List of people who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr

This is a list of people who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr.

Ali had been widely expected to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad upon his death,[1] due to their closeness and Muhammad's stated preference.[2][3] As he performed Muhammad's funeral rites, a group of companions of Muhammad left and proclaimed Abu Bakr as the caliph, while others remained loyal to Ali.

Background

See also: Succession to Muhammad and Saqifa

In the immediate aftermath of Muhammad's death in 11 AH (632 CE), several of the Ansar (natives of Medina) gathered in the Saqifah (courtyard) of the Saida clan.[4] According to Madelung, the Ansar likely believed that their allegiance to Muhammad had elapsed with his death and expected that Muhammad's community would disintegrate. For this reason, the purpose of their meeting might had simply been to re-establish control over their city, Medina, under the belief that the majority of the Muhajirun (migrants from Mecca) would return to Mecca anyway.[5]

Upon learning about the meeting, Muhammad's companions Abu Bakr and Umar quickly forced their way into Saqifah.[6] After a heated meeting, in which a chief of the Ansar was beaten into submission by Umar, the small group of Muslims gathered at Saqifah agreed on Abu Bakr as the new head of the Muslim community.[7] The Saqifah event excluded Muhammad's family, who were preparing to bury him, and most of the Muhajirun.[8] Many members of Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim, as well as a number of Muhammad's companions opposed the nomination of Abu Bakr;[9] they held that Ali was the rightful successor of Muhammad, appointed by him at the Event of Ghadir Khumm.[10] The issue over the succession to Muhammad would eventually lead to the formation of the two main sects of Islam, with Sunnis considering Abu Bakr to be Muhammad's successor and Shias believing that Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad.[a]

List

According to various sources, many people did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr immediately after the Saqifah. Some did later,[12] for various reasons. They included:

