Ghadir Khumm
An event in 632 CE where, according to Shia belief, the Prophet designated Ali as his successor; a key foundation of the Shia doctrine of the Imamate.
Read in context →At a glance
- Date
- 18 Dhu'l-Hijjah 10 AH (March 632 CE)
- Location
- Ghadir Khumm, between Mecca and Medina
- Central figure
- Ali ibn Abi Talib
- Contested point
- Meaning of "mawla": leadership (Shi'a) vs. friendship (Sunni)
Detail
The Event of Ghadir Khumm refers to a sermon delivered by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, on 18 Dhu'l-Hijjah 10 AH (March 632 CE) while returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, at a place called Ghadir Khumm on the road between Mecca and Medina. In this sermon the Prophet took the hand of Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law, and declared: "Whoever I am his mawla, Ali is also his mawla." The historicity of the event is widely attested in Islamic sources and rarely disputed, but its interpretation differs sharply between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims. Shi'a regard "mawla" as meaning "leader, guardian, and master," viewing the event as the formal investiture of Ali as the Prophet's successor and the source of the doctrines of Imamate and walaya. Sunnis generally interpret "mawla" as "friend and supporter," seeing it as an expression of Ali's love and special standing rather than a political appointment to the caliphate. Eid al-Ghadir is among the most important Shi'a festivals.
Related entities
Sources
- Encyclopædia Iranica / EI2, "Ghadir Khumm"
- Wilferd Madelung, The Succession to Muhammad
- Encyclopaedia of Islam (Brill), "Ghadir Khumm"