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"Uncovering Ghadeer Khumm: The Historical Truth" is a historical documentary series that examines the momentous event of Ghadeer Khumm. This series explores the historical dimensions of Ghadeer with the help of distinguished scholars from Islamic seminaries and academia, while addressing related questions and misconceptions through historical evidence and reasoned analysis. In Part 1, we recount the story of Imam Ali's (AS) mission to Yemen in the ninth year of Hijri. We also examine a common claim regarding the event of Ghadeer Khumm: Was this great event merely intended to resolve tensions between Imam Ali (AS) and some of the soldiers under his command in Yemen? Drawing upon historical sources and scholarly investigation, this episode examines the evidence and seeks to uncover the truth behind this important question.
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00:22Uncovering Khadideh Hom, the historical truth.
00:25Part 1. Towards Hajj.
00:30In the 10th year of Hijri, nearly 23 years have passed since the beginning of the Holy Prophet's prophethood mission
00:39in Islam.
00:41It has been a while since Imam Ali set out for Yemen by the order of the Prophet on an
00:49important mission.
00:50The Prophet only considered Imam Ali worthy of this critical mission to accomplish what the previous envoys in Yemen could
00:58not.
00:59In the previous year, the 9th of Hijri, the prominent Christians of Najran in Yemen met with the Holy Prophet
01:06in Medina.
01:07After inconclusive discussions, they decided to engage in Mubakhala,
01:12an invocation for God to judge between their claim of truthfulness against that of the Prophet of Allah.
01:20During this event, verses from the Quran were revealed through divine inspiration.
01:29The Prophet conveyed that if they were to remain persistent in this matter,
01:36they should gather together and invoke curses upon one another,
01:42so the untruthful in this dispute may be destroyed,
01:47and the truthful shall emerge victorious.
01:53This practice is known as Mubakhala.
01:58In Arabic, among other things, the word Bahil means death.
02:05Therefore, Mubakhala means cursing an opposing party
02:13who is rejecting the truth to death.
02:18On the appointed day of Mubakhala,
02:21the Prophet appeared along with Imam Ali, Lady Fatima,
02:25and their two children, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain.
02:28In reaction to witnessing the presence of these holy five individuals,
02:33the Christians withdrew their participation in Mubakhala.
02:37Finally, it was decided that the Christians of Najran in Yemen
02:41would retain their religion but pay a per capita tax called Jizya
02:47in return for security and peace provided by the Islamic government.
02:53Islam accepts other monotheistic religions,
02:58specifically Judaism and Christianity along with Zoroastrianism.
03:06as official religious minorities under the banner of Islam.
03:13However, this recognition is under the condition
03:17that they pay a sum of money
03:20for military and defense expenditures
03:23since they do not provide soldiers in defense of themselves or Islam.
03:30and because Muslim soldiers take on the responsibility of defending them
03:38the same way they defend the Muslims themselves.
03:44This annual per capita tax to cover the military expenditures
03:50was called Gizyet in ancient Greek.
03:58They could elect to pay this tax in installments
04:01in two or more installments instead of an annual lump sum.
04:09For example, they might pay in two installments
04:14and each installment would be six months apart.
04:20Or they might pay every three months through the year.
04:27And this type of tax called Jizya in Arabic
04:31continued in Islam.
04:34The word Jizya has even been mentioned in the Quran.
04:41Some objected to this matter,
04:43arguing that the Prophet
04:44forced the Christians of Najran to become Muslims
04:47because he exerted economic pressure on them.
04:51If they wanted to remain Christians or Jews,
04:54for example,
04:55they had to pay the Jizya.
04:57As a result,
04:58they were economically pressured
05:00and forced to change their religion.
05:02It is important to note
05:05that the Jizya did not create
05:06any economic pressure for changing religion.
05:09Why?
05:10We must note that the Jizya was a tax
05:13collected from the people of the book.
05:16And if these people of the book
05:18were to convert to Islam,
05:20they would still have to pay another tax
05:23called Zakat.
05:25So, if I were Muslim,
05:27I would pay Zakat.
05:29And if I were Zoroastrian,
05:30for example,
05:31I would pay Jizya instead.
05:33Now,
05:34which one was more costly?
05:36Usually,
05:37Zakat was more expensive than Jizya.
05:40This means
05:40there was no economic benefit
05:42to becoming Muslim.
05:44Because if one tax was waived,
05:47another tax simply replaced it.
05:49The Jizya was only charged
05:51to wealthy adult men
05:53and not others.
