Hadith of Pen and Paper

Muhammad became ill in 11 AH (632 CE) and his health took a serious turn for the worse on a Thursday, when he asked for writing materials: "I need to write something so that you will not go astray when I am gone."[2] Umar, a senior companion of Muhammad, is said to have intervened, telling those present that Muhammad was raving and adding that, "You have the Quran, the book of God is sufficient for us," as quoted in Sahih al-Bukhari.[3] The sources report that a quarrel then broke out at Muhammad's bedside, with some suggesting that Muhammad's orders should be followed and some siding with Umar to disregard Muhammad's request.[4] The noise apparently pained Muhammad, who scolded those present by his bedside: "Go away and leave me."[5]

Some sources add that Muhammad later left three oral instructions for Muslims in lieu of a written statement, which have been recorded differently by different authors.[6] In his Tabaqat al-Kubra, Ibn Sa'd writes that two of these instructions were to drive away the polytheists from Arabia, and to accept delegations in the same manner as he had done.[7] The third recommendation is absent and, according to Ibn Sa'd, might have been forgotten by his source. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir report these instructions similarly.[7] Alternatively, another account in Ibn Sa'd's book lists the three instructions as prayer, zakat, and [kindness to] ma malakat aymanukum (slaves). This version concludes with Muhammad's death on Ali's lap.[8] Different narrations of this hadith also differ in the identities of those present, with figures, such as Zaynab bint Jahsh, Umm Salama and Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr, inserted or removed depending on the preference of the narrators.[7]

According to the Shia historian Tabarsi, the third (missing) instruction was about the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's family).[9] In Tabarsi's version, when Muhammad was later asked if he still wished to write something, he replied:[9]

No, not after what you have said! Rather, keep well my memory through kindness to the people of my household. Treat with kindness the people of dhimmah [namely, Jews and Christians], and feed the poor and ma malakat aymanukum [i.e., slaves].

There is no dearth of speculation among scholars about what Muhammad intended to write. Shia scholars suggest that it would have been a formal appointment of Ali as the new leader, while Sunni authorities have advanced various alternatives.[10]

According to Miskinzoda, the disobedience to Muhammad in this incident has been downplayed by some Sunni authors, such as Ibn Hazm, or attributed to companions' concerns for overstraining the ill Muhammad by others, such as al-Halabi.[11] Some, such as al-Baladhuri, have instead suggested that Muhammad intended to designate Abu Bakr as his successor.[7] In Shia sources, the incident is viewed as a calamity and a missed opportunity to designate Ali as successor.[12] Madelung appears to support this view, writing that Umar later explained to Ibn Abbas that Muhammad intended to name Ali as his successor and that he, Umar, prevented this out of the conviction that Arabs would revolt against Ali.[13] This view has been echoed by Hazleton.[14]

In Sunni Islam, this hadith has also been linked to the rise of the community politics that followed Muhammad's death. The argument is that Muhammad had implicitly agreed to how the Muslim community (umma) would act after his death. From the Sunni viewpoint, this hadith is therefore linked to the emergence of sayings, attributed to Muhammad, such as, "My umma will never agree on an error," an idea perpetuated by theologians like Ibn Hazm and Ibn Sayyid al-Nas.[15] In contrast, though Qur'an advises the faithful to settle some matters by consultation, the succession of prophets might not be one of them, according to Madelung. That matter is settled by divine selection for the past prophets in the Qur'an.[16]

According to Miskinzoda, the focal point of the story is the question of Muhammad's religious authority, exemplified by Umar's statement, "You have the Qur'an, the book of God is sufficient for us." She suggests that the message of these traditions is that the Qur'an is sufficient for the guidance of Muslims.[7] Alternatively, Hazleton argues that the Qur'an is not sufficient, as it has been supplemented by the practice of Muhammad (Sunna) after his death.[17] Shia Muslims complement this with the practice of their Imams, citing the well-attested Hadith al-Thaqalayn, attributed to Muhammad, in which he asked Muslims to seek guidance after him from the Qur'an and the Ahl al-Bayt, meaning his family.[18]

• Hadith of the Twelve Successors
• Umar at Fatimah's house

• Hazleton, Lesley (2009). After the Prophet: The epic story of the Shia-Sunni split in Islam. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780385532099.
• Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The succession to Muhammad: A study of the early caliphate. Cambridge University Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780521646963.
• Miskinzoda, Gurdofarid (2014). "The Story of Pen and Paper and its interpretation in Muslim Literary and Historical Tradition". In Farhad Daftary (ed.). The Study of Shiʿi Islam: History, Theology and Law. The Study of Shi‘i Islam: History, Theology and Law. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-0-85773-529-4.
• Campo, Juan Eduardo (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781438126968.
• Mavani, Hamid (2013). Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi'ism: From Ali to Post-Khomeini. Routledge. ISBN 9780415624404.
• Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300035315.
• Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300252057.

• Thursday's calamity (Al-Muraja'at)
• The Companions and the Raziyat Yawm al Khamis - from Then I was Guided, chapter "The Calamity of Thursday"