List of people who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr

This is a list of people who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr following the succession at Saqifa and the subsequent establishment of his caliphate.

When the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE, his Medinese supporters, known as the Ansar, gathered at the Saqifa to elect a leader from among themselves to maintain their autonomy, fearing domination by the Quraysh. Meanwhile, Ali was expected by a segment of the community to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad upon his death, due to their close kinship and Muhammad's reported preference.: "According to Tabari, a group of Ansar meanwhile proposed Ali as the one most deserving to lead the community[...] The call was ignored[...] They would have reminded everyone about what the Prophet had said about Ali's status at Ghadir Khumm not too long ago.": "He emphasised his merits and kinship to the Prophet as proof supporting his claim to be the rightful successor to the Prophet." As he performed Muhammad's funeral rites, a group of companions of Muhammad left and proclaimed Abu Bakr as the caliph, while the rest remained loyal either to Saʽd ibn ʽUbadah, representing the Medinans and the Ansar, or to Ali, representing his claim to the succession.

Background

In the immediate aftermath of Muhammad's death in 11 AH (632 CE), several of the Ansar (natives of Medina) gathered in the Saqifah (courtyard) of the Saida clan. According to Madelung, the Ansar likely believed that their allegiance to Muhammad had elapsed with his death and expected that Muhammad's community would disintegrate. For this reason, the purpose of their meeting might had simply been to re-establish control over their city, Medina, under the belief that the majority of the Muhajirun (migrants from Mecca) would return to Mecca anyway..

Upon learning about the meeting, Muhammad's companions Abu Bakr and Umar quickly forced their way into Saqifah.. After a heated meeting, in which a chief of the Ansar was beaten into submission by Umar, the small group of Muslims gathered at Saqifah agreed on Abu Bakr as the new head of the Muslim community.. The Saqifah event did not include Muhammad's family, who were preparing to bury him, and many of the Muhajirun.. . . . Many members of Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim, as well as a number of Muhammad's companions opposed the nomination of Abu Bakr; they held that Ali was the rightful successor of Muhammad, appointed by him at the Event of Ghadir Khumm. The issue over the succession to Muhammad would eventually lead to the formation of the two main sects of Islam, with Sunnis considering Abu Bakr to be Muhammad's rightful successor and Shias believing that Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad.

List According to various sources, many people did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr immediately after the Saqifah. Some did later, for various reasons. They included:

