A Review and Analysis of Being in Charge of Hajj in the 9th Year AH

Possession of command in Hajj in the 9th century is one of the most important and controversial issues of Islamic history. Many Shiite and Sunni scholars believe that the Prophet (pbuh) put someone in charge of hajj in the 9th AH and personally assumed responsibility in Hijat al-Weda’ the next year. Some Shiites of Imam Ali (AS), and most of the Sunni, have introduced Abu Bakr as the one in charge of hajj in the 9th AH. This study has examined this issue in detail, and by carefully studying the existing views, it has proven that, contrary to the commonly-held view, in that year no was appointed by the Prophet (pbuh) to be in charge of Haji; he appointed first Abu Bakr and then Imam Ali (AS) to this task only to convey the verses of Surah al-Bīrāt. However, both groups have cited a number of arguments which, after investigation, all prove to be weak, and eventually serious flaws are found in the ideas of both of them. On the contrary, many of the authentic narrations and valid historical propositions explicitly prove the opposite.