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{{Short description|Sermon event involving Muhammad and Ali}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
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{{Infobox event
|title = Ghadir Khumm
|image = Ghadir Khumm et sa signification.jpg
|image_size = 
|caption = 
|Location=[[Rabigh|Al-Juhfa]], [[Hejaz]], [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]]|type = Islamic sermon
|theme = The importance of the [[Qur'an]] and ''[[ahl al-bayt]]'', [[Muhammad]]'s esteem for [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]] – claimed by the [[Shia Islam|Shia]] as evidence of the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor and as the completion of the message of Islam 
|outcome = The commemorative [[Eid al-Ghadir]] involving prayers, gift-giving, festive meals, recitation of the ''[[Du'a Nudba]]''
|date = 10/16 March 632 (18 [[Dhu al-Hijjah]])
}}
{{Muhammad}}
The '''Ghadīr Khumm''' ({{langx|ar|غَدِير خُمّ}}) was a gathering of [[Muslims]] to attend a sermon delivered by the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] on 16 March 632 [[Common Era|CE]]. The gathering is said to have taken place by the ''ghadir'' ({{Langx|ar|غَدِير|lit=pool}}) in the ''[[wadi]]'' ({{Langx|ar|وَادِي|lit=valley}}) of Khumm, located near the then settlement of [[Rabigh|al-Juhfa]] on the path between [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]], where Muhammad halted the large caravan of Muslims who had accompanied him in the [[Farewell Pilgrimage]], his only [[Hajj]] ritual.

In the sermon, made shortly before his death in June 632, Muhammad made a declaration in favor of [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]], his cousin and son-in-law, by saying: "He whose {{transliteration|ar|[[mawla]]}} I am, Ali is his {{transliteration|ar|mawla}}" ({{Langx|ar|من كنت مولاه فهذا علي مولاه}}). ''{{transliteration|ar|Mawla}}'' ({{Langx|ar|مولاه}}) is a [[polysemous]] [[Arabic]] word, which can mean 'patron', 'master', 'leader', or 'friend', depending on its context. [[Shia Islam|Shi'a Muslims]] believe this sermon to be a clear designation of Ali to lead the Muslim community after Muhammad and celebrate the anniversary of the event as [[Eid al-Ghadir]]. The [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] community meanwhile regards the declaration as a simple affirmation of Muhammad's esteem for Ali.

==Etymology==
Ghadir Khumm refers both to the gathering of Muslims for Muhammad's sermon and its location, which was a pond ({{Langx|ar|غَدِير|translit=ghadir}}) fed by a nearby spring in a [[wadi]] known as Khumm, situated between the cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} The pond was located near the settlement of [[Rabigh|al-Juhfa]],{{Sfn|Lalani|2011}} a strategic trijunction where routes from Medina, [[Egypt (Roman province)|Egypt]], and [[Lower Mesopotamia|Iraq]] intersected.{{Sfn|Eliash|1966|p=144}}

The word {{Transliteration|ar|khumm}} ({{Langx|ar|خُم}}) has been translated as 'deceiver', and the valley was so named because the water of its pond was saline and unfit for consumption.{{Sfn|Williams|1994|p=171}} At the time of the event, the original inhabitants of the region, namely, the [[Banu Khuza'a]] and the [[Banu Kinanah|Banu Kinana]] tribes, had already abandoned the area due to its poor pasturage and harsh climate.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} Before Muhammad's address there, the location was likely never used as a caravan stop.{{Sfn|Donaldson|1933|p=5}} In [[Shia Islam|Shia]] sources, the harsh environment of Ghadir Khumm is seen as emphasizing the urgency of Muhammad's divine task as he sought the largest audience for his address before the pilgrims parted ways.{{Sfn|Haider|2014|p=60}}