Name	House	Position during Muhammad's lifetime	Notes
Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib	Banu Hashim	Uncle of Muhammad	Ibn Qutaybah, a 9th century Sunni Islamic scholar says that Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib had told Abu Bakr that, "If you demanded what you demanded through kinship to the Messenger of Allah, then you had confiscated our own. If you had demanded it due to your position among Muslims, then ours is a more prestigious than yours. If this affair is accomplished when the believers are pleased with it, then it cannot be so as long as we are displeased therewith."[13] Yaqubi, a 9th century Sunni Islamic scholar narrates "A group of Muhajirs and Ansars kept themselves aloof from allegiance to Abu Bakr and were followers of Hazrat Ali [as]. Among them were Abbas Bin Abdul-Muttalib...Fadl ibn Abbasi"[14] Muhammad al-Bukhari, a 9th-century Sunni Islamic scholar narrates the same as Yaqubi.[14]
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari[15][16]	Banu Najjar (father's side); Banu Khazraj (mother's side)[16]	Host of Muhammad following the migration to Medina until Muhammad's house was built[16]
Abu Buraidah al-Aslami[14]
Abu Dhar al-Ghifari[14][17][15]	Banu Ghifar	One of the earliest converts to Islam[18]
Al-Bara' ibn Azib[14][17]	Banu Khazraj
Ali ibn Abi Talib	Banu Hashim		Mohammad al-Bukhari collected a hadith in his collection on the authority of Aisha that Ali swore oath to Abu Bakr after the death of Fatimah.[19] A similar but shorter version of the hadith was also collected by Muslim ibn al-Hallaj in his collection.[20]
Ammar ibn Yasir[14][17][15]	Banu Makhzum (affiliation)	One of the earliest converts to Islam
Bilal ibn Rabah[21]	Banu Jumah[22]	One of the earliest converts to Islam[23] Appointed by Muhammad to be the Muezzin (person who proclaims the call to prayer)[21][24] Treasurer of Muhammad[25]	During Muhammad's life, Bilal had been appointed as the Muezzin (one who recites the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer). Afterward, Bilal refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. He recited the Adhan only once more, at the request of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.[26]
Fadl ibn Abbas[14][27]	Banu Hashim	Cousin of Muhammad
Farwah ibn Amr ibn Wadqah al-Ansari[17]
Fatimah	Banu Hashim	Daughter of Muhammad Considered the "leader of the women of heaven" or the "leader of the women of the worlds"	Muhammad al-Bukhari, a ninth-century Sunni scholar, writes in his hadith collection Sahih al-Bukhari, "So she became angry with Abu Bakr and kept away from him, and did not talk to him till she died. She remained alive for six months after the death of the Prophet. When she died, her husband 'Ali, buried her at night without informing Abu Bakr and he said the funeral prayer by himself."[28] Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, a ninth-century Sunni scholar, writes in his hadith collection Sahih al-Muslim, "Fatima who got angry with Abu Bakr...She forsook him and did not talk to him until the end of her life. She lived for six months after the death of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). When she died, her husband. 'Ali b. Abu Talib, buried her at night. He did not inform Abu Bakr about her death and offered the funeral prayer over her himself."[29]
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman[30]	Banu Aws
Ibn Abbas[31]	Banu Hashim	Cousin of Muhammad
Khalid ibn Sa'id[14][17][32]	Banu Umayya
Khuzaima ibn Thabit[17][15]	Banu Aws
Malik ibn Nuwayrah	Banu Yarbu'[33]	Appointed by Muhammad to collect taxes in north-east Arabia[34]
Miqdad[14][17][15]
Qays ibn Sa'd[14][17]	Banu Khazraj
Sa'd ibn Ubadah[35]	Banu Khazraj	Leader of Banu Khazraj	As part of a speech refusing to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, Sa'd ibn Ubadah said, "I will not renounce by the truth of God. Even if the demons and all the men allied themselves to support you, I will not join them, and will wait until I know the judgement of the Almighty." It is reported that he never gave allegiance to Abu Bakr for the entirety of the latter's reign.[35]
Salman the Persian[14][15]
Sahl ibn Hunaif[36]	Banu Aws
Talha[37][38]			The ninth-century Sunni historian Al-Tabari reports that Talha was among those who gathered in Ali's house after the event of Saqifa.[38]
Ubay ibn Ka'b[14][15]	Banu Khazraj
Utbah ibn Abi Lahab[15]	Banu Hashim
Uthman ibn Hunaif[39][15]
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam[37][38]	Banu Asad		Al-Bukhari, a 9th-century Sunni Shafii Islamic scholar narrates that Umar said, "Ali and Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr."[14][17] The Sunni historian Al-Tabari writes that "Umar b. al-Khattab came to the house of Ali. Talhah, al-Zubayr, and some of the Muhajirun were [also] in the house [with Ali]. Umar cried out, "By God, either you come out to render the oath of allegiance [to Abu Bakr], or I will set the house on fire." Al-Zubayr came out with his sword drawn. As he stumbled [upon something], the sword fell from his hand, so they jumped over him and seized him."[38]

Notes

1. The Shia view is that Ali was the rightful political and religious successor to Muhammad and that though his political right was taken by Abu Bakr and later political rulers, he and his successors were still the religious leaders of Islam.[11]