05:54Women,
05:55children,
05:57the intellectually disabled,
05:59the financially disabled,
06:00slaves and servants
06:03were exempt from paying Jizya.
06:05Therefore,
06:06in a six-person family,
06:08for example,
06:09one or two people
06:10were liable for Jizya.
06:12It wasn't the case
06:13that Jizya applied to all of them
06:15and imposed a significant
06:17financial burden.
06:20It was agreed
06:21that the Christians
06:22of Najran
06:23in Yemen
06:24would pay the Jizya
06:26in two installments
06:27per year.
06:30Imam Ali,
06:32who was sent to Yemen
06:34for specific purposes,
06:36also received
06:37the first installment
06:38of Jizya
06:39from the Christians
06:41of Najran,
06:42which included
06:43Yemeni woven fabrics.
06:54The Arabs of Mecca
06:57and Medina
06:58were mainly using
07:00and trading
07:01these Yemeni textiles.
07:04Their textile market
07:06was mostly
07:08Yemeni textiles.
07:11During his stay
07:12in Yemen,
07:13Imam Ali
07:15devoted himself
07:16to preaching
07:17and inviting
07:19the people
07:19of those areas
07:20to the religion
07:21of Islam.
07:23As a result
07:24of Imam Ali's preaching,
07:26the people
07:26of the large tribe
07:28of Hamdan
07:28converted to Islam
07:30in just one day
07:32of his presence.
07:33This influenced
07:34the other tribes
07:35of Yemen
07:36to follow the example
07:37of the large tribe
07:39of Hamdan.
07:40And therefore,
07:41Islam spread quickly
07:43throughout Yemen.
07:44Imam Ali
07:45remained in Yemen
07:47to teach the converts
07:48the Quran
07:49and Islamic rulings.
07:51He also acted
07:52as a judge among them.
07:54It's worth noting
07:55that the judgments
07:55of Imam Ali
07:57in Yemen
07:58were very unique
07:59and fascinating
08:01and have been recorded
08:02in the history
08:03of that region.
08:04During these days,
08:05a letter from
08:06the Holy Prophet
08:07reached Imam Ali
08:08in which the Prophet
08:10ordered Imam Ali
08:11to leave Yemen
08:12towards Hajj
08:13and join him
08:14in Mecca.
08:15It seemed a great
08:17Hajj pilgrimage
08:17would be performed
08:18that year.
08:19The story
08:20is as follows.
08:22Some time ago,
08:23the angel Gabriel
08:25descended upon
08:26the Prophet of Allah
08:27and stated to him,
08:29O Muhammad,
08:31Almighty Allah
08:32sends his greetings
08:33to you and says
08:34I have not taken
08:35the soul of any
08:37of my prophets
08:38and messengers
08:39except
08:40after they completed
08:42my religion
08:43and emphasized
08:44my authority
08:45on earth.
08:46Now,
08:47only two duties
08:48of Islam remain
08:49and must be conveyed
08:51to your people,
08:52the duty of Hajj
08:54and the duty
08:55of succession
08:56after you.
08:58Indeed,
08:59I have never left
09:00the earth
09:00empty of my authority,
09:02nor will I ever
09:04do so.
09:06Now,
09:07the Almighty
09:08Allah orders you
09:10to inform
09:10your people
09:11of the duty
09:11of Hajj
09:12and how to perform
09:14it.
09:15Call upon the people
09:16that whoever
09:17is able to
09:18accompany you
09:19in Hajj
09:20does so.
09:22Then,
09:23teach them
09:24the rules
09:24of Hajj
09:25and make them
09:26familiar with it,
09:27just as you have
09:29taught them
09:29the rules
09:30of prayer,
09:30saqqat
09:32and fasting.
09:33During the last
09:34ten years,
09:35since his migration
09:37from Mecca
09:37to Medina,
09:39the Prophet of Allah
09:40had not performed
09:41the Hajj pilgrimage.
09:43Therefore,
09:44it was necessary
09:45to teach the Muslims
09:46about Hajj,
09:48its proper protocols
09:49and to remove
09:50any pagan customs
09:52from this great
09:53and sacred
09:54religious duty.
09:56The Prophet
09:56sent messengers
09:57to announce
09:58this everywhere.
09:59The Prophet of Allah
10:01wishes to perform
10:02the Hajj pilgrimage
10:03this year.
10:04He intends
10:05to teach you
10:06the rituals of Hajj
10:07similar to other
10:08religious obligations
10:09and make you
10:11familiar with them.
10:12Those who are able
10:14should accompany him.