==Background==
{{See also|Farewell Pilgrimage}}
Ten years after [[Hegira|Muhammad's migration]] to [[Medina]] and on the last days of [[Dhu al-Qadah]], Muhammad performed the [[Hajj]] rituals in Mecca shortly before his death in 632 [[Common Era|CE]].{{Sfn|Stewart|2002}} This Hajj ceremony has become known as the [[Farewell Pilgrimage]].{{Sfn|Stewart|2002}} In a sermon in Mecca (at [[Mount Arafat|Arafat]]),{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=79}} and possibly again at the Ghadir Khumm,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Campo|2009|p=257}} Muhammad alerted Muslims about his impending death. After the Hajj, he embarked on the return journey from Mecca to Medina, accompanied by an entourage of Muslims. The announcement at the Ghadir Khumm took place during the return journey among a congregation of these Muslims,{{Sfn|Lalani|2011}} possibly numbering in the tens of thousands.{{Sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2014}}

==The sermon==
At Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad called the Muslim caravan to a halt ahead of the noon congregational prayer, before the pilgrims parted their ways,{{Sfn|Lalani|2011}} and then asked for a dais to be raised.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} After the prayer,{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=79}} Muhammad delivered a sermon to a large number of Muslims in which he emphasized the importance of the [[Qur'an]] and his {{Transliteration|ar|[[ahl al-Bayt|ahl al-bayt]]}} ({{Langx|ar|أهل البیت}}, {{Lit|people of the house}}, his family).{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=16}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=80}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Campo|2009|p=257}} His statement is widely reported by [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and Shia authorities, and the version that appears in {{Transliteration|ar|[[Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal|Musnad Ibn Hanbal]]}}, a canonical Sunni collection of hadiths, reads:

{{Blockquote|I left among you two treasures which, if you cling to them, you shall not be led into error after me. One of them is greater than the other: The book of God, which is a rope stretched from Heaven to Earth, and my progeny, my ''ahl al-bayt''. These two shall not be parted until they return to the pool [of paradise] ({{transliteration|ar|[[Al-Kawthar|kawthar]]}}).{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=16}}}}

Known as the [[Hadith al-Thaqalayn|hadith of the {{Transliteration|ar|thaqalayn}}]] ({{Langx|ar|حديث الثقلين|lit=saying of the two treasures}}), Muhammad might have repeated this statement on multiple occasions,{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=16}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|pp=81, 209}} and indeed several similar variants of this hadith can be found in Sunni and Shia sources alike.{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=16}} For instance, the version that appears in {{Transliteration|ar|[[as-Sunan al-Kubra|al-Sunan al-kubra]]}}, another canonical Sunni source, also includes the warning, "Be careful how you treat the two [treasures] after me."{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=81}} Taking Ali by the hand, Muhammad then asked if he was not {{transliteration|ar|awla}} ({{Lit|have more authority over|closer to}}) the believers than themselves,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|pp=70{{ndash}}71}} evidently a reference to verse 33:6 of the Qur'an.{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=34}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=71}} When they affirmed,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} he declared,

{{blockquote|"He whose {{transliteration|ar|mawla}} I am, Ali is his {{transliteration|ar|mawla}}," ({{langx|ar|من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه}}){{Sfn|Lalani|2011}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=18}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=79}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}}}

which is known as the hadith of the {{Transliteration|ar|[[walayah|walaya]]}} ({{Langx|ar|وَلاية}}, {{Lit|spiritual authority}}) in Shia theology.{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} Muhammad might have repeated this sentence three or four more times, as reported in {{Transliteration|ar|Musnad Ibn Hanbal}}.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=80}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=81}} He then continued, "O God, befriend the friend of Ali and be the enemy of his enemy," according to some versions,{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=71}} including the Sunni {{Transliteration|ar|Shawahid al-tanzil}} and the Shia {{Transliteration|ar|Nahj al-haqq}}.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|pp=70, 98n11}} The Sunni scholars [[Ibn Kathir]] ({{Died in|1373}}) and [[Ahmad ibn Hanbal]] ({{Died in|855}}) relate that Muhammad's [[Companions of the Prophet|companion]] [[Omar|'Umar]] congratulated Ali after the sermon and told him, "You have now become {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} of every faithful man and woman."{{Sfn|Momen|1985|p=15}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=82}}

