Saqifa

The Saqifa (Arabic: سَقِيفَة, romanized: Saqīfah) was an assembly held shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632, at which Abu Bakr was chosen as his successor and became the first caliph. The Saqifa meeting is among the most controversial events in Islam, due to the exclusion of a large number of Muhammad's companions, including his family and notably Ali, his cousin and son-in-law. Ali and a large number of Muhammad's family were still at the prophet's funeral when the event took place.

Sunni Muslims hold that Muhammad left the choice of his successor to the community, and therefore regard Abu Bakr's selection by companions as legitimate. Shia Muslims maintain that Ali had already been designated as Muhammad's successor at the event of Ghadir Khumm, and therefore regard the events at Saqifa as having bypassed his rightful succession. The succession crisis became the initial cause of the division among Muslims that led to the emergence of the two main Islamic branches, Sunni and Shia.