10:16Following this
10:17widespread message,
10:18Muslims from across
10:19the Arabian Peninsula
10:21set out for Hajj.
10:23Following the Prophet's
10:25orders,
10:26Imam Ali
10:26left
10:28Yemen towards
10:28Mecca
10:29with the troops
10:30under his command
10:30and carrying
10:31the fabrics
10:32that they had received
10:33from the Christians
10:34of Najran.
10:36Yemen is located
10:38along the route
10:39from Medina to Mecca,
10:40with Mecca
10:41being south of Medina
10:43and Yemen
10:44south of Mecca.
10:47The journey
10:48from Medina to Mecca
10:49spans
10:50approximately
10:51500 kilometers
10:52and from Mecca
10:54to Najran
10:55which is at the border
10:56of Yemen
10:56is another
10:58500 kilometers
11:00totaling a long
11:021,000 kilometer
11:03journey.
11:05It wasn't feasible
11:07for Imam Ali
11:08to pass
11:09through Mecca
11:10and join the Prophet
11:12in Medina
11:13to accompany him
11:15in the Hajj journey.
11:17When the Prophet
11:18approached Mecca
11:19from the direction
11:20of Medina,
11:21Imam Ali
11:22was in the vicinity
11:22of Mecca
11:23from the direction
11:24of Yemen.
11:25Imam Ali
11:25appointed a deputy
11:26to command his troops
11:28in his absence
11:29and eagerly
11:30proceeded ahead of them
11:31to meet the Prophet
11:32in Mecca.
11:33There,
11:34he sought the Prophet's
11:35guidance
11:35and the intention
11:36of Hajj
11:37and the usage
11:38of their collected jizya.
11:40Historical accounts
11:41have explicitly
11:42described the Prophet's
11:43joyous reaction
11:44upon seeing Imam Ali
11:46blossoming with warmth
11:48and welcoming him.
11:49Imam Ali
11:50briefed the Prophet
11:51on his activities
11:52during the mission
11:52in Yemen
11:53and after receiving
11:54instructions
11:55returned to his troops.
11:57Upon Imam Ali's
11:59arrival to his troops,
12:00he was astonished
12:01to see that they
12:02had wrapped themselves
12:03in the fabrics
12:04that they had received
12:05as jizya
12:06from the Christians
12:07of Najran,
12:07thus entering
12:08the state of Eran
12:10or a sanctified state
12:11required of every pilgrim
12:13completing the Hajj
12:14without the permission
12:15or instruction
12:16of Imam Ali
12:18or the Prophet.
12:19Upon returning
12:21from the Prophet,
12:23Amir al-Muminin
12:24observed
12:24that they had acted
12:26without his permission
12:27and on their own decisions.
12:31He considered this
12:32contrary to Islamic regulations
12:34and rude
12:35in the presence
12:37of the Prophet.
12:40Imam Ali
12:41roared to his deputy
12:42saying,
12:43What has prompted you
12:45to give the fabrics
12:46to the soldiers
12:46before we handed them
12:48over to the Prophet
12:48of Allah
12:50while I had not
12:51given you permission
12:52to do so?
12:54His deputy replied,
12:56They asked me
12:57to use these fabrics
12:58to maintain cleanliness
12:59while they are
13:00in the state of Eran
13:01for Hajj
13:02and they would return them
13:03after the Hajj.
13:05However,
13:06Imam Ali
13:07did not accept
13:08this justification
13:09and promptly retrieved
13:11all the fabrics
13:12which belonged
13:13to the Muslim's
13:13public treasury
13:14or Bayt al-Mal
13:16from the soldiers
13:17without any compromise.
13:20Imam Ali's decisive action
13:22caused some of the soldiers
13:24to become upset with him
13:26and they ended up
13:27complaining to the Prophet
13:29about him.
13:30Upon hearing the complaints,
13:33the Prophet dismissed them
13:34as unjust
13:35and rose to address
13:37the Muslims saying,
13:39O people,
13:40do not complain
13:42against Ali
13:43alayhi salam.
13:45By Allah,
13:46he is more virtuous
13:47in the way of Allah
13:48than to be the subject
13:50of complaints.
13:53The Prophet responded
13:55with the quote,
13:56إِنَّهُ لَأُخَيْشَ نَعْفِزَاتِ اللَّهِ
13:59Which means,
14:00if Imam Ali
14:01showed severity
14:03in this matter,
14:04it was his way
14:05of implementing
14:06divine decrees.
