not a ideological one, but rather one that is religious. There are separate mosques, separate prayer timings, separate azans, separate place for pilgrimage, with all this it becomes increasingly more important to look into the matter and compare it with what is available in the Quran and the example of the messenger.

We have tried to look into the loop holes of the historical accounts, the events of the elections, the claims of Ali’s support, the claims of the Abu Bakr’s support and finally the lesson that we can draw from the Quran and the life of the Prophet (pbuh).

It is humbly mentioned that our responsibility was not to exploit the situation, but rather to study and analyze things with historical objectivity, neutrality, and impartiality.

Introduction

At the time of the Farewell sermon the Prophet (pbuh) of Islam had established the Islamic order all over Arabia. The Mecca, from which the Muslims were exiled in their hay days, was converted to Islam. At the mount Arafat Prophet (pbuh) gave his final sermon stressing upon the important and fundamental things of Islam, after he finished the following verse of the Quran was revealed informing the success of his 23 year old mission and perfection of Islam.

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[Al-Maa`idah: 3]

During that sermon, in front of the 120000 crowd, the Prophet (pbuh) paid special attention to brotherhood and unity among the muslims

“Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim, which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore, do injustice to yourselves”.

[Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623]

Nowhere in his farewell speech the Prophet (pbuh) brought up the topic of leadership, process of electing the leader, or even the name of the candidate who should succeed him. Rather he kept to his teachings of brotherhood and equality in all matters of life.

Soon upon his return to Medina the Prophet (pbuh) fell ill and passed away after few days. Once he died the Ummah was faced with the problems of electing a leader for them. The election is main cause of the several division and discords among the muslims. The muslims still today are faced with those division that sprang out at the time of the first election.

The Election

The death of the Prophet (pbuh) not only put the Muslim world in the state of mourning, but also pushed them into the deep pit of confusion. The pre Islamic Arabia used to have the tribal system with each tribe having their own leader. The concept of cross tribe leadership was not there. So each tribe only selected someone who they thought was most experienced (aged), or someone who belonged to the family of the current leader. In short they had to deal with fewer things in selecting a leader.

Now the concept of tribalism was gone and Prophet (pbuh) had converted the Arabia into a super tribe. With religion being the uniting force, and cast, creed, status and color were no more of importance, so in such circumstances it was very difficult to perceive the idea of selecting a leader for this super tribe. Also as it was for the first time Arabia was getting ready for election in their history.

As understandable, many tribes thinking of their claim on the power and leadership of the Ummah rose up. Right after the Prophet (pbuh)’s death, there was a widespread chaos in the Muslim community. The support was clustered among the following:

o Orthodox Muslims o Supporters of Ali o Umayyad o Ansars of Medina
The orthodox Muslims had their support with Abu Bakr while the Umayyad supported Abu Sufyan’s claim to the leadership as he was also the leader of the Quraish/Mecca when Muslims took over Mecca. While Ansars said their services to the religion were undeniable so to reward them it was appropriate to give them the power.

The above scenario also indicates the lack of any clear verdict for the next successor, had the Prophet (pbuh) nominated someone for the leadership why were so many tribes expecting their candidates for the caliphate to be accepted by the Muslims.

As reported the Prophet (pbuh) wasn’t even buried, a private meeting started among the Ansars, Umayyad, and tribes of Aus and Khazraj to elect the leader of the Muslims. The rest of the muslims were not notified or invited to this gathering. When the news of the meeting came to Abu Bakr and Umar, they decided to go there and sought the matter. Their in it is stated that Umar, after realizing the discussion wouldn’t help smooth out the matter and the muslim community was in grave danger of splitting into two halves one of the Ansars and one of the muhajirins, choose Abu Bakr as the first caliph of Islam and gave him the allegiance. Next day in Medina he spoke to the wider audience praising Abu Bakr and urging the community to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr.

This way the first caliph of Islam was selected. However it was not that simple. It led to two main divisions in the religion, namely supporters of Ali- ‘Shiane Ali’ and the rest of the muslims.

