Ghadir Khumm
The Ghadīr Khumm (Arabic: غَدِير خُم) was a gathering of Muslims to attend a sermon delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on 16 March 632 CE. The gathering is said to have taken place by the ghadir (pool) in the wadi of Khumm, located near the then settlement of al-Juhfa on the path between Mecca and Medina, where Muhammad halted the large caravan of Muslims who had accompanied him in the Farewell Pilgrimage, his only Hajj ritual.
Date
10/16 March 632 (18 Dhu al-Hijjah)
Islamic sermon
The importance of the Qur'an and ahl al-bayt, Muhammad's esteem for Ali ibn Abi Talib – claimed by the Shia as evidence of the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor and as the completion of the message of Islam
The commemorative Eid al-Ghadir involving prayers, gift-giving, festive meals, recitation of the Du'a Nudba
In the sermon, made shortly before his death in June 632, Muhammad made a declaration in favor of Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law, by saying : "He whose mawla I am, Ali is his mawla." Mawla is a polysemous Arabic word, which can mean 'patron', 'master', 'leader', or 'friend', depending on its context. Shia Muslims believe this sermon to be a clear designation of Ali to lead the Muslim community after Muhammad and celebrate the anniversary of the event as Eid al-Ghadir. The Sunni community meanwhile regards the declaration as a simple affirmation of Muhammad's esteem for Ali.
Etymology[edit]
Ghadir Khumm refers both to the gathering of Muslims for Muhammad's sermon and its location, which was a pond (ghadir) fed by a nearby spring in a wadi known as Khumm, situated between the cities of Mecca and Medina.[1] The pond was located near the settlement of al-Juhfa,[2] a strategic trijunction where routes from Medina, Egypt, and Iraq intersected.[3]
The word khumm has been translated as 'deceiver', and the valley was so named because the water of its pond was saline and unfit for consumption.[4] At the time of the event, the original inhabitants of the region, namely, the Banu Khuza'a and the Banu Kinana tribes, had already abandoned the area due to its poor pasturage and harsh climate.[1] Before Muhammad's address there, the location was likely never used as a caravan stop.[5] In Shia sources, the harsh environment of Ghadir Khumm is seen as emphasizing the urgency of Muhammad's divine task as he sought the largest audience for his address before the pilgrims parted ways.[6]
Interpretation[edit]
Mawla[edit]
While the authenticity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely contested, its interpretation is a source of controversy between Sunni and Shia.[1] Mawla is a polysemous Arabic word, the meanings of which have varied in different periods and contexts.[59] The Arabic root w-l-y of the word mawla describes affinity and proximity between two parties,[60] and the word itself can therefore have opposite meanings, namely, 'master', 'leader', 'patron', 'beloved', 'supporter', 'freed slave', 'friend', 'client', and 'neighbor'.[61][62][49] Before the Islamic era, the term may have applied to any form of tribal association,[63] whereas, in the Qur'an and hadith literature, the word mawla and its cognate wali can mean 'Lord', 'master', 'trustee', 'guardian', 'helper', 'protecting friend', 'freed slave', and (spiritual or material) 'heir'.[64][65][59]
In the context of the Ghadir Khumm, the interpretation of the word mawla tends to be split along sectarian lines. Shia sources interpret this word as meaning 'leader', 'master', and 'patron', [31] while Sunni accounts of this sermon tend to offer little explanation,[1] or interpret the hadith as a statement of love or support,[66] or substitute the word mawla with its cognate wali (of God, lit. 'friend of God').[1][9][67] Shias therefore view the Ghadir Khumm as the investiture of Ali with Muhammad's religious and political authority (walaya),[62][68][18] while Sunnis regard the event as an indication of the rapport between the two men,[69][9][70] or that Ali should execute Muhammad's will.[69] At any rate, the correct interpretation of the polysemous word mawla depends on its context.[71] In his sermon, Muhammad may have employed the word mawla synonymously to his earlier word awla ('in charge of the believers more than themselves', awla bi-kum min anfusi-kum). This then supports the Shia interpretation of the word mawla in the sense of authority (awla bi al-tasarruf).[72][71] Alternatively, the Sunni theologian al-Baqillani (d. 1013) rejects any connection between the immediate uses of awla and mawla by Muhammad.[20]