A CHRONOLOGY LINKING KARBALA TO SAQIFAH 

Extract from A Sared Effusion by Shaikh Muhammad Khalfan published by www.worldfederation.org

 

10 AH: On the 18th Dhu al-Hijjah Amir al-mu�minin �Ali Ibn Abi Talib (�a) is explicitly declared as the successor of the Holy Prophet (s) in Ghadir Khumm. This is followed by words of congratulations from Abu Bakr and �Umar.

11 AH: On the 26th of Safar the Holy Prophet (s) orders Abu Bakr, �Umar, Uthman, and other companions from the Muhajirun to accompany Usamah Ibn Zayd in an expedition against the Romans, but they do not respond positively. The Holy Prophet (s) curses them:

On the 28th of Safar the Holy Prophet (s) leaves this world at the age of 63 years.

On the 28th Safar while Imam �Ali (�a) and some companions were busy with the burial arrangement of the Holy Prophet (s), a group of people fled to Saqifa and chose Abu Bakr as the caliph after the Holy Prophet (s).

�         During Abu Bakr�s reign, Yazid Ibn Abu Sufyan is made the governor of Damascus.

�         During Abu Bakr�s reign, Hadrat Fatimah al-Zahra (�a) seeks a written title deed of a land called Fadak that the Holy Prophet (s) had gifted her during his life time, but is ultimately deprived of the same.

�         As promised by the Holy Prophet (s), Hadrat Fatimah al-Zahra (�a) left this world very soon after him. Prior to her demise she assertively said that two particular companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were not allowed to attend her funeral ceremony.

�         Just before his death, Abu Bakr sought a paper and a pen to write his last will. His state at that moment, as historical accounts explicitly indicate, was not balanced. As he wrote about his successor, he fell unconscious, and the remaining contents of his will was written by �Uthman. �Uthman wrote �Umar�s name as the second caliph, and when Abu Bakr gained consciousness, he agreed to what had been written. We should try to compare this scenario with the scenario of the Holy Prophet (s) who sought a paper and a pen, but was deprived of the same and told by one of the companions �innahu la yahjur� (indeed he is speaking nonsense).

 

13 AH: On the 22nd of Jamadi al-Thani Abu Bakr dies at the age of 68 years, and �Umar succeeds him through the former�s written appointment.

21 AH: After the sickness of Yazid Ibn Abu Sufyan �Umar appoints the former�s brother, Mu�awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan as the governor in Damascus.

23 AH: �Umar is murdered on the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal and Uthman  Ibn al-Affan comes to office by the appointment of a committee engineered by Umar during his life time.

Mu�awiyah continued to subsist a governor of Syria as he strengthened his kingdom and sovereignty.

35 AH: On the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah which is also the anniversary of Id al-Ghadir, Uthman Ibn al-Affan was murdered in his house. His age at that time is recorded to be 90.

Amir al-Mu�minin �Ali Ibn Abi Talib (�a) gains his usurped right after 23 years.

36 AH: On the 10th of Jamadi al-Ula �Aishah & her supporters like Talhah and Zubayr challenge Amir al-Mu�minin �Ali Ibn Abi Talib (�a) in the battle of Jamal, and they are completely defeated.

38 AH: On the 1st of Safar Mu�awiyah challenges Imam Ali (�a) in Siffin. Thereafter Imam is near to gaining victory when �Amr Ibn �As deceives a group of ignorant people by ordering Qurans to be raised on lances and announcing that Quran should be kept as a judge to decipher who is with the truth. This leads to a forced ceasefire.

39 AH: The harebrained Kharijites challenge Amir al-Mu�minin (�a) in the battle of Nahrawan. On the 9th Safar Imam (�a) defeats them completely.

40 AH: Amir al-Mu�minin (�a) is martyred on the 21st of Ramdhan by Ibn Muljim al-Maradi, a Kharijite who swore near the Kabah to slay Imam during prayer.

Imam al-Hasan (�a) succeeds the Imamah and is reckoned officially as the caliph.

At the onset of his caliphate, Imam al-Hasan (�a) heads to fight with the Umayyads, but is betrayed by his own army in several places. Among those who betrayed the Imam were the remnants of the Kharijites.

41 AH: Imam al-Hasan (�a) agrees to sign an accord of understanding with Mu�awiyah. Among the conditions of the agreement was that Mu�awiyah should not appoint any successor after him. Mu�awiyah does not keep the conditions, and later seeks support for his son Yazid�s future caliphate in different parts of the Muslim world.

Mu�awiyah rules as the caliph for after having been a governor for twenty years (21 AH- 41 AH).

50 AH: Mu�awiyah plots to poison Imam al-Hasan (�a) and Imam (�a) is poisoned through one of his wives, Ja�dah daughter of Ash�ath Ibn Qays al-Kindi, and on the 7th of Safar attains martyrdom at the age of 47.

56 AH: Mu�awiyah, being unfaithful to his agreement with Imam al-Hasan (�a), seeks the people�s oath of allegiance for his lawless and corrupt product Yazid as his successor.

Imam al-Husayn (�a) disagrees to pay oath of allegiance to Yazid.

60 AH: On the 12th of Rajab Mu�awiyah dies at the age of 78 years as a Christian (after having been in Damascus for 39 years [21-60 AH], and on the 15th of Rajab his product Yazid forcefully becomes the caliph.

Yazid orders for those who have not paid the oath of allegiance to do so. He says that if Imam al-Husayn (�a) refuses to pay allegiance (ba�yah) he should be beheaded.

On the 28th of Rajab Imam al-Husayn (�a), realizing the chaos created in the Islamic world and the necessity of Islam�s revival, leaves Madinah for Makkah and begins his upring. Then, on 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah , he heads towards Kufah, and finally before reaching Kufah diverges towards Karbala.

61 AH: On the 10th of Muharram Imam al-Husayn (�a) is martyred in the plains of Karbala.

Hence the distance from Saqifah to Karbala is 41 years. Saqifah was a manifestation of a practical rejection  of the word of God. It was the foundation of so many subsequent turmoils within the Muslim world:

In his Riyad al-Madh wa al-Ratha, Sayyid Baqir al-Hindi says:

Here al-Hindi would like to reveal that due to the denial of the explicit narration of the Holy Prophet (s)�s selection of Amir al-Mu�minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib (�a) as his immediate successor in Ghadir Khumm, incidents of betrayal malicious gossip, lie and falsehood came to transpire.