Special Topic Lecture Series
🌐 Virtual, in English
Title: "Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", 4 Sessions
Speaker: Farhad Ghoddoussi (Bio)
Time: Sun-Wed, Mar 23-26, 9:15-11:00 pm ET
🔻Lecture 1: Quranic view on the succession of previous prophets.
🔻Lecture 2: What happened at Saqifa?
🔻Lecture 3: The religion (din) Ali (p) at the time of the three caliphs.
🔻Lecture 4: The public actions of imam Ali (p) during his caliphate for rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa.
Zoom Participation (virtual):
https://mit.zoom.us/j/92377466698
Meeting ID: 923 7746 6698
#saqifa
https://sites.mit.edu/zekrmit/
@zekrMIT
🌐 Virtual, in English
Title: "Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", 4 Sessions
Speaker: Farhad Ghoddoussi (Bio)
Time: Sun-Wed, Mar 23-26, 9:15-11:00 pm ET
🔻Lecture 1: Quranic view on the succession of previous prophets.
🔻Lecture 2: What happened at Saqifa?
🔻Lecture 3: The religion (din) Ali (p) at the time of the three caliphs.
🔻Lecture 4: The public actions of imam Ali (p) during his caliphate for rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa.
Zoom Participation (virtual):
https://mit.zoom.us/j/92377466698
Meeting ID: 923 7746 6698
#saqifa
https://sites.mit.edu/zekrmit/
@zekrMIT
Forwarded from ZEKR, MIT Shia Muslim Association (Ahlulbayt Islamic Society)
Special Topic Lecture Series
🌐 Virtual, in English
Title: "Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", 4 Sessions
Speaker: Farhad Ghoddoussi (Bio)
Time: Sun-Wed, Mar 23-26, 9:15-11:00 pm ET
🔻Lecture 1: Quranic view on the succession of previous prophets.
🔻Lecture 2: What happened at Saqifa?
🔻Lecture 3: The religion (din) Ali (p) at the time of the three caliphs.
🔻Lecture 4: The public actions of imam Ali (p) during his caliphate for rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa.
Zoom Participation (virtual):
https://mit.zoom.us/j/92377466698
Meeting ID: 923 7746 6698
#saqifa
https://sites.mit.edu/zekrmit/
@zekrMIT
🌐 Virtual, in English
Title: "Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", 4 Sessions
Speaker: Farhad Ghoddoussi (Bio)
Time: Sun-Wed, Mar 23-26, 9:15-11:00 pm ET
🔻Lecture 1: Quranic view on the succession of previous prophets.
🔻Lecture 2: What happened at Saqifa?
🔻Lecture 3: The religion (din) Ali (p) at the time of the three caliphs.
🔻Lecture 4: The public actions of imam Ali (p) during his caliphate for rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa.
Zoom Participation (virtual):
https://mit.zoom.us/j/92377466698
Meeting ID: 923 7746 6698
#saqifa
https://sites.mit.edu/zekrmit/
@zekrMIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBB3ZY3GGc&list=PLRagz8v-1fF4xShjv1Z9Z1CLxjTv4-HxL&t=1s
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 1
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 23, 2025
Session 1:
🔹Quranic view on the Succession of Previous Prophets
No event in history has divided Islam more profoundly and durably than the succession to Prophet Muhammad (ص).
The starting point for establishing what Prophet Muhammad (God) may have intended in general about prophet's succession and what his contemporary followers could have seen as basic guidelines after his death must certainly be a study of the Qur'an.
The Qur'an, as is well known, does not make any specific provisions for, or even directly allude to, the succession of Prophet Muhammad, and for this reason non-Muslim historians have virtually ignored it in this regard.
Qur'an contains, however, specific instructions about the maintenance of kinship ties and inheritance as well as stories and statements about the succession of the past prophets and their families, matters which could not be irrelevant to the succession to Prophet Muhammad(ص).
In this lecture we looked relatively in detail to the verses of Qur'an related to "maintenance of kinship ties" and "stories and statements about the succession of the past prophets and their families".
