At a glance

Era: The Prophetic Era
Region: Arabia
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In time

In space

Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph

Factions, splits and schisms Sects and schools

The long-form text for this entry has not been written yet. The facts and connections below come from the museum's data.

Opinions on the question

The question: What did the Prophet mean at Ghadir Khumm by saying that whoever he was the mawla of, Ali is his mawla?

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference

Sunni tradition generally reads the Prophet's words ('whoever I am the mawla of, Ali is his mawla') as a declaration of Ali's closeness and virtue, not of succession.

More opinions (2)

Academic viewSecondary opinion

Historians note that the event is reported in both Sunni and Shia sources and that its meaning, not its occurrence, is the point of dispute.

Shia (Twelver) viewOther opinion

Twelver Shia tradition reads the same event as the Prophet's designation of Ali as his successor and the first Imam.

Connections

Occurred at: Ghadir Khumm
Had participant: Muhammad Ali ibn Abi Talib
Part of: The Prophetic Era
Caused by: The Farewell Pilgrimage

People and things also explored

The Farewell Pilgrimage The three years of the secret call Ali's expedition to destroy al-Fuls, the idol of Tayy'The Battle of Badr The Conquest of Khaybar The Battle of the Trench (al-Ahzab)The burial of the Prophet The death of the Prophet

Sources

Ibn Ishaq / Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (1955)
Watt, Muhammad at Medina (1956)

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Ghadir Khumm”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/ghadir-khumm/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.

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Wing

Time

Eras, timelines, this day in history, any year in the Islamic world. Related

The Farewell Pilgrimage

The only pilgrimage the Prophet led, during which he gave the sermon known as the Farewell Sermon.