==Historicity==
[[File:Investiture of Ali Edinburgh codex.jpg|thumb|281x281px|''The Investiture of Ali at Ghadir Khumm'' in the fourteenth-century [[Ilkhanid]] copy of ''[[Chronology of Ancient Nations]],'' illustrated by Ibn al-Kutbi]]
The historicity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely disputed within the Muslim community,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|pp=18–20}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=20}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=35}} as its recorded tradition is "among the most extensively acknowledged and substantiated ({{Langx|ar|تواتر|translit=tawatur}})" in classical Islamic sources.{{Sfn|Lalani|2011}} Nevertheless, several variations exist in the early sources,{{Sfn|Lalani|2011}} and there is a significant weight of different accounts.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} The narrative of the Ghadir Khumm is, for instance, preserved in ''[[Chronology of Ancient Nations]]'' by the Sunni polymath [[al-Biruni]] ({{Died in|{{circa|1050}}}}), which survives in an early fourteenth-century [[Ilkhanid]] copy by Ibn al-Kutbi.{{Sfn|Soucek|1975|page=156}} The Shia inclination of those responsible for this copy is evident from its illustrations of Ali, including one entitled ''The Investiture of Ali at Ghadir Khumm''.{{sfn|Robinson|2000|page=129{{ndash}}146}}

Accounts of the Ghadir Khumm appear elsewhere in both Sunni and Shia sources, and these accounts have occasionally been used interchangeably without sectarian prejudice.{{Sfn|Najafabadi|2010}} For instance, the Shia scholar [[Abdul Hosein Amini]] ({{Died in|1970}}) relied on Sunni and Shia sources to list over a hundred companions and eighty-four {{transliteration|ar|[[tabi'un]]}} who had recounted the event, most of whom are now counted among Sunnis.{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} Similar efforts were undertaken by the Shia authors [[Hamid Hussain Musavi|Hamid H. Musavi]] ({{Died in|1888}}) and [[Hussein Ali Mahfouz|Hussein A. Mahfouz]] ({{Died in|2006}}).{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=|pp=20, 231}} Other early accounts of the event include those by the Shia-leaning historian [[Ya'qubi|al-Ya'qubi]] ({{Died in|897{{ndash}}898}}),{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} and by the Sunni scholars Ibn Hanbal, Ibn Kathir,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} [[Ibn Asakir]] ({{Died in|1176}})''<u>,</u>''{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} [[al-Tirmidhi]] ({{Died in|892}}), [[al-Nasa'i]] ({{Died in|915}}), [[Ibn Majah|Ibn Maja]] ({{Died in|887}}), [[Abu Dawud al-Sijistani|Abu Dawud]] ({{Died in|889}}), [[Ibn al-Athir]] ({{Died in|1232{{ndash}}1233}}), [[Ibn 'Abd al-Barr|Ibn Abd al-Barr]] ({{Died in|1071}}), [[Ibn Abd Rabbih]] ({{Died in|940}}), and [[Al-Jahiz|Jahiz]] ({{Died in|869}}).{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|pp=19-20}}