References

1. Bainbridge, Beryl (1985). Women and the Family in the Middle East. University of Texas Press. p. 256. ISBN 9780292755291. Ali was expected to succeed Muhammad in the leadership of the Muslim community (ummah) following the Prophet's death in 632
2. Abbas (2021, p. 93): "According to Tabari, a group of Ansar meanwhile proposed Ali as the one most deserving to lead the community [...] The call was ignored [...] They would have reminded everyone about what the Prophet had said about Ali's status at Ghadir Khumm not too long ago."
3. Abbas (2021, p. 95): "He emphasised his merits and kinship to the Prophet as proof supporting his claim to be the rightful successor to the Prophet."
4. Fitzpatrick & Walker (2014, p. 3)
5. Madelung (1997, p. 31). Abbas (2021, p. 92)
6. Abbas (2021, p. 92). Hazleton (2009, p. 60)
7. Hazleton (2009, p. 65). Madelung (1997, pp. 31, 32)
8. Madelung (1997, p. 32). Fitzpatrick & Walker (2014, pp. 3, 4). Abbas (2021, p. 93). Hazleton (2009, p. 65). Momen (1985, p. 18)
9. Khetia (2013, pp. 31, 32) Madelung (1997, p. 32)
10. Fitzpatrick & Walker (2014, p. 186)
11. Meri 2005, p. 523: "A stronger argument in favor of al-Baqir’s school was its conviction that the Prophet had expressly designated and appointed ’Ali as his successor by nass al-jali (explicit designation); this meant that the Imam’s authority did not depend on either human electors or the allegiance (bay’a) of the people."
12. Jafri, S. H. M. (2002). The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. They gradually, one after the other, were reconciled to the situation and swore allegiance to Abu Bakr.
13. A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue quoting from Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa page 16 [1] Archived 2011-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
14. Shaikh, Asif. Sahaba: The Companion. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Pg. 42-45
15. Abbas (2021, p. 96): "Many leading companions of the Prophet, meanwhile, had approached Abu Bakr to remind him about Ali's right to the office of the caliphate. These included Salman al-Farsi, Ammar ibn Yasir, Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Utbah ibn Abi-Lahab, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, Al-Numan ibn Ajlan, Uthman ibn Hunayf, Abu Ayub Ansar and Khuzamah ibn Thabit, among others."
16. Jafri, Syed Husain Mohammad (2002). "Chapter 2: Saqifa, The First Manifestations". The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam. Oxford University Press.
17. A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue on al-Islam.org [2] Archived 2011-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
18. Brelvi, Mahmud (1982). "Chapter 19: Early Stage of the Spread of Islam". Seerat Al-Nabi. Institute of Sindhology, University of Sind. p. 23. Abu - dhar was the 6th or 7th convert to Islam
19. "Sahih al-Bukhari 4240, 4241 - Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi) - كتاب المغازى - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
20. "Sahih Muslim 1759b - The Book of Jihad and Expeditions - كتاب الجهاد والسير - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
21. Banerjee, Prathama (2021). Elementary Aspects of the Political: Histories from the Global South. Duke University Press. ISBN 9781478012443. Bilal, appointed by the Prophet Muhammad as the first muezzin, who refused allegiance to Abu Bakr after Muhammad's death
22. Meri 2005, p. 109: "Bilal was born to a black slave-girl named Hamama in the Arab clan of Banu Jumah: in Hijaz."
23. Meri 2005, p. 109: "He was one of the earliest converts (al-sabiqun) to Islam"
24. Meri 2005, p. 109: "In his first year in Medina, the Prophet Muhammad initiated the practice of vocally calling his followers to prayer (adhan), and from the beginning he charged Bilal with performing the task as muezzin (mu’adhdhin). The most momentous occasion when he delivered the adhan was when Muhammad and his followers victoriously entered Mecca (8/629) and cleansed the House of Ka‘ba and its environs of all idols."
25. Meri 2005, p. 109: "he was trusted as the Prophet’s treasurer"
26. Meri 2005, p. 109, Bilal al-Habashi: "After the Prophet’s death, Bila¯l was reluctant to deliver the call to prayer, as he may have felt dissatisfied with succession arrangements. Reportedly, he declined to pledge allegiance (bay‘a) to Abu¯ Bakr (r. 11–13/632–634) as caliph, and he eventually emigrated and settled in Sham. On at least one moving occasion, Bilal is known to have delivered the adhan after the Prophet, and that was upon the request of Muhammad’s beloved daughter Fatima (d. 11/632) and her two sons, al-Hasan (d. 50/669) and al-Husayn (d. 61/680)."
