The Event of Saqifa
Main article: Incident of Saqifa
After the demise of the Prophet (s), while Ali (a) and Banu Hashim were busy with the burial rituals and ceremony, the Helpers (Ansar) gathered in the Saqifa Bani Sa’ida to choose a successor for the Prophet (s) from themselves. They were afraid that the Quraysh might seek to revenge for their casualties and knew that the Prophet’s (s) command regarding his successor would not be accepted. When Abu Bakr and Umar were informed of this gathering, they headed toward Saqifa together with Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah, Abd al-Rahman b. Awf, and Uthman b. Affan. After heated debates, those who had gathered at the Saqifa chose Abu Bakr as the caliph and successor of the Prophet (s), with no regard for the Prophet’s commands regarding the succession.
The Background of the Disfavor for Imam Ali (a)
The lifetime of Imam Ali (a) was replete with extremely sensitive and influential events, especially during his caliphate which witnessed vast conflicts in the Muslim community. According to Abd al-Rahim Qanawat, the origin of many conflicts in the time of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) was tribal rivalries among the members of the Quraysh and the descendants of Abd Manaf. Considering the disagreement between the children of Abd Manaf over who should hold the high social positions in Mecca, Qanawat mentions the declining status of Banu Hashim against Banu Umayya after Abd al-Mutallib and states that the opposition of Mu’awiyah to Imam Ali’s (a) marked the peak of the enmity of the Umayyads towards Banu Hashim. The Umayyads even questioned Abu Talib’s faith and accused him of polytheism.
Moreover, during the Battle of Badr Imam Ali (a) inflicted substantial casualties on the Meccan army: 27 men according to al-Waqidi, 35 according to Ibn Abi l-Hadid, and 36 according to al-Mufid, thirteen of whom are said to have been prominent figures of the Quraysh, such as Abu Jahl. This great loss significantly tarnished the reputation of the Qurayshite polytheists and made them hold grudges against the Imam (a), which persisted even after they converted to Islam, leading them to encourage the people to break their allegiance to Ali (a) and oppose him.
In addition, the envy of some fellow-Muslims towards him because of his braveries and other merits and because of the Prophet’s (s) love for him also contributed to the intensification of disfavor for the Imam (a).