14:08He explained
14:09that as Muslims
14:10who have declared
14:11the Shahada
14:12affirming
14:13the unity of Allah
14:14and the Prophethood
14:15of Muhammad
14:16should not express
14:18complaint
14:19or displeasure
14:20towards someone
14:21who is in charge
14:23of implementing
14:24Islamic laws.
14:26Particularly,
14:28the orders
14:28of the Holy Prophet.
14:30In fact,
14:32they have acted
14:32against politeness
14:34and now,
14:35Imam Ali
14:36has sought
14:36to guide them
14:37back
14:37to the commands
14:39of Islam
14:40and especially
14:41the Prophet.
14:43Following this,
14:44the order was given
14:46for the announcers
14:46to proclaim loudly,
14:49Restrain your tongues
14:50from speaking ill
14:51of Ali
14:52alayhi salam.
14:53Indeed,
14:54he is strict
14:55and firm
14:56in matters
14:56pertaining to Allah
14:57and does not
14:59compromise
14:59in religious affairs.
15:02The Prophet
15:03received the Yemeni
15:04fabrics from
15:05Imam Ali
15:05and used them
15:07to provide a cover
15:08for the Holy Kaaba.
15:10Henceforth,
15:11Muslims preserve
15:12this act of the Prophet
15:13as a tradition
15:14amongst themselves.
15:16In this journey
15:17known as
15:17the Farewell
15:18Pilgrimage,
15:19Hajjatul Wada,
15:21which took place
15:22in the last year
15:23of the Prophet's life,
15:25he appointed
15:25and introduced
15:26Imam Ali
15:27as his sole successor
15:29after himself
15:30in the famous event
15:32of Khadir-i Khom.
15:36After completing
15:38the rituals
15:39of Hajj,
15:40on the 18th
15:41of Zul Hijjah,
15:43approximately
15:44a week
15:46after the conclusion
15:47of the Hajj pilgrimage,
15:49the Prophet
15:51arrived at
15:51Khadir-i Khom,
15:53located in the
15:54vicinity
15:55of Juffah.
15:57There,
15:58in accordance
15:59with Divine
16:00Command,
16:00he appointed
16:02Imam Ali
16:03as his successor
16:04and conveyed
16:06this Divine
16:07Decree
16:08to those
16:09who were
16:10accompanying him
16:11to Medina
16:12on the way
16:13back
16:13from the Hajj
16:14journey.
16:16However,
16:17some individuals
16:18raised doubts,
16:20suggesting
16:21that perhaps
16:22when the Prophet
16:23in his sermon
16:25stated,
16:30whoever I
16:32am a master
16:33to,
16:33Ali
16:34is also
16:35his master.
16:37That perhaps
16:38he was responding
16:40to the complaints
16:42of the answer
16:43regarding
16:45harshness
16:46hypothetically
16:47attributed
16:48to Imam Ali.
16:50Meaning
16:51that the Prophet
16:52clarified
16:52that there should
16:54not be
16:54any dispute
16:55or displeasure
16:56with Imam Ali.
16:59This has become
17:00the subject
17:01of doubt
17:02by some.
17:06This doubt
17:07was initially
17:07articulated
17:08by Bay Haqqi
17:09who passed away
17:10in 458 Hijri
17:11in his book
17:12Al-Ittiqad
17:14centuries after
17:15the event
17:16of Khadir-i Khom.
17:17Following Bay Haqqi
17:18Ibn Katir
17:19who passed away
17:20in 774 Hijri
17:22also claimed
17:23this doubt
17:23in his book
17:24Al-Bidayah
17:25Wa Al-Nihaya.
17:26It's noteworthy
17:27that this doubt
17:28has been raised
17:29by these individuals
17:30in their books
17:31without any supporting
17:32historical evidence
17:33or documentation
17:34solely based
17:36on their personal opinions
17:37influenced
17:38by their biases.
17:40Ironically,
17:41even more than
17:421400 years
17:43since the event
17:44of Khadir-i Khom,
17:45there still exists
17:46no single piece
17:48of historical evidence
17:49linking these
17:50two events together.
17:52Moreover,
17:53it is evident
17:54that when proposing
17:55a hypothesis
17:56one must also present
17:58supporting evidence
17:59to prove it.
18:00However,
18:00these individuals
18:01did not provide
18:02any evidence
18:03in their works
18:04to support
18:05their claims
18:06linking the sermon
18:07of Khadir-i Khom
18:08with any bitterness
18:09among the Yemeni soldiers
18:11and Imam Ali.
18:12There is no connection
18:16between the incident
18:19involving
18:19the fabrics
18:21and the jizya
18:22of the Christians
18:23of Najran
18:24and the behavior
18:26of around
18:27300 Ansar.
