The Prophet's Wills on Designating His Immediate Successor: A Criticism of the Thesis Denying the Prophet's Choice Over His Successorship

The present paper introduces examples of Prophet Muhammad’s commands designating Imam Ali as his successor and criticizes the thesis which claims that the Prophet gave no commands or made no indications as to Imam Ali succeeding him. The paper shows the contradictions between this thesis and Islamic hadiths and reports, as well as with historical facts. Denying the Prophet’s choice over his successorship is a view held by those who argue that the Prophet deliberately refrained from designating a successor for himself to let his companions (sahabah) choose the future of the people. However, study of wills left by Islamic caliphs reveals that, with few exeptions, successors of caliphs were chosen based on the wills during Umayyad, Abbasid and Ottoman Caliphates. In this thesis, therefore, the Prophet is the only exception to having the right to choose his successor.