The heart-wrenching demise of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, is considered one of the most sorrowful events in the history of Islam. So much so that after performing the ritual cleansing and shrouding of the holy body of Allah’s messenger, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) pulled aside the shroud from the Prophet’s face. With a broken heart and overwhelmed with grief, he addressed the Prophet, saying: ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you! With your departure, the chain of prophethood, divine revelations, and the news of the heavens have ceased. If you hadn’t urged us to be patient in the face of adversities, I would have cried so much for you that the springs of my tears would have dried up. Our sorrow and grief over this calamity are eternal. Even though this level of grief and sorrow is minuscule compared to the tragedy of losing you, there’s no other way to express it. May my parents be sacrificed for you! Remember us in the hereafter and keep us in your thoughts.’ [1]. Then he covered the Prophet’s blessed face with the shroud.
In this article, we intend to examine the most crucial issue related to the days of the Prophet’s demise, namely his succession (Caliphate). For this purpose, we have referred to various books on early Islamic history, especially the book ‘Encyclopedia of Islamic History’.