NameHousePosition during Muhammad's lifetimeNotes Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib Banu Hashim Uncle of Muhammad says that Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib had told Abu Bakr that, "If you demanded what you demanded through kinship to the Messenger of Allah, then you had confiscated our own. If you had demanded it due to your position among Muslims, then ours is a more prestigious than yours. If this affair is accomplished when the believers are pleased with it, then it cannot be so as long as we are displeased therewith."A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue quoting from Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa page 16 Yaqubi, a 9th century Sunni Islamic scholar narrates "A group of Muhajirs and Ansars kept themselves aloof from allegiance to Abu Bakr and were followers of Hazrat Ali [as]. Among them were Abbas Bin Abdul-Muttalib...Fadl ibn Abbasi" Muhammad al-Bukhari, a 9th-century Sunni Islamic scholar narrates the same as Yaqubi. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: "Many leading companions of the Prophet, meanwhile, had approached Abu Bakr to remind him about Ali's right to the office of the caliphate. These included Salman al-Farsi, Ammar ibn Yasir, Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Utbah ibn Abi-Lahab, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, Al-Numan ibn Ajlan, Uthman ibn Hunayf, Abu Ayub Ansar and Khuzamah ibn Thabit, among others." Banu Khazraj Host of Muhammad following the migration to Medina until Muhammad's house was built Abu Buraidah al-Aslami Banu Aslam Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Banu Ghifar One of the earliest converts to Islam Al-Bara' ibn Azib Banu Khazraj Ali ibn Abi Talib Banu Hashim Mohammad al-Bukhari collected a hadith in his collection on the authority of Aisha that Ali swore oath to Abu Bakr after the death of Fatimah. A similar but shorter version of the hadith was also collected by Muslim ibn al-Hallaj in his collection. Ammar ibn Yasir Banu Makhzum (affiliation) One of the earliest converts to Islam Bilal ibn Rabah Banu Jumah: "Bilal was born to a black slave-girl named Hamama in the Arab clan of Banu Jumah: in Hijaz." One of the earliest converts to Islam: "He was one of the earliest converts (al-sabiqun) to Islam" Appointed by Muhammad to be the Muezzin (person who proclaims the call to prayer): "In his first year in Medina, the Prophet Muhammad initiated the practice of vocally calling his followers to prayer (adhan), and from the beginning he charged Bilal with performing the task as muezzin (mu’adhdhin). The most momentous occasion when he delivered the adhan was when Muhammad and his followers victoriously entered Mecca (8/629) and cleansed the House of Ka‘ba and its environs of all idols." Treasurer of Muhammad: "he was trusted as the Prophet’s treasurer" During Muhammad's life, Bilal had been appointed as the Muezzin (one who recites the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer). Afterward, Bilal refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. He recited the Adhan only once more, at the request of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.: "After the Prophet’s death, Bila¯l was reluctant to deliver the call to prayer, as he may have felt dissatisfied with succession arrangements. Reportedly, he declined to pledge allegiance (bay‘a) to Abu¯ Bakr (r. 11–13/632–634) as caliph, and he eventually emigrated and settled in Sham. On at least one moving occasion, Bilal is known to have delivered the adhan after the Prophet, and that was upon the request of Muhammad’s beloved daughter Fatima (d. 11/632) and her two sons, al-Hasan (d. 50/669) and al-Husayn (d. 61/680)." Fadl ibn Abbas Banu Hashim Cousin of Muhammad Farwah ibn Amr ibn Wadqah al-Ansari Banu Khazraj Abd Allah ibn Abbas: "The presentation of Ibn al-'Abbas, however, leaves no doubt that he considered 'Ali as entitled to the succession" Banu Hashim Cousin of Muhammad Khalid ibn Sa'id: "The refusal of the Umayyad Khalid b. al-As, one of the earliest converts to Islam and a prominent Companion, to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr when he returned from the Yemen to Medina a month after the latter's succession and his insistence on the rights of the Banu 'Abd Manaf (including both Hashim and 'Abd Shams) are significant." (Disputed) Banu Umayya Khuzayma ibn Thabit Banu Aws Malik ibn Nuwayrah Banu YarbuAppointed by Muhammad to collect taxes in north-east Arabia Miqdad ibn Aswad Banu Kinda Qays ibn Sa'd Banu Khazraj Saʽd ibn ʽUbadah Banu Khazraj Leader of Banu Khazraj As part of a speech refusing to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, Sa'd ibn Ubadah said, "I will not renounce by the truth of God. Even if the demons and all the men allied themselves to support you, I will not join them, and will wait until I know the judgement of the Almighty." It is reported that he never gave allegiance to Abu Bakr for the entirety of the latter's reign. Salman the Persian Mawla (Persian) Sahl ibn Hunayf Banu Aws Talha ibn Ubayd Allah (Disputed)Muhammad Ibn Sa'd. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). The Women of Medina, pp. 298-299. London: Ta-Ha Publishers. Banu Taym The ninth-century Sunni historian Al-Tabari reports that Talha was among those who gathered in Ali's house after the event of Saqifa. Ubayy ibn Ka'b Banu Khazraj Utbah ibn Abi Lahab Banu Hashim Uthman ibn HunayfA list composed of sources such as Ibn Hajar Asqalani and Baladhuri, each in his Ta'rikh, Muhammad Bin Khawind Shah in his Rauzatu's-Safa, Ibn Abdu'l-Birr in his Isti'ab Banu Aws Zubayr ibn al-Awwam: "Besides his family and members of Banu Hashim, a handful of Ali's friends had started to gather around him, including some of the Prophet's companions, such as Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Talha ibn Ubaydullah." Banu Asad Al-Bukhari, a 9th-century Sunni Shafii Islamic scholar narrates that Umar said, "Ali and Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr."Shaikh, Asif. Sahaba: The Companion. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Pg. 42-45A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue on al-Islam.org The Sunni historian Al-Tabari writes that "Umar b. al-Khattab came to the house of Ali. Talhah, al-Zubayr, and some of the Muhajirun were [also] in the house [with Ali]. Umar cried out, "By God, either you come out to render the oath of allegiance [to Abu Bakr], or I will set the house on fire." Al-Zubayr came out with his sword drawn. As he stumbled [upon something], the sword fell from his hand, so they jumped over him and seized him."

Notes

References

Sources

Notes