From Qadir to Sagifah: A Probe into the Issue of the Holy Prophet's Succession During His Last Stages of Life: A reference to Tabari and Yagobis

In his last trip to Mecca and his participation in one of the most important Muslims’ communities (Haj), prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was to complement his mission by appointing his successor for the sake of the religion perfection as well as the completion of God’s blessings. But soon, because of the tumult in Saqifa, the prophet’s testament was forgotten and the course of events marked an unhappy ending for the Ghadir. Destined events of this period, from the gathering in Ghadir to a meeting in Saqifah, have dramatically affected the early history of Islam. So, it is of crucial importance to scrutinize the matter and develop a subtle analysis of the events in the last three months of the prophet’s lifespan in order to have a better understanding of the political and religious movements in process at that time. This article aims at looking at the matter by drawing on important sources, namely the narratives contained in two historians’ books: Yaqobi’s and Tabari’s. It is also intended to analyze the developments and changes arising from the events from Ghadir to Saqifah. Finally, intending to analyze the issue in terms of succession, this study takes the approach and tries to prove that it was the Qoraish overambitious leaders’ plot at Saqifah council, as well as time limitation, that led to the unfruitful realization of the prophet recommendations in relation to the appointment of a praiseworthy successor.