Overview and history of the succession to Muhammad, the original split between Shias and Sunnis
For the book by Wilferd Madelung, see The Succession to Muhammad.
Part of a series on
Islam
Beliefs
Oneness of God
Angels
Revealed Books
Prophets
Day of Resurrection
Predestination
Practices
Profession of Faith
Prayer
Almsgiving
Fasting
Pilgrimage
Texts
Foundations
Quran
Sunnah (Hadith, Sirah)
Tafsir (exegesis)
Aqidah (creed)
Qisas al-Anbiya ("Stories of the Prophets")
Mathnawi (Poems)
Fiqh (jurisprudence)
Sharia (law)
History
Timeline
Muhammad
Ahl al-Bayt
Sahabah
Rashidun
Caliphate
Imamate
Medieval Islamic science
Spread of Islam
Succession to Muhammad
Culture and society
Academics
Animals
Art
Association football
Calendar
Children
Circumcision
Demographics
Diaspora
Denominations
Sunni
Shia
Economics
Education
Ethics
Exorcism
Feminism
Festivals
Finance
Madrasa
Moral teachings
Mosque
Music
Mysticism
Philosophy
Poetry
Politics
Proselytizing
Science
Sexuality
LGBT
Slavery
Social welfare
Women
Related topics
Apostasy
Criticism
Muhammad
Quran
Hadith
Arabic language
Other religions
Islamism
Violence
terrorism
war
Islamophobia
Jihad
Jihadism
Laws of war
Glossary
Islam portal
v
t
e
Part of a series on
Muhammad
Life
Mecca
Hijrah
Medina
After Conquest of Mecca
Farewell Pilgrimage (Farewell Sermon)
Hadith
Milestones and records
Career
Military
Diplomatic
Miracles
Quran (First revelation)
Isra and Mi'raj
Splitting of the Moon
Views
Jews
Christians
Perspectives
Islam
Bible
Judaism
Medieval Christian
Historicity
Criticism
Succession
Saqifah
Ghadir Khumm
Companions of Muhammad
Hadith of the pen and paper
Ahl al-Bayt
Praise
Salawat
Naat
Mawlid
Related
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
Possessions
Relics
Seal
History of Islam
Islam portal
Biography portal
v
t
e
The issue of succession following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad is the central issue in the schisms that divided the early Muslim community in the first century of Islamic history into numerous schools and branches. The two most prominent branches that emerged from these divisions are Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. Sunni Islam asserts that Abu Bakr rightfully succeeded Muhammad through a process of election. In contrast, Shia Islam maintains that Ali ibn Abi Talib was Muhammad's designated successor.
These differing viewpoints on succession stem from varying interpretations of early Islamic history and the hadiths, which are the recorded sayings of Muhammad. Sunni Muslims contend that Muhammad did not explicitly appoint a successor, leaving the choice of leadership to the Muslim community. They recognize the legitimacy of Abu Bakr's rule, who was elected at Saqifah, as well as that of his successors, collectively known as the Rashidun caliphs.
Conversely, Twelver Shia Muslims believe that Muhammad had explicitly designated Ali as his heir, notably during the Event of Ghadir Khumm, following the revelation of verse 5:67 in the Quran. According to Twelver Shia doctrine, the subsequent rulers after Muhammad are considered illegitimate, with Ali and his lineage of eleven divinely-appointed Twelve Imams being the rightful successors. The last of these Imams, Mahdi, entered occultation in 260 AH (874 CE) due to threats from his enemies.[1] The anticipated return of Mahdi holds significance for most Muslims, although different sects maintain varying perspectives on this matter.[2]
^Cite error: The named reference Momen-1985h was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Momen (1985, p. 168)
and 25 Related for: Succession to Muhammad information
The issue of succession following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad is the central issue in the schisms that divided the early Muslim community...
The SuccessiontoMuhammad is a book by Wilferd Madelung published by the Cambridge University Press in 1997. Madelung investigates the events after the...
(1997). The SuccessiontoMuhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521561815. Peterson, D.C. (2001). "Muhammad". In Freedman...
successiontoMuhammad and criticized Muslims for descending to what she described as their pre-Islamic habits. Fatima considered her husband Ali to be...
known simply as Ali The successiontoMuhammad is the central issue that divides the Muslim community. Sunni Islam, according to the author Carl Ernst,...
The order of successionto the Saudi Arabian throne is determined by, and within, the House of Saud. Every King of Saudi Arabia, upon his death, has been...
Shia–Sunni divide initially arose from disagreements over the successiontoMuhammad, they grew to cover a broader dimension, both theologically and juridically...
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib (Arabic: مُحَمَّد بْن عَبْد ٱللَّٰه بْن عَبْد ٱلْمُطَّلِب; c. 570 – 8 June 632 CE) is believed to be the Seal...
University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-923503-2. Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The SuccessiontoMuhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press....
of Muhammad as a religious movement, but Shia Islam as a distinct set was galvanized through political events, such as the crisis of successionto Muhammad...
referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagreement over the successiontoMuhammad and subsequently...
l-Wuthqah, according to their knowledge of the most authentic Islamic sources and their application to current life. SuccessiontoMuhammad List of caliphs...
Fitzpatrick & Walker 2014, p. 3. Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The SuccessiontoMuhammad. p. 31. Madelung (1997, p. 32) Fitzpatrick & Walker (2014, p. 3)...
historical texts with the specific meeting immediately after Muhammad's death in which his succession was debated. The earliest reports about the Saqifa affair...
(Second ed.). ISBN 9789004161214. Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The SuccessiontoMuhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521646963...
Wilferd Madelung, The SuccessiontoMuhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), p. 135. Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab...
the Institute for Ismaili Studies in London The SuccessiontoMuhammad pp. 268 Middle East & Africa to 1875 632–661 "Sahaba". Uthman ibn Affan The Caliphate...
are confirmed as having been married toMuhammad, the founder of Islam. As a sign of respect, Muslims refer to each of these wives with the title Umm...
Nubuwwah (prophethood) Imamah (successiontoMuhammad) Mi'ad (the day of judgment and the resurrection) In addition to these five pillars, there are ten...
Fatima also actively contested the succession of Abu Bakr and maintained that Ali was the rightful successor toMuhammad. Fatima died within six months of...
concerning succession. Then a man will emerge from Medina. He will hurry to Mecca, and the people of Mecca will come out to him and urge him and try to force...
beginning of dawn to sunrise. Early Islamic sources and narrations from the prophet Muhammad do not use astronomical calculations with regards to the times of...
Fitzpatrick & Walker 2014, p. 3. Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The SuccessiontoMuhammad. p. 31. Madelung (1997, p. 30–31) William Muir, The Caliphate: Its...
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and...
Global Information
