Muhammads Succession

Criteria for Being a Successor Pre-Islamic Islamic

Wealth and Inuence

The Prophet had never ceased to be known as al-Amin, and there were still many disbelievers who would trust him with their property as they would trust no one else. (Having a wealthy leader meant having a strong military power. Moreover, not all Muslims had detached themselves completely from pre-islamic values, and they probably still perceived natural having a leader belonging to a wealthy family.)

Charisma

Nearness to the prophet

Strong friendship and presence in moments of need.

Is being a parent of the Prophet closeness to him (Ali)?

What Muhammad Said about them and what we are told. Abu Bakr Ali
Most afternoons the Prophet would visit Abu Bakr as he had done in Mecca. To some extent the claims of family and of work coincided, for he often wished to talk with Abu Bakr about affairs of state, as he likewise did with Zayd and with his two sons-in-law 'All and 'Uthman. My people have ill-treated me," said Abu Bakr, "and driven me out, and all I seek is to travel over the face of the earth, worshipping God. Abu Bakr was liked and respected, for he was a man of wide knowledge, easy manners and an agreeable presence. Many would come to consult him about this or that, and he now began to conde in all those whom he felt he could trust, urging them to follow the Prophet.

The Prophet continued to visit Abu Bakr regularly at his house amongst the dwellings of the Bani Abu Bakr and 'Umar spoke for the Jumah. These visits Emigrants in favour of advancing and were a memorable then, by way of conrmation of all that feature of the they had said, an ally of the Bani childhood of Aishah, Zuhrah who had only recently come to Abu Bakr's younger Medina, Miqdad by name, rose to his daughter. She could feet and added: "O Messenger of God, not remember a time do what God hath shown thee to do. when her father and We will not say unto thee as the mother were not children of Israel said unto Moses: Go Muslims, and when thou andthy Lord and ght; we shall sit the Prophet was not a here,* but we will say: 'Go thou and daily visitor to them. thy A group of men went to Abu Bakr and said: "What thinkest thou now of thy friend ? He telleth us he went last night to Jerusalem and prayed there and then returned to Mecca." Abu Bakr accused them of lying, but they assured him that Muhammad was in the Mosque at that moment, speaking about this journey. "If so he saith," said Abu Bakr, "then it is true. And where is the wonder of it? He telleth me that tidings come to him from Heaven to earth in one hour of the day or night, and I know him to be speaking the truth. And that is beyond what ye cavil at. The Prophet saw that he had understood,, and telling him not to weep, he said: "O people, the most benecent of men unto me in his companionship and in that which his hand bestoweth is Abu Bakr; and if I were to take from all mankind an inseparable friend he would be Abu Bakr - but companionship and brotherhood of faith is ours until God unite us in His Presence." It was on that occasion that he said, looking round at the multiple entrances into the Mosque from the private houses which surrounded it: "Behold these doors that intrude upon the Mosque. Let them be walled up, save only the door of Abu Bakr.

About this time Abu Bakr decided to have a small mosque built in front of his house. It was surrounded by walls, but open to the sky, and there he would pray and recite the Koran. But the walls were not high enough to prevent passers-by from looking over them, and often a number of people would stand there and listen to his recitation, while at the same time they would see something of his reverence for the revealed Book

A'ishah and her elder sister Asma' were with their father when the Prophet came in. "God hath allowed me to leave the city and to emigrate," he said. "Together with me?" said Abu Bakr. "Together with thee," said the Prophet. 'A'ishah was at that time in her seventh year. She used to say afterwards: "I knew not before that day that one could weep for joy until I saw Abu Bakr weep at those words. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." But 'A'ishah feared that it would greatly pain her father to take the place of the Prophet. "O Messenger of God," she said, "Abu Bakr is a very sensitive man, not strong of voice and much given to weeping when he reciteth the Koran." "Tell him to lead the prayer," said the Prophet, as if she had not spoken. She tried again, this time suggesting that 'Umar should take his place. "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer," he reiterated. 'A'ishah had thrown a glance of appeal at Hafsah, who now began to speak, but the Prophet silenced her with the words: "Ye are even as the women that were with Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. Let the blamer nd fault and let the ambitious aspire, God and the believers will not have it otherwise. Umar Said: the best of you, the Companion of God's Messenger, the second of two when they were both in the cave''