Some Sunni historians, such as [[al-Tabari]] ({{Died in|923}}), [[Ibn Hisham]] ({{Died in|833}}), and [[Ibn Sa'd]] ({{Died in|784{{ndash}}785}}), have nonetheless made little or no mention of the Ghadir Khumm,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} perhaps because the event supports the Shia legitimist claims,{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=36}} or perhaps they wanted to avoid angering their Sunni rulers by supporting the Shia cause.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=38}} Consequently, Western authors, whose works were based on these authors, also make little reference to the Ghadir Khumm.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} Even though the Ghadir Khumm is absent from {{Transliteration|ar|[[Tarikh al-Tabari]]}}, its author narrates how Muhammad publicly dismissed some complaints about the conduct of Ali in [[Yemen]] in the same "chronological slot" as the Ghadir Khumm. The Islamicist [[Maria Massi Dakake|Maria M. Dakake]] thus suggests that al-Tabari deliberately replaced the Ghadir Khumm tradition with another one that praised Ali but lacked any spiritual and legitimist implications in favor of Shia.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=39}} Alternatively, in the ninth-century [[Baghdad]], some among the Sunni group [[Ahl al-Hadith]] apparently denied the event,{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}} which may have prompted al-Tabari to refute their claims in his nonextant book {{Transliteration|ar|al-Walaya}}'',''{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=39}} or in his unfinished {{Transliteration|ar|Kitab al-Fada'il}}.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} Similarly, as a senior employee of the Shia [[Buyid dynasty|Buyid]] dynasty, the Shia theologian [[al-Sharif al-Radi|Sharif al-Radi]] ({{Died in|1016}}) does not mention the Ghadir Khumm in his {{Transliteration|ar|[[Nahj al-balagha]]}}'','' possibly to avoid the ire of the Sunni [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasids]].{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}

===Links to the Qur'an===
{{Main|Verse of tabligh|Verse of ikmal al-din}}
In Shia and some Sunni sources,{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}} two verses of the Qur'an are associated with the Ghadir Khumm: verse 5:3, which announces the perfection of Islam, and verse 5:67, which urges Muhammad to fulfill his divine instructions.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=70}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} The latter, sometimes known as the [[Verse of tabligh|verse of {{Transliteration|ar|tabligh}}]] ({{Langx|ar|تبليغ}}, {{Lit|proclamation}}), has been linked to the Ghadir Khumm by the Sunni exegetes [[al-Suyuti]] ({{Died in|1505}}) and [[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi|al-Razi]] ({{Died in|1210}}),{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=|pp=80, 209n27}} and the Shi'a exegete [[Ali Ibn Ibrahim Qomi|al-Qumi]] ({{Died in|939}}),{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=718}} among others.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=70}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} The verse of {{Transliteration|ar|tabligh}} warns Muhammad:

{{blockquote|O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent down unto thee from thy Lord, and if thou dost not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. And God will protect thee from mankind. Surely God guides not disbelieving people.{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=717}}}}

Revealed before the Ghadir Khumm, according to the Shi'a, this verse spurred Muhammad to deliver his announcement about 'Ali, which he had delayed fearing the reaction of some of his companions.{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=718}} Sunnis offer different views, one of which connects this verse to Muhammad's criticism of [[Jews]] and [[Christians]].{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|pp=61, 145n15}} Nevertheless, the verse of {{Transliteration|ar|tabligh}} is highly likely linked to the events that followed the Farewell Pilgrimage, including the Ghadir Khumm, because chapter ([[surah|{{Transliteration|ar|sura}}]]) [[Al-Ma'idah|five]] of the Qur'an is often associated with Muhammad's final years in Medina.{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=719}} Verse 5:3 of the Qur'an, also known as the [[Verse of ikmal al-din|verse of {{Transliteration|ar|ikmal al-din}}]] ({{Langx|ar|إِکْمَال الدِّيْن}}, {{Lit|perfection of religion}}), is similarly connected to the Ghadir Khumm in some Sunni reports by al-Tabari and the Sunni exegete [[Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi|al-Baghdadi]] ({{Died in|1071}}),{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=|pp=83, 210n38}} and by the Shia exegete [[Shaykh Tusi|al-Tusi]] ({{Died in|1067}}),{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=650}} among others.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=70}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2020|pp=237–239}} In contrast, most Sunni commentators associate this verse with the Farewell Pilgrimage,{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=648}} and this is also the opinion of al-Ya'qubi.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=46}} Among various Sunni views, the verse of {{Transliteration|ar|ikmal al-din}} may refer to the establishment of the rites for Hajj during the Farewell Pilgrimage or the closure of Islamic legislation with the revelation of dietary instructions in the remainder of this verse, although some injunctions about {{transliteration|ar|[[riba]]}} were possibly revealed after this verse.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=71}}{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=650}} The verse of {{Transliteration|ar|ikmal al-din}} includes the passage:

