The Caliphal Seal Lost in the Well
ضياع خاتم الخلافة في بئر أريس
The Prophet's silver seal, engraved 'Muhammad, Messenger of God', passed to Abu Bakr's sealing, then Umar's, then Uthman's — and slipped from his hand into the well mid-caliphate; it was emptied and the seal not recovered, so he had a seal made engraved 'Muhammad, Messenger of God' in three lines. Variants: all silver, fass and ring, or a silver ring with an Abyssinian stone; and his word, 'I have made a seal — let no one engrave upon its engraving'.
At a glance
- Era
- The Rashidun Caliphate
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The search
The well was drained and it could not be found. Uthman then made a new ring engraved "Muhammad, Messenger of God" in three lines. 1
Accounts of the ring
Al-Baladhuri relates from al-Hasan that the ring was of silver, and its bezel was Abyssinian. He relates from Anas that the Prophet ﷺ said he had made a ring, and forbade anyone to engrave on its design. 1
The source does not give the year of the event in the data, and it needs an additional source.
Connections
- Had participant
- Abu Bakr al-Siddiq· Umar ibn al-Khattab· Uthman ibn Affan
People and things also explored
The Hijra· Muwatta 214· Muwatta 1196· Medina· Abu Bakr al-Siddiq· Umar ibn al-Khattab· Uthman ibn Affan· Abu Bakr leads the prayers during the final illness
Sources
- Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Caliphal Seal Lost in the Well”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/seal-of-caliphate-loss/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.