Shia’s Claim to Caliphate:

The supporters of Ali claimed that Ali was the most rightful person for the caliphate, being a blood relative and brought up directly under the guardianship of the Prophet (pbuh) himself; Ali had all the qualities of leading the Muslim Ummah. Ali had all the qualities in abundance that a good leader must posses, courage, knowledge, and justice, According to Shia school of thought Ali’s right to succession is not merely based upon general liking and his qualities in fact there are certain things in black and white which indicate his right to succession.

The most famous one is the Event of Ghadir e Khumm, which was followed right after the farewell sermon, when the Muslims had finished their pilgrimage and were heading back to medina the Prophet (pbuh) stopped at the a place ‘ghadir e khumm’ and called people back to say this:

"For whomsoever I am the Mawla, this Ali is his Mawla too”

[Wikipedia-Hadith of the Pond-of-Khumm]

The there is another hadis known as the hadis of Da‘wat dhul-‘Ashīrah or the invitation of close families- that the Prophet (pbuh) preached to his close relatives.

“So who of you, will help me in this mission and to be my brother (akhí), my successor (wasiyyí), and my caliph (khalifatí) among you?" The Prophet repeated this three times, no one present responded to him except the youngest of them — ‘Ali b. Abí Tãlib. He stood up and said, "I will be your helper, O Prophet of God."

The Prophet then put his hand on the back of Ali 's neck and said, Verily this is my brother, my successor, and my caliph amongst you; therefore, listen to him and obey.”

[Tareekh Al-Tabary Volume 2 Page 319]

Then there is another account of the Ali being supposedly nominated for the caliphate, this took place when the Prophet (pbuh) was on his death bed.

“When Allah 's Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, "Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray." 'Umar said, "The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Qur 'an; so the Book of Allah is enough for us."

[Sahih Bukhari Volume 7 Book 70 Number 573]

Shias claim that Prophet (pbuh) was to nominate Ali for the leadership in his will and Umar knowingly denied him this opportunity.

Then there are several accounts of Ali’s courage in the battlefield and the display of his bravery and the services he has rendered to Islam. All of which are too clear to be doubted or debated. The shias make Ali a personality par excellence, un parallel, second only to the Prophet (pbuh).

So they demand that he had the right not only for his qualities, but also as he was clearly the choice of the Prophet (pbuh).

Abu Bakr claims to Caliphate:

Those who selected Abu Bakr said that he was the first adult male free Muslim to convert to Islam. And thus had the privilege of not only being the first convert of Islam, but also of enjoying the company of Prophet (pbuh) for the longest period of time, thus getting trained by the Prophet (pbuh).

As was the case with old tribal leadership, Abu Bakr also qualified because he was oldest among all the candidates of that time, thus making him the most experienced of them all.

One of the important factors in the selection of the tribal leader is his age and Abu Bakr certainly was at advantage with that.

The services of Abu Bakr to Islam and to the early Muslims is vast, his help with freeing slaves burdened under the hardship from the pagans. And his generous financial help at the times of war has helped Islam gain momentum.

Abu Bakr was given the title of Al-Sadiq by the Prophet (pbuh) himself, when he accepted the Prophet (pbuh)s account of the Miraj. It shows strong faith and courage that Abu Bakr had in Islam and the Prophet (pbuh). This also allowed his supporter to claim that Abu Bakr would make an honest leader, something that is pivotal in the leadership.

Abu Bakr was the closest companion of the Prophet (pbuh) and the time of the Hijrat only he accompanied the Prophet (pbuh) on his way to medina. The incident is highlighted in the Quran.

“they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion "Have no Fear, for Allah is with us”

[At-Tauba: 40]

This also signifies the trust of the Prophet (pbuh) on Abu Bakr and his faithfulness to the Prophet (pbuh) and Islam. The Ummah had a reason to elect him as he was the one to have the honor of the enjoying the friendship of the Prophet (pbuh) and having taken words of wisdom from him.