#saqifa
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 1
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 23, 2025
Session 1:
🔹Quranic view on the Succession of Previous Prophets
No event in history has divided Islam more profoundly and durably than the succession to Prophet Muhammad (ص).
The starting point for establishing what Prophet Muhammad (God) may have intended in general about prophet's succession and what his contemporary followers could have seen as basic guidelines after his death must certainly be a study of the Qur'an.
The Qur'an, as is well known, does not make any specific provisions for, or even directly allude to, the succession of Prophet Muhammad, and for this reason non-Muslim historians have virtually ignored it in this regard.
Qur'an contains, however, specific instructions about the maintenance of kinship ties and inheritance as well as stories and statements about the succession of the past prophets and their families, matters which could not be irrelevant to the succession to Prophet Muhammad(ص).
In this lecture we looked relatively in detail to the verses of Qur'an related to "maintenance of kinship ties" and "stories and statements about the succession of the past prophets and their families".
#saqifa
YouTube
[1/4] Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification, Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Session 1:
No event in history has divided Islam more profoundly and durably than the succession to Prophet Muhammad (ص).
The starting point for establishing what Prophet Muhammad (God) may have intended in general about prophet's succession and what his…
No event in history has divided Islam more profoundly and durably than the succession to Prophet Muhammad (ص).
The starting point for establishing what Prophet Muhammad (God) may have intended in general about prophet's succession and what his…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPR6lcsv0Vo&list=PLRagz8v-1fF4xShjv1Z9Z1CLxjTv4-HxL&t=1s
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 2
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 24, 2025
Session 2:
🔹What Happened at Saqifa?
In this lecture we looked to the details of what happened at Saqifa Bani Sa'ida (632AD/11AH), where Ansar had gathered for a meeting to discuss the issue of leadership after the demise of Prophet Muhammad(ص). After Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubaydah joined the meeting, Abu Bakr was declared as the successor of Prophet Muhammad(ص).
The fundamental account about the assembly at the Saqifat Bani Saida, goes back to Abd Allah ibn al-Abbas. All other reports make use of information drawn from it or are later elaborations of it. Slightly variant versions with different chains of transmission are provided by Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari, Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam, al-Bukhari and Ibn Hanbal.
Ibn al-’Abbas essentially narrates what Umar stated regarding what happened at Saqifa, in a Friday prayer Khutbah after the last pilgrimage led by him in Dhu l-Hijja 23AH/October 644AD, 12 year after the events at Saqifa and a few weeks before Umar himself be assassinated.
From the narration it is clear Aside from Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and their friend Abu ‘Ubayda certainly none of the prominent Mekkan Companions was present at the Saqifa meeting. Definitely the outcome of the Saqifa was neither based on a democratic process in the modern sense and nor was a result of shura (consultation) between the prominent members of the community.
That many of the Ansar failed to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr at the Saqifa meeting is affirmed at the end of an account of it by the Kufan Ibrahim al-Nakha'i (d. 96AH/714-15AD). After mentioning that, following Umar's example, the people swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, he added: 'But the Ansar, or some of them, said: We will not swear allegiance to anyone but Ali(ع).
#saqifa
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 2
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 24, 2025
Session 2:
🔹What Happened at Saqifa?
In this lecture we looked to the details of what happened at Saqifa Bani Sa'ida (632AD/11AH), where Ansar had gathered for a meeting to discuss the issue of leadership after the demise of Prophet Muhammad(ص). After Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubaydah joined the meeting, Abu Bakr was declared as the successor of Prophet Muhammad(ص).
The fundamental account about the assembly at the Saqifat Bani Saida, goes back to Abd Allah ibn al-Abbas. All other reports make use of information drawn from it or are later elaborations of it. Slightly variant versions with different chains of transmission are provided by Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari, Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam, al-Bukhari and Ibn Hanbal.
