The Prophet Muhammad A simple Guide to his Life
Prophetic Wisdom
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superiority over a non-Arab; no white enjoyed any
superiority over a black, for superiority is related
solely to one’s religiosity and God-fearingness.
About two and a half months after delivering this
sermon, the Prophet passed away. The problem that
arose after his death concerned the choice of his
successor. According to the declaration made in the
sermon, what should have been done was to decide
upon a successor to the caliphate on the basis of
piety and God-fearingness, rather than on the basis
of family and tribe. But this did not happen.
After his death Muslims gathered at a meeting place
in Madinah known as Thaqifa bani Saida. The
majority were of the opinion that Saad ibn Ubada,
who belonged to a Madinan tribe, should be
selected as the successor to the Prophet. On this
occasion Abu Bakr conveyed the Prophet’s dictum:
“
The leaders will be from the Quraysh.”
That is, the Caliph or Imam should be selected from
the tribe of the Quraysh. This meant that Saad ibn
abi Ubadah, not being a member of that tribe, could
not be chosen as caliph. After some deliberation,
