Saqifah

Saqifah was a meeting in 632 at which leading Muslims selected Abu Bakr as caliph after Muhammad’s death. Its hurried, contested succession decision shaped early Islamic political history.

Abu Bakr: A close companion of Muhammad who became the first caliph after Muhammad’s death in 632. The meeting ended with leading Muslims pledging allegiance to him as successor.
Death of Muhammad: Muhammad’s death in Medina in 632, which left the early Muslim community without its founding leader. The news triggered urgent deliberations over who would govern the community.
Succession to Muhammad: The historical and theological dispute over who should lead the Muslim community after Muhammad’s death. Saqifah was the decisive early episode in this broader dispute.
Rashidun Caliphate: The period of rule by the first four caliphs after Muhammad, from 632 to 661 in conventional chronology. Abu Bakr’s accession at Saqifah began this caliphal period.
Umar ibn al-Khattab: A companion of Muhammad who became the second caliph and played a leading role in early Muslim politics. He backed Abu Bakr at Saqifah and urged those present to pledge allegiance.
Medina: A city in western Arabia that became the political center of Muhammad’s community after the migration from Mecca. Saqifah took place there, amid competing claims among its Muslim groups.
Ali ibn Abi Talib: Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, who later became the fourth caliph and is revered as the first imam in Shi'a Islam. Accounts differ over his absence from the meeting and whether he had a prior claim to leadership.
First Fitna: The first major civil war among Muslims, fought from 656 to 661 over political authority. Later conflicts over leadership unfolded within the succession history that began at Saqifah.
Ansar: The Medinan supporters who sheltered Muhammad and the early Muslim community after its migration from Mecca. Their leaders gathered at Saqifah to discuss who should lead the community.
Constitution of Medina: A set of agreements traditionally associated with Muhammad that organized relations among groups in Medina. It provides context for Medina’s diverse political community, though it did not settle succession.

Linked from 12 pages