Ibn al-’Abbas essentially narrates what Umar stated regarding what happened at Saqifa, in a Friday prayer Khutbah after the last pilgrimage led by him in Dhu l-Hijja 23AH/October 644AD, 12 year after the events at Saqifa and a few weeks before Umar himself be assassinated.
From the narration it is clear Aside from Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and their friend Abu ‘Ubayda certainly none of the prominent Mekkan Companions was present at the Saqifa meeting. Definitely the outcome of the Saqifa was neither based on a democratic process in the modern sense and nor was a result of shura (consultation) between the prominent members of the community.
That many of the Ansar failed to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr at the Saqifa meeting is affirmed at the end of an account of it by the Kufan Ibrahim al-Nakha'i (d. 96AH/714-15AD). After mentioning that, following Umar's example, the people swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, he added: 'But the Ansar, or some of them, said: We will not swear allegiance to anyone but Ali(ع).
#saqifa
YouTube
[2/4] Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification, Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Session 2:
In this lecture we looked to the details of what happened at Saqifa Bani Sa'ida (632AD/11AH), where Ansar had gathered for a meeting to discuss the issue of leadership after the demise of Prophet Muhammad(ص). After Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubaydah…
In this lecture we looked to the details of what happened at Saqifa Bani Sa'ida (632AD/11AH), where Ansar had gathered for a meeting to discuss the issue of leadership after the demise of Prophet Muhammad(ص). After Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubaydah…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MvyRsnTkSU&list=PLRagz8v-1fF4xShjv1Z9Z1CLxjTv4-HxL&t=1s
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 3
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 25, 2025
Session 3:
🔹The Religion (din) of Ali(ع) at the time of the Three Preceding Caliphs
According to the conventional (dominant) modern view in the western scholarship the Shia as a religious movement emerged, after the death of Imam Ali(ع).
There was, to be sure, Shia of Ali during the first Inter-Muslim War (fitnah), but they were simply the active supporters of Ali’s caliphate, just as there was a Shia of 'Uthman composed of all those seeking revenge for Ali’s predecessor murdered in Madinah.
According to this view the conflict between the two parties was strictly political, that is Imam Ali(ع) himself sought the caliphate after 'Uthman’s violent death on the same political and not religious basis as his three predecessors.
Thus conventional western scholarship is in agreement with the Sunni view in the assertion that Ali(ع) himself had nothing to do with the rise of religious Shi’ism and its doctrine.
According to their view, it was only after the martyrdom of Ali (ع) and the abdication of his son Hasan(ع) in favor of Mu'awiyah that some of his Kufan partisans, disappointed by the failure of their cause and resentful of the transfer of the sovereign power to Syria, began to build up the idea of a special right of the ahl al-bayt, Muhammad’s Family, to rule the Muslim community, based on their superior knowledge and designation.
In this lecture we turned to the Kufan historical traditional and examining the concept of religion (din) of Ali(ع) by looking in more detail to the activities and views of the supporters of Ali(ع) (Shia of Ali) during the period of his three predecessors and his own caliphate.
We showed contrary to the dominant western scholarship and Sunni view there is a distinct and influential followers of Ali(ع) in this period that consider him something more than just a political leader and the concept of religion (din) of Ali was known and understood religiously and similarly by both friends and foes of Ali(ع).
#saqifa
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 3
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 25, 2025
Session 3:
🔹The Religion (din) of Ali(ع) at the time of the Three Preceding Caliphs
According to the conventional (dominant) modern view in the western scholarship the Shia as a religious movement emerged, after the death of Imam Ali(ع).
There was, to be sure, Shia of Ali during the first Inter-Muslim War (fitnah), but they were simply the active supporters of Ali’s caliphate, just as there was a Shia of 'Uthman composed of all those seeking revenge for Ali’s predecessor murdered in Madinah.
According to this view the conflict between the two parties was strictly political, that is Imam Ali(ع) himself sought the caliphate after 'Uthman’s violent death on the same political and not religious basis as his three predecessors.