{{blockquote|This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My Blessing upon you, and have approved for you as religion, Submission (Islam).{{Sfn|Nasr et al.|2015|p=648}}}}

===Other literary references===
[[File:Ali Receiving the Bay'a (Swearing of Allegiance) (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of Maktel-i Ali Resul of Lami‘i Chelebi, late 16th century.jpg|thumb|Ali publicly referred to the Ghadir Khumm during his caliphate, here he is shown receiving the [[Bay'ah|pledge of allegiance]] in a manuscript by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sufism|Sufi]] writer and poet Lami'i, late sixteenth century]]

The Ghadir Khumm has also been preserved in the Arabic literature.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=19}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} The earliest such instance is a disputed poem attributed to [[Hassan ibn Thabit]] ({{Died in|674}}),{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} who accompanied Muhammad during the pilgrimage.{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} For instance, the poem is quoted by the prominent Shia theologian [[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid|al-Mufid]] ({{Died in|1022}}).{{Sfn|Haider|2014|pp=61{{ndash}}62}} The poem appears also in some other Shia and Sunni sources, according to the Islamicist [[Husain Mohammad Jafri|Husain M. Jafri]] ({{Died in|2019}}).{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} Included in this poem is the verse, "Stand up, O Ali, for I find only you to be an imam and a guide after I [Muhammad] depart."{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=82}}{{Sfn|Haider|2014|p=61}} In regards to its authenticity, [[Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi|Mohammad A. Amir-Moezzi]], another expert, does not find this attribution problematic,{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} while Jafri considers it highly improbable that these events would have passed unrecorded by Ibn Thabit, who was the "official poet-reporter of Muhammad."{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} By contrast, the Islamicists [[Josef Horovitz]] ({{Died in|1931}}) and [[Ignác Goldziher]] ({{Died in|1921}}) reject the veracity of this poem.{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} The Shia [[Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi|al-Kumayt ibn Zayd]] ({{Died in|743}}) is another early poet who composed verses on the same theme.{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}

=== Historical references ===
On one occasion during his caliphate, Ali is known to have asked Muslims to come forward with their testimonies about the Ghadir Khumm.{{Sfn|McHugo|2018|loc=§2.IV}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2006|p=590}}{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=253}} In doing so, he may have publicly laid claim to a spiritual and political authority greater than others, particularly his predecessors.{{Sfn|McHugo|2018|loc=§2.IV}}{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=253}}{{Sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2019|p=79}} Muhammad's statement at the Ghadir Khumm, "O God, befriend the friend of Ali and be the enemy of his enemy," was likely the standard formula for pledging allegiance at that time.{{Sfn|Hazleton|2009|p=77}} Indeed, Ali and his son [[Hasan ibn Ali|Hasan]] both demanded a similar pledge from their supporters during their caliphates.{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=312}} The hadith of the {{Transliteration|ar|walaya}} is also cited by [[Ammar ibn Yasir]], a companion of Muhammad, to support the legitimacy of Ali's caliphate in the account of the Shia historian [[Ibn A'tham al-Kufi]] (ninth century) of the negotiations before the [[Battle of Siffin]] (657). This might be the earliest such reference in historical sources.{{Sfn|Ayoub|2014|p=114}}