Finally the one thing that made a hint to the selection of Abu Bakr as his successor by the Prophet (pbuh) was his appointment as the imam of the Muslims to lead their prayers.

The position of the imam was one that of the leaders, and during the time Prophet (pbuh) was healthy he used to conduct the prayers himself. The mimbar signified the place for the leader of the Muslim Ummah. And Muhammad having himself appointed Abu Bakr as the imam of the Muslims was a clear verdict in favour of his succession.

“So Abu Bakr led the prayer in those days. When the Prophet felt a bit better, he came out for the Zuhr prayer with the help of two persons one of whom was Al- 'Abbas. while Abu Bakr was leading the people in the prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him he wanted to retreat but the Prophet beckoned him not to do so and asked them to make him sit beside Abu Bakr and they did so. Abu Bakr was following the Prophet (in the prayer) and the people were following Abu Bakr. The Prophet (prayed) sitting"

[Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 11, Number 655]

So all these arguments qualified and gathered support for Abu Bakr, however as evident from the above mentioned events of the election Abu Bakr never wanted or offered his services for the caliphate and his selection was carried out in a very critical situation. But once elected people swore allegiance to him based on his personality and the services to Islam, and more importantly him being a close friend of the Prophet (pbuh) (pbuh).

Conclusion:

In Quran we do find the verses about the character and qualities of the leader, but it doesn’t give us any name for caliph. Nor it provides us with the method for choosing the caliphs, the Prophet (pbuh) too didn’t leave us with the method, however he may have named someone, but still it doesn’t qualify for the process to be enacted.

The Quran stresses the importance of the leader since they have to take responsibility of the muslim community and the muslims too are reminded of obeying their leader if he is obeying Allah.

“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you”

[Nisa: 59]

“no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds”

[Kahf: 28]

The Islamic principle of the leadership is that the chair is to be given to those who are completely capable of the handling it

“If they had only referred it to the Messenger, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of Allah unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan.”

[Nisa: 83]

Yet at the same time don’t want it or ask for it.

“That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high- handedness or mischief on earth: and the end is (best) for the righteous”

[Al-Qasas: 83]

The leader of the Islamic state is a representative of the people, and the protection of their lives, honour, and property is his prime responsibility, for which he is accountable. The leader must not victimize the people, or manipulate his power or authority and make this responsibility into a lucrative business for him. That is why the Quran stresses more on the qualities of the leader and his relations with the community rather that the election procedures.

Coming to the arguments presented by the Alides, the event quoted as ‘hadith of the death bed’ whereby the shias claim it was the nomination of the Ali that the Prophet (pbuh) wanted to write, then one may humbly think why would the need be for writing something when the Prophet (pbuh) had made it in a clear announcement on the Ghadeer e Khumm. Secondly why the Prophet (pbuh) would wait till his last moment, and finally no man has authority over the other, if one person denied him access to pen and paper someone else could have given it to him. So this sort of presumptive argument is neither benefiting nor productive for the muslim community.

The concept of Shia imamate is also one of the spiritual leader, one who stays the leader irrespective of whether he has the seat of caliphate or not. The leader or the imam of the umma is the one who is the constant source of guidance to the Muslims. They can ask him all sorts of problems and the imam will guide them. This sort of argument fits, Hazrat Ali was a source of spiritual guidance, gate to the city of knowledge. He also advised the caliphs that proceeded before him.

“The tenet on which they all agree is that the imamate is not a general (public) interest to be delegated to the Muslim nation for consideration and appointment of a person to fill it”

[Muqaddimah Chapter 3 Ch 3-25]

From this excerpt from the Ibn Khaldun, it is clear that the position of the imam is not the one to be elected by the general public, but it is something of the divine nature. This perhaps distinguishes imamate with caliphate- election of the leader by people paying allegiance to him. As history records that Hazrat Ali himself went out in the open public to ask for the bayt of the community, had imam and caliph been the same things, why would there be need for the imam to ask for his approval?