Thus conventional western scholarship is in agreement with the Sunni view in the assertion that Ali(ع) himself had nothing to do with the rise of religious Shi’ism and its doctrine.
According to their view, it was only after the martyrdom of Ali (ع) and the abdication of his son Hasan(ع) in favor of Mu'awiyah that some of his Kufan partisans, disappointed by the failure of their cause and resentful of the transfer of the sovereign power to Syria, began to build up the idea of a special right of the ahl al-bayt, Muhammad’s Family, to rule the Muslim community, based on their superior knowledge and designation.
In this lecture we turned to the Kufan historical traditional and examining the concept of religion (din) of Ali(ع) by looking in more detail to the activities and views of the supporters of Ali(ع) (Shia of Ali) during the period of his three predecessors and his own caliphate.
We showed contrary to the dominant western scholarship and Sunni view there is a distinct and influential followers of Ali(ع) in this period that consider him something more than just a political leader and the concept of religion (din) of Ali was known and understood religiously and similarly by both friends and foes of Ali(ع).
#saqifa
YouTube
[3/4] Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification, Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Session 3:
🔹The Religion (din) of Ali (ع) at the time of the Three Preceding Caliphs
According to the conventional (dominant) modern view in the western scholarship the Shia as a religious movement emerged, after the death of Imam Ali (ع).
There was, to…
🔹The Religion (din) of Ali (ع) at the time of the Three Preceding Caliphs
According to the conventional (dominant) modern view in the western scholarship the Shia as a religious movement emerged, after the death of Imam Ali (ع).
There was, to…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OushH3dJmA&list=PLRagz8v-1fF4xShjv1Z9Z1CLxjTv4-HxL&t=1s
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 4
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 26, 2025
Session 4:
🔹The Public Actions of Imam Ali(ع) during his Caliphate for Rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa
Independent of what happened on the day of Ghadir, the final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad(ص), the day of Saqifa, or after that until the time of the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع) during his caliphate, he had a suitable opportunity to correct the mistakes and deviations created regarding the succession of the Prophet and the caliphate, and to present the right perspective on Imamate.
In the absence of any practical actions in this direction, especially on a widespread and public level by Imam Ali(ع), the theory of Imamate and Wilayat is seriously called into question, or at least one must accept that imamate would not have the fundamental importance that today's Shi'ism attributes to it, otherwise the Imam would have been committed to explaining and promoting it. In the absence of any practical action in this direction, especially on a widespread and public level by Imam Ali(ع), the view of that section of Sunnis who claim that Ali(ع) himself did not have belief or claim to any special right or privilege to the succession of Prophet Muhammad(ص) (imamate, caliphate) and such a belief and claim was put forward in his name by extremist admirers and political dissidents after him, is to some degree confirmed.
This period, the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع), with the political and military power under his command was not a period of fear and therefore taqiyya (dissimulation) not justified. However, due to the composition of the Shias (political and religious) and Imam Ali's army, the Imam's hands was not completely free, and there was still a kind of caution and limitation in expressing the truth.
The main claim of this presentation was that Imam Ali(ع) used the opportunity which caliphate provided him as far as above mentioned limitations allowed him to adopt actions and measures to to rectify the deviation after saqifa to his best. The other side of the coin of these actions and measures (statements and explanations) by Imam Ali(ع) was a restatement of the principle of imamate, basic tenets of Shia Islam and a definition of who is a Shia of Imam Ali(ع).
We discussed three instances. The emphasis was on cases that were carried out in public and a more wider level; otherwise, more limited cases and personal encounters and conversations with companions and individual people, such as those reflected in the Shi'i books, occurred numerously during his caliphate and the 25 years before it.
We studied the letter known as Imam Ali's letter to his Shias, which is the most extensive and consequently the most important, but least known of these actions.
Our discussion was based on the oldest extant version of the letter in the book "al-Gharat" (الغارات، Raids) by Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Thaqafi (d. 283 AH).