==Interpretation==

=== ''{{transliteration|ar|Mawla}}'' ===
While the authenticity of the Ghadir Khumm is rarely contested, its interpretation is a source of controversy between Sunni and Shia.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} ''{{transliteration|ar|Mawla}}'' ({{Langx|ar|مولى}}) is a [[polysemous]] Arabic word, the meanings of which have varied in different periods and contexts.{{Sfn|Wensinck|Crone|2012}} The Arabic root {{Transliteration|ar|w-l-y}} (و-ل-ي) of the word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} describes affinity and proximity between two parties,{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=46}} and the word itself can therefore have opposite meanings, namely, 'master', 'leader', 'patron', 'beloved', 'supporter', 'freed slave', 'friend', 'client', and 'neighbor'.{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|pp=71{{ndash}}72}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=2}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=19}} Before the Islamic era, the term may have applied to any form of [[Tribes of Arabia|tribal association]],{{Sfn|Goldziher|1889|p=105}} whereas, in the Qur'an and [[hadith]] literature, the word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} and its cognate {{Transliteration|ar|[[wali]]}} can mean 'Lord', 'master', 'trustee', 'guardian', 'helper', 'protecting friend', 'freed slave', and (spiritual or material) 'heir'.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=|pp=18, 21, 23}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2006|p=682}}{{Sfn|Wensinck|Crone|2012}}

In the context of the Ghadir Khumm, the interpretation of the word ''{{transliteration|ar|mawla}}'' tends to be split along sectarian lines. Shia sources interpret this word as meaning 'leader', 'master', and 'patron',{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=20}} while Sunni accounts of this sermon tend to offer little explanation,{{sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} or interpret the hadith as a statement of love or support,{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=45}} or substitute the word ''{{transliteration|ar|mawla}}'' with its cognate ''{{transliteration|ar|wali}}'' (of God, {{Lit|friend of God}}).{{sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Afsaruddin|2006}} Shias therefore view the Ghadir Khumm as the investiture of Ali with Muhammad's religious and political authority ({{Transliteration|ar|walaya}}),{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=2}}{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=47}}{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}} while Sunnis regard the event as an indication of the rapport between the two men,{{Sfn|Afsaruddin|Nasr|2022}}{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=21}} or that Ali should execute Muhammad's will.{{sfn|Afsaruddin|Nasr|2022}} At any rate, the correct interpretation of the polysemous word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} depends on its context.{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=72}} In his sermon, Muhammad may have employed the word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} synonymously to his earlier word {{Transliteration|ar|awla}} ('in charge of the believers more than themselves', {{Transliteration|ar|awla bi-kum min anfusi-kum}}). This then supports the Shia interpretation of the word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}} in the sense of authority ({{Transliteration|ar|awla bi al-tasarruf}}).{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|pp=80{{ndash}}81}}{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=72}} Alternatively, the Sunni theologian [[al-Baqillani]] ({{Died in|1013}}) rejects any connection between the immediate uses of {{Transliteration|ar|awla}} and ''{{transliteration|ar|mawla}}'' by Muhammad.{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=71}}

===Shia view===
[[File:The_event_of_Ghadir.jpg|thumb|Modern Shia artwork depicting the Ghadir Khumm, sourced from the website of [[Iran|Iran's]] leader, [[Ayatollah Khamenei|Ali Khamenei]]|220x220px]]

For Shia Muslims, the Ghadir Khumm signifies the investiture of Ali with the guardianship ({{Transliteration|ar|walaya}}) of the Muslim community after Muhammad.{{Sfn|Tabatabai|1975|p=35}} In particular, for them this was his most public announcement about the succession of Ali.{{Sfn|Donaldson|1933|p=XXV}}{{Sfn|Sanders|1994|p=122}} Shia accounts describe how Umar and other companions visited Ali after the sermon to congratulate and pledge their allegiance to him, even addressing him as {{Transliteration|ar|amir al-mu'minin}} ({{Langx|ar|أَمِيْر ٱلْمُؤْمِنِيْن}}, {{Literal translation|[[commander of the believers]]}}).{{sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Pierce|2016|p=75}}

For Shias, the dramatic announcement at the Ghadir Khumm to thousands of Muslims in the heat of day hardly supports its Sunni interpretation of love ({{Langx|ar|محبة|translit=muhabba}}) and support ({{Langx|ar|نصرة|translit=nusra}}) for Ali.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=45}} These two are also the obligations of every Muslim towards other Muslims, not just Ali.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=45}} While the Sunni Ibn Kathir considers the Ghadir Khumm a response to complaints about Ali during his expedition to Yemen,{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}} the Shia jurist [[Ibn Shahrashub]] ({{Died in|1192}}) argues that Muhammad had earlier dismissed those objections.{{Sfn|Bulookbashi|2015}} As for the various meanings of the word {{Transliteration|ar|mawla}}, the standard practice in Shia theology is to eliminate all those meanings in the hadith one by one until only the meaning of authority remains.{{Sfn|Dakake|2007|p=46}}