No one can deny the services of Ali. He stands as an important figure in Islam, but even if he was to be the first caliph of Islam, then who was to follow him? So again we get to the same point from where we started, there is no rule of nomination decided in Islam.

Finally Islam does press on the need for muslim unity. And divisions make both Islam and muslims weak. The muslims are reminded of being united and following the path of Allah and the example of his messenger again and again, and there are plenty of verses impressing upon this fact.

“As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did”

[Al-An’am:159]

“and hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves”

[Al-Imran: 103]

“And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers”

[At-Tauba: 107]

“that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein”

[Ash-Shura: 13]

We must be honest and truthful in asking ourselves, that does the matter for which we don’t have enough knowledge, and is not clearly expressed in the Quran or in the hadis is worthy of importance that we divide ourselves. The muslims are required to decide among themselves following Allah and his messenger.

“If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger”

[An-Nisa: 59]

“who (conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation”

[Ash-Shura: 38]

Finally this aspect of mutual consultation and muslims deciding for themselves is also highlighted in the letter that Hazrat Ali wrote to Muwaiya.

“...Verily, those who took the oath of allegiance to Abu bakr, Umar and Uthman have sworn allegiance to me. Now those who were present at the election have no right to go back against their oaths of allegiance and those who were not present on the occasion have no right to oppose me. Anä so far as Shura (limited franchise or selection) was concerned it was supposed to be limited to Muhajirs and Ansars and it was also supposed that whomsoever they selected, became caliph as per approval and pleasure of Allah. If somebody goes against such decision, then he should be persuaded to adopt the course followed by others, and if he refuses to fall in line with others, then war is the only course left open to be adopted against him and as he has refused to follow the course followed by the Muslims, Allah will let him wander in the wilderness of his ignorance and schism...”

[Nahj Al Balagha]

The concept of unity is far greater than the matter of choosing caliphs, we must seek the right guidance and never leave the right path.

“God leads astray whomever He wants to lead astray, and He guides whomever He wants to guide”

[An-Nahl: 93]

References

1.Quran (Al-Maa`idah: 3, At-Tauba: 40,Nisa: 59,Kahf: 28,Nisa: 83,Al-Qasas: 83,Al-An’am:159,Ar-Rum:32,Al-Imran: 103,At-Tauba: 107,Ash-Shura: 13,An-Nisa: 59,Ash-Shura: 38,An-Nahl: 93)

2. Sahih-Al-Bukhari (Hadith 1623, Volume 7 Book 70 Number 573, Volume 1 Book 11 Number 655)

3.Maulana Abu Ala Maudodi “Khalafat Aur Maloqiyat”

4.Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hadith_of_the_pond_of_Khumm&oldid=164047212]

5. Nahj Al Balagha [http://www.nahjulbalagha.org/LetterDetail.php?Letter=6]

5. Kamran Shahid, Assistant Professor, Punjab University Political Science Department.

6. Jamat ul Muntazar, Shia Academy, Model Town, Lahore.

References: 1.Quran (Al-Maa`idah: 3, At-Tauba: 40,Nisa: 59,Kahf: 28,Nisa: 83,Al-Qasas: 83,Al-An’am:159,Ar-Rum:32,Al-Imran: 103,At-Tauba: 107,Ash-Shura: 13,An-Nisa: 59,Ash-Shura: 38,An-Nahl: 93) 2. Sahih-Al-Bukhari (Hadith 1623, Volume 7 Book 70 Number 573, Volume 1 Book 11 Number 655) 3.Maulana Abu Ala Maudodi “Khalafat Aur Maloqiyat” 4.Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hadith_of_the_pond_of_Khumm&oldid=164047212] 5. Nahj Al Balagha [http://www.nahjulbalagha.org/LetterDetail.php?Letter=6] 5. Kamran Shahid, Assistant Professor, Punjab University Political Science Department. 6. Jamat ul Muntazar, Shia Academy, Model Town, Lahore.