When reflecting on the three discussed cases of actions by Imam Ali(ع), it is good to pay attention to three possible aspects of these actions:
1) The negative and critical aspect regarding the first three caliphs in usurping government and power, and their performance during their rule.
2) The affirmative and positive aspect. The existence of a divine (prophetic) text and appointment regarding the succession of Imam Ali(ع) after the Prophet, and in addition, emphasis on the superiority and greater competence of Imam Ali(ع) for the position of caliphate.
3) The articulation of the general principles of caliphate (the principle of Imamate) after him.
#saqifa
"Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification", Lecture 4
speaker: Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Mar 26, 2025
Session 4:
🔹The Public Actions of Imam Ali(ع) during his Caliphate for Rectifying the deviation that happened after Saqifa
Independent of what happened on the day of Ghadir, the final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad(ص), the day of Saqifa, or after that until the time of the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع) during his caliphate, he had a suitable opportunity to correct the mistakes and deviations created regarding the succession of the Prophet and the caliphate, and to present the right perspective on Imamate.
In the absence of any practical actions in this direction, especially on a widespread and public level by Imam Ali(ع), the theory of Imamate and Wilayat is seriously called into question, or at least one must accept that imamate would not have the fundamental importance that today's Shi'ism attributes to it, otherwise the Imam would have been committed to explaining and promoting it. In the absence of any practical action in this direction, especially on a widespread and public level by Imam Ali(ع), the view of that section of Sunnis who claim that Ali(ع) himself did not have belief or claim to any special right or privilege to the succession of Prophet Muhammad(ص) (imamate, caliphate) and such a belief and claim was put forward in his name by extremist admirers and political dissidents after him, is to some degree confirmed.
This period, the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع), with the political and military power under his command was not a period of fear and therefore taqiyya (dissimulation) not justified. However, due to the composition of the Shias (political and religious) and Imam Ali's army, the Imam's hands was not completely free, and there was still a kind of caution and limitation in expressing the truth.
The main claim of this presentation was that Imam Ali(ع) used the opportunity which caliphate provided him as far as above mentioned limitations allowed him to adopt actions and measures to to rectify the deviation after saqifa to his best. The other side of the coin of these actions and measures (statements and explanations) by Imam Ali(ع) was a restatement of the principle of imamate, basic tenets of Shia Islam and a definition of who is a Shia of Imam Ali(ع).
We discussed three instances. The emphasis was on cases that were carried out in public and a more wider level; otherwise, more limited cases and personal encounters and conversations with companions and individual people, such as those reflected in the Shi'i books, occurred numerously during his caliphate and the 25 years before it.
We studied the letter known as Imam Ali's letter to his Shias, which is the most extensive and consequently the most important, but least known of these actions.
Our discussion was based on the oldest extant version of the letter in the book "al-Gharat" (الغارات، Raids) by Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Thaqafi (d. 283 AH).
When reflecting on the three discussed cases of actions by Imam Ali(ع), it is good to pay attention to three possible aspects of these actions:
1) The negative and critical aspect regarding the first three caliphs in usurping government and power, and their performance during their rule.
2) The affirmative and positive aspect. The existence of a divine (prophetic) text and appointment regarding the succession of Imam Ali(ع) after the Prophet, and in addition, emphasis on the superiority and greater competence of Imam Ali(ع) for the position of caliphate.
3) The articulation of the general principles of caliphate (the principle of Imamate) after him.
#saqifa
YouTube
[4/4] Saqifa: From Deviation to Rectification, Dr. Farhad Ghoddoussi
Session 4:
🔹The Public Actions of Imam Ali(ع) during his Caliphate
🔸Independent of what happened on the day of Ghadir, the final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad(ص), the day of Saqifa, or after that until the time of the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع)…
🔹The Public Actions of Imam Ali(ع) during his Caliphate
🔸Independent of what happened on the day of Ghadir, the final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad(ص), the day of Saqifa, or after that until the time of the caliphate of Imam Ali(ع)…