===Sunni view===
Among Sunni Muslims, the Ghadir Khumm is not associated with the succession to Muhammad.{{Sfn|Campo|2009|pp=257-8}} Instead, the event is often connected to Ali's campaign in Yemen, from which he had just returned prior to the Farewell Pilgrimage. Ali is said to have strictly imposed the Islamic guidelines for the distribution of booty and that reportedly angered some soldiers. Ibn Kathir, for instance, sides with Ali in his account of the episode but also suggests that the Ghadir Khumm sermon was simply intended as a public declaration of Muhammad's love and esteem for Ali in light of the earlier events.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}

For Sunnis, it is also unimaginable that most companions would act wrongly and ignore a clear appointment of Ali at the Ghadir Khumm.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=2}} Indeed, some suggest that the Muslim community did not act as if they had heard about such an appointment,{{Sfn|Shaban|1976|p=16}}{{Sfn|Poonawala|1982}} and thus consider this designation improbable.{{Sfn|Shaban|1976|p=16}}{{Sfn|Lewis|1968|p=50}} By contrast, Shias believe that the community deliberately ignored the designation of Ali,{{Sfn|Daftary|2013|p=28}} pointing to the designation of the second [[Caliphate|caliph]] [[Umar]] by his predecessor [[Abu Bakr]],{{Sfn|Lalani|2000|p=6}}{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=95}} other historical evidence,{{Sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=70}} and that majority does not imply legitimacy in the Qur'an.{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=|pp=2, 25}}{{Sfn|Mavani|2013|p=2}} Some have instead argued that Muhammad would have made such an important announcement earlier, during the Hajj, while others consider this tantamount to criticizing Muhammad's judgement.{{Sfn|Abbas|2021|p=82}}

== Eid al-Ghadir ==
{{main|Eid al-Ghadir}}

While 18 [[Dhu al-Hijjah]] is not a significant day on the Sunni calendar, Shia Muslims celebrate this day as the [[Eid al-Ghadir]], the day on which Islam was completed as a religion by the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor.{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{sfn|Amir-Moezzi|2014}} 
In a hadith attributed to Muhammad recorded by [[Ibn Babawayh]], Muhammad considers Ghadir Khum to be the best and highest of the festivals of his [[Ummah]]. Specific rituals for Eid al-Ghadir have been narrated by Shia Imams. Fasting on Eid al-Ghadir is one of the recommended and emphasized ones.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia]]|url=https://www.cgie.org.ir/fa/article/258479/%D8%BA%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%85 |trans-title=Ghadir Khum |year=2022|author-first=N. |author-last=Azimipour|title=غدیر خم|language=fa}}</ref>
Shias honor the holiday by making pilgrimages to the city of [[Karbala]] in [[Iraq]].{{Sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{Sfn|Campo|2009|pp=257-8}}

== See also ==
{{columns-list|
* [[Succession to Muhammad]]
* [[Verse of walaya|Verse of the walaya]]
* [[Hadith of the Twelve Successors|Hadith of the twelve successors]]
* [[Mubahala with the Najrani Christians]]
* [[Hadith of the warning]]
}}
{{Portal bar|Islam|shia Islam}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

== References ==

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{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Ghadir Khumm}}
*[https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195390155/obo-9780195390155-0105.xml Academic summary and reading list for the Ghadir Khumm, by Oxford Bibliographies]
{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{coord|22|49|30|N|39|04|30|E|region:SA-02_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghadir Khumm}}
[[Category:632]]
[[Category:7th-century Islam]]
[[Category:Shia days of remembrance]]
[[Category:Ali]]
[[Category:Life of Muhammad]]