Where is my brother?" he said. "My father and my mother be thy ransom, O Messenger of God," she said, "who is thy brother?" "Abu Talib's son 'All," he said. "How can he be thy brother," she said, "when thou hast even now 1 Tab. 1171. 2 I.S.VIII, i6z married thy daughter to him?" "He is what I said," replied the Prophet, and The Prophet prayed with them, asked her to bring him some water, and then returned with ten of his which she did. Having taken a mouthful Companions to Medina, leaving and rinsed his mouth, he spat it back 'All in charge of the camp. into the vessel. Then, when 'All came, he bade him sit in front of him; and taking some of the water in his hand he The Prophet was soon aware that something was seriously wrong. On the sprinkled it over his shoulders and breast and arms. one hand his memory began to fail him, while on the other hand he began to imagine that he had done things He had left 'All to look after his family, which in fact he had not done. He was but the hypocrites spread the rumour also overcome with weakness, and that the Prophet found him a burden when food was pressed upon him he and was relieved to be rid of his could not bring himself to eat. He presence. Hearing this, 'All was so prayed God to cure him, and in his distressed that he put on his armour, sleep he was conscious of two seized his arms and overtook the persons, one sitting at his head and Prophet at his rst hah, intending to the other at his feet. He heard one of beg his permission to accompany him. them inform the other of the exact He told him what the people were cause of his inrmity and of the name saying, and the Prophet said: "They lie. of the well. 1 When he woke Gabriel I bade thee remain for the sake of what came to him, and conrming his dream I had left behind me. So return and he gave him two surahs of the Koran, represent me in my family and in thine. one of which contains ve verses and Art thou not content, O 'All, that thou the other six. The Prophet sent 'All to shouldst be unto me as Aaron was the well, telling him to recite over it the unto Moses, save that after me there is two surahs. At each verse one of the no Prophet. knots untied itself until all were untied The men all knew that everyone in and the Prophet recovered his full Mecca would now be wearing their strength of mind and body. nest clothes in honour of the Feast, and they were anxious to look their After the death of Fatimah some months later, 'All said to Abu Bakr: "We best. But 'All felt he could not know well thy pre-eminence and what countenance such a liberty and he God hath bestowed upon thee, and we ordered them to put on their old clothes again and return the new ones to the are not jealous of any benet that He spoils. Great resentment was felt hath caused to come unto thee. But throughout the army on this account, thou didst confront us with a thing and when the Prophet heard of it he accomplished, leaving us no choice, said: "O people, blame not 'All, for he is and we felt that we had seme claim therein for our nearness of kinship unto too scrupulous in the path of God to be blamed." But these words were not the Messenger of God." Then Abu sufcient, or it may be that they were Bakr's eyes lled with tears and he only heard by a few, and the said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, I had rather that all should be well resentment continued. between me and the kindred of God's Messenger than between me and mine own kindred"; and at noon that day in the Mosque he publicly exonerated 'Ali for not yet having recognised him as caliph, whereupon 'All afrmed the right of Abu Bakr and pledged his allegiance to him

Which of you, then, will help me in this, and be my brother, mine executor and my successor amongst you?" There was silence throughout the clan. Ja'far and Zayd could both have spoken, but they knew that their Islam was not in question and that the purpose of the gathering was to bring in others than themselves. But when the silence remained unbroken, the thirteen-year-old 'All felt impelled to speak, and said: "O Prophet of God, I will be thy helper in this." The Prophet laid his hand on the back of 'All's neck and said: "This is my brother, mine executor and my successor amongst you. Hearken unto him, and obey him."

When they had made their plans, the Prophet returned to his house and told 'All that he was about to leave for Yathrib, bidding him stay behind in Mecca until he had given back to their owners all the goods which had been deposited in their house for safe keeping. All was at rst hesitant on account of his extreme poverty.