Why Is The Event of Ghadir Khumm So Important?

In the hot desert, sun of Arabia, Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, on his way back from Hujjat ul-Wida', the farewell pilgrimage, halted the caravan, heading back to Medina, in an area now known as Ghaidr Khumm, a water-hold between Mecca and Medina. The Prophet told the pilgrims to collect all of their saddles and pile them up, to create a platform which he can ascend on.

Starting his sermon by telling people that his time is near and reminding and warning people of their deeds, the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, asked Imam Ali, his cousin and son in law, to ascend the platform and stand next to him.

The Prophet then asked, Do I not have more rights over the believers than what they have over themselves? And the pilgrims responded, yes, O Messenger of God. Then he followed this question with a key statement: "ala man kuntu mawla, fa hadha Aliyun mawla. Allahumma wali man wala, wa hadi man hada". Whoever I was his master, then Ali is his master. O Allah, befriend a friend of Ali, and be the enemy of his enemies.

The announcement, made in front of thousands of Muslims was narrated by countless number of Sunni scholars such as Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Al-Tabari, Ibn Maja, an-Nisa'i, Alan Nawawi, as well as all of the Shi'a scholars. This begs the question: why would the Prophet do this?

While some Sunni interpreters say that the event was due to disagreements between the companions and Imam Ali over the division of spoils of war following the battle in Yemen, the immediate context of the narration shows that the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, knows that he will be passing away soon, and is seeking to leave a successor behind him, especially within the context of the question that he posed: "do I not have more rights over the believers than what they have over themselves?"

It becomes clear from this question and the context of the narration that the Prophet was seeking to designate his successor, and this is not rare, as we see that throughout the Qur'an, many prophets have designated their successors who will continue to spread their message and preserve it. Throughout Sura Taha, we see that Prophet Musa asked Allah to allow his brother Harun to be his advisor and helper against Pharaoh, and he entrusted him with the leadership of the people upon his descent to Mount Sinai.

In Surat ul-Baqara, verse number 124, Prophet Ibrahim asked Allah to allow his sons to follow his footsteps as Imams and leaders to continue this message (2:124). The Qur'an, in Surat un-Naml, verse 16, also mentions the successorship of Sulayman following Dawud (27:16). Would it be possible that Allah would not seek to preserve and uphold the Final Message to humanity?

It comes as no surprise that the Prophet, in multiple occasions accepted by both Shi'a and Sunni scholars, has said that he has left behind two weighty things in which Muslims must follow to not be misguided: the Holy Qur'an and his Holy Household, the Interpretation of the Quran. While some Sunni scholars have said that the two weighty things were the Qur'an and the Sunnah, Shi'a scholars respond by saying that the Sunnah of the Prophet should be taken from his Household, who were the closest people to him, and who the Prophet himself has ordered us, on many occasions, to love them.

Especially as mentioned in the Qur'an: "say no reward do I ask of you for this, except for the love of my kinship" (42:23). In another narration by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, he once gathered his daughter, Fatimah, Imam Ali, and Imam Hasan and Husayn under the cloak, and announced them as his Holy Household, who are purified from sin (33:33), as the Qur'an described in Surah 33, verse 33.

Thus, we see that the event of Gadir is not one that is uncommon within the Prophetic lineage mentioned in the Qur'an, as the prophets have always left behind successors, and Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, was no different to his predecessors.

On this auspicious occasion, we ask ask God that He guides our hearts and minds towards True Faith, so that we can apply its principles of Truth, Mercy, and Justice towards all of humanity.