27. The Works of Ibn Wāḍiḥ Al-Yaʿqūbī (Volume 3), An English Translation. 2018. p. 744. al-Fadl b. al-Abbas, who was the spokesman of Quraysh, stood up to say, "People of Quraysh, it is not right that the succession (khilafa) should become yours through deceit; we are entitled to it before you, and our companion is more entitled to it than you are."
28. Sahih al-Bukhari, 5:59:546
29. Sahih Muslim, 19:4352
30. Jafri, S. H. M. (2002). The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
31. Madelung 1997, p. 22: "The presentation of Ibn al-'Abbas, however, leaves no doubt that he considered 'Ali as entitled to the succession"
32. Madelung 1997, p. 41: "The refusal of the Umayyad Khalid b. al-As, one of the earliest converts to Islam and a prominent Companion, to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr when he returned from the Yemen to Medina a month after the latter's succession and his insistence on the rights of the Banu 'Abd Manaf (including both Hashim and 'Abd Shams) are significant."
33. Mackintosh-Smith, Tim (2019). Arabs: A 3,000-year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires. Yale University Press. p. 181. Malik ibn Nuwayrah...a leader of the tribe of Yarbu'
34. Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). "Ridda Wars". Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia - Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 751. ISBN 9781598843361. Malik ibn Nuwayrah...was a Muslim and appointed by the Prophet himself to collect taxes in northeastern Arabia.
35. Razek, Ali Abdel (2012). "Chapter 8: The Arab State". Islam and the Foundations of Political Power. Edinburgh University Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780748656318. It is also clear from the fact that Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah refused to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, saying..."I will not renounce by the truth of God. Even if the demons and all the men allied themselves to support you, I will not join them, and will wait until I know the judgement of the Almighty"...He stayed in this state of mind until Abu Bakr died.
36. al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif (2018). THIS IS SHI'ISM (AN OBJECTIVE STUDY).
37. Abbas (2021, p. 95): "Besides his family and members of Banu Hashim, a handful of Ali's friends had started to gather around him, including some of the Prophet's companions, such as Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Talha ibn Ubaydullah."
38. Al-Tabari. "The Events of the Year 11". In Poonawala, Ismail K. (ed.). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Vol. 9: The Last Years of the Prophet: The Formation of the State A.D. 630-632/A.H. 8-11. The State University of New York Press. pp. 186–187. ISBN 9780887066924. Umar b. al-Khattab came to the house of Ali. Talhah, al-Zubayr, and some of the Muhajirun were [also] in the house [with Ali]. Umar cried out, "By God, either you come out to render the oath of allegiance [to Abu Bakr], or I will set the house on fire." Al-Zubayr came out with his sword drawn. As he stumbled [upon something], the sword fell from his hand, so they jumped over him and seized him.
39. A list composed of sources such as Ibn Hajar Asqalani and Baladhuri, each in his Ta'rikh, Muhammad Bin Khawind Shah in his Rauzatu's-Safa, Ibn Abdu'l-Birr in his Isti'ab
40. Ibn Qutaybah, vol. 1, p.29; quoted in Ayoub, 2003, 18 [3]
41. Imamate: The Vicegerency of the Prophet by Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi, quoting Ibn Qutaybah on Al-islam.org [4]
42. Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, vol. 3, p.208; Ayoub, 2003, 21 [5]
43. Shi'a encyclopedia [6] quoting from Ibn Qutaybah, Massudi, Ibn Abu al-Hadid

Sources

• Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's Heir. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300229455. Ebook: ISBN 9780300252057
• Fitzpatrick, Coeli; Walker, Adam Han, eds. (2014). Muhammad in history, thought, and culture : an encyclopedia of the Prophet of God. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, LLC. ISBN 978-1-61069-177-2.
• Hazleton, Lesley (2009). After the prophet: The epic story of the Shia-Sunni split in Islam. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780385532099.
• Khetia, Vinay (2013). Fatima as a motif of contention and suffering in Islamic sources (Masters). Concordia University.
• Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-64696-0.
• Meri, Josef W. (2005). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9780415966900.
• Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780853982005.