18:31Let's say that
18:33at most
18:33300 individuals
18:35from Ansar
18:36acted without
18:37any instruction
18:40or permission
18:42from the Prophet.
18:44There is nothing
18:45in the Prophet's
18:46statement
18:46at Khadir-i Khom
18:48that they can take
18:49as evidence
18:50or indication
18:51to link
18:52his sermon
18:53with the bitterness
18:54of the Ansar
18:57regarding the command
18:58of Imam Ali.
19:01This claim
19:02is baseless
19:03and anyone
19:04making such a claim
19:06must have evidence
19:07to prove it.
19:09Upon studying
19:10the sermon
19:11at Khadir-i Khom
19:12and examining
19:13the events
19:13and controversies
19:14surrounding it,
19:15it is evident
19:16that the claim
19:17of resolving
19:18the bitterness
19:18between Imam Ali
19:20and the soldiers
19:21under his command
19:22in Yemen
19:22is absolutely false.
19:25There is no mention
19:26whatsoever
19:26in the sermon
19:27of the Prophet
19:28at Khadir-i Khom
19:29that could be related
19:30to this matter.
19:31None of the thousands
19:32of Muslims present
19:33at the event
19:34of Khadir-i Khom
19:35have ever claimed
19:36or quoted
19:37any relationship
19:38between the sermon
19:39and resolving
19:40the issue
19:41with the Yemeni soldiers
19:42and Imam Ali.
19:44It is interesting
19:45to note
19:45that more than
19:46110 narrators
19:47among the companions
19:48of the Prophet
19:50have transmitted
19:51the event
19:51of Khadir-i Khom.
19:52We have both
19:53the Muhajirun
19:54or immigrants
19:54and the Ansar helpers
19:56among these companions.
19:58We have also
19:58both North and South
19:59Arabian Arabs
20:00among them.
20:01Therefore,
20:02there seems to be
20:02a consensus
20:03and unanimity
20:04of opinion
20:05in this event
20:06and this fact
20:07could provide
20:08a clearer explanation
20:09for matters
20:10related to the Yemeni incident.
20:12A significant portion
20:13of the existing narrations
20:15in proving Khadir
20:17is specifically
20:18for the Imamat,
20:20successorship,
20:20and caliphate
20:21of Imam Ali
20:22are transmitted
20:23by these very
20:24Ansar and South
20:25Arabian Arabs.
20:27Therefore,
20:28this also proves
20:29that there is
20:30no connection
20:31between the Yemeni incident
20:33and the event
20:34of Khadir-i Khom.
20:37In addition to the narrative
20:39and transmitted discussions,
20:41is it rational
20:42to assume
20:42that the Prophet's
20:43action in delivering
20:44his sermon
20:45to thousands of Muslims
20:46on a scorching day
20:48by a remote pond
20:49called Khom
20:50was solely
20:51to resolve tension
20:52among a few troops
20:54and Imam Ali?
20:55Especially
20:56since he had already
20:57resolved this issue
20:58in Mecca
20:59just two weeks earlier?
21:00The sermon
21:01at Khadir-i Khom
21:02is an undeniable
21:04and well-documented event.
21:06It is a covenant
21:07and allegiance
21:08for the guidance
21:09and prosperity
21:09of mankind.
21:11O people,
21:12observe and listen.
21:15Muhammad,
21:16the Prophet of Allah,
21:17has raised the hand
21:19of Ali alayhi salam
21:20for the leadership
21:21of the religion
21:22and succession
21:23after himself.
21:25He is the first
21:26among you
21:27to believe in Islam.
21:29He is the one
21:30who dedicated
21:31his entire life
21:32to the stability
21:33and expansion
21:34of Islam.
21:35He is the one
21:37who led
21:37the other Muslims
21:38not just in his mission
21:40in Yemen
21:40but in all the missions
21:42entrusted to him
21:43by the Holy Prophet
21:44and the Prophet of Allah
21:46never placed him
21:47under anyone's command.
21:49He is the one
21:51whose virtues
21:51are indeed
21:52beyond measure.
21:54By the command
21:55of Allah,
21:56the Holy Prophet
21:57announced
21:57the final obligations
21:59of the religion
21:59at Khadir-i Khom
22:01so that after him
22:02humanity would not
22:04wander aimlessly
22:05and be led
22:06astray.
22:07of Allah
22:08the Holy Prophet
22:10is the one
22:10which He is not
22:11to theвой
22:11He is the one
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