According to Islamic and\nJudeo-Christian historical reference books, all Prophets from the first-Prophet\nAdam (PBUH) – to the last -Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) – had successors. For\nexample, Prophet Adam\u2019s (PBUH) successor was called \u201cHebtallah\u201d in Arabic, or\n\u201cSeth\u201d in Hebrew. The Successor of Prophet Ibrahim\/Abraham (PBUH) was\n\u201cIsma’il\/Ishmael\u201d. Prophet Ya\u2019qub\u2019s\/Jacob\u2019s (PBUH) successor was \u201cYusef\n\/Joseph\u201d (PBUH). The successor of Prophet Musa\/Moses (PBUH) was \u201cJoshua, the\nson of Nun\u201d (PBUH) against whom the wife of Moses (PBUH) revolted. Also, the\nsuccessor of Prophet Isa\/Jesus (PBUH) was \u201cSimon Peter\u201d, so called \u201cSham\u2019oon\u201d\nin Arabic. Here, we will try to touch on three stories related to the prophets\nand their successors mentioned above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the great Muslim historians,\nYa\u2019qubi, has narrated the following about the successor of Adam (PBUH): \u201cWhen\nAdam was about to die, he chose Seth as his successor.\u201d (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tabari (2) also adds: \u201cHebtallah is\nreferred to as Seth in Hebrew; he was the successor of Adam. Seth wrote Adam\u2019s\nfinal will. The will included that Seth was to be followed after Adam.\u201d (3) Ibn\nAthir and Ibn Kathir both have written similar statements about this issue:\n\u201cThe interpretation of Seth is Hebtallah, who was chosen as Adam\u2019s successor.\nWhen the death of Adam came close, he appointed Seth as his successor \u2026\u201d (4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As mentioned earlier, Simon Peter or\nSimon ben Jonah was appointed as the successor of Jesus (PBUH). He is referred\nto as Simon (Sham\u2019oon) in the Old Testament and Torah. The New Testament also\nrefers to Simon in the first couple verses of the book of Matthew, chapter\n10:1-2: \u201cAnd he got together his twelve disciples and gave them the power of\ndriving out unclean spirits, and of making well all sorts of disease and pain.\nNow the names of the twelve are these: The first, Simon, who is named Peter.\u201d\n(5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, in John 10:11 and 10:14,\nJesus (PBUH) repeats, “I am the good shepherd”… but in John 21,\nJesus says 3 times to Peter, and only to Peter, in front of the other Apostles,\n“feed my lambs… tend my sheep… feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17)…\n“my lambs”… “my sheep”… the lambs and sheep of Jesus!\n(6) This is suggesting that Jesus (PBUH) kept Peter as his successor and Peter\nwas in charge of taking care of the people and guiding them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, elsewhere in Chapter\n16:18-19 of the book of Mathew, Peter was assigned a leadership role by Jesus\n(PBUH) above all the other disciples: \u201cAnd I say to you that you are Peter, and\non this rock will my church be based, and the doors of hell will not overcome\nit. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever is fixed\nby you on earth will be fixed in heaven: and whatever you make free on earth\nwill be made free in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, we come to Yusha\u2019 ibn\nNun\/Joshua, the son of Nun (7) who was the successor of Moses (PBUH). In the\ndictionary of Bible, Joshua is described as such: \u201cHe (Joshua) became Moses’\nminister or servant, and accompanied him part of the way when he ascended Mount\nSinai to receive the two tables.\u201d (Ex. 32:17) (8) It can be inferred from the\nbible that he did not worship the calf at the time of Aaron \u2026(9), (10) The more\ninteresting fact is that the actual story of Joshua\u2019s succession to Moses\n(PBUH) is narrated in the Old Testament, book of Numbers, chapter 27:15-23 as\nsuch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen Moses said\nto the Lord, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, put a man at\nthe head of this people, To go out and come in before them and be their guide;\nso that the people of the Lord may not be like sheep without a keeper – And the\nLord said to Moses, Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit,\nand put your hand on him – And take him before Eleazar (11) the priest and all\nthe meeting of the people, and give him his orders before their eyes – And put\nyour honor on him, so that all the children of Israel may be under his\nauthority. He will take his place before Eleazar the priest, so that he may get\ndirections from the Lord for him, with the Urim (12): at his word they will go\nout, and at his word they will come in, he and all the children of Israel – So\nMoses did as the Lord said: he took Joshua and put him before Eleazar the\npriest and the meeting of the people – And he put his hands on him and gave him\nhis orders, as the Lord had said by Moses.\u201d (13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story of Joshua\u2019s uprising and\nwars against the actions of the sons of Israel are narrated in the book of\nJoshua, chapter 23 of the Old Testament. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Certainly, Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) had not brought a new religion with new teachings (14), and thus\nwas not separate from the previous prophets. Hence, he would not have left his\nfollowers without a \u201csuccessor\u201d and \u201cMaster\u201d in his place. It is crucial to\nrecall that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had not left the small society of\nMedina without placing a substitute in his place. No matter how short his leave\nwould be, he would have definitely chosen a leader and a successor in his\nplace. (15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How then would the holy Prophet depart\nthe Muslim community without assigning a Master after himself forever? As\nmentioned earlier, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was not the only prophet who\nchose a successor after himself. With a deeper insight into the Islamic texts,\none can find amazing similarities between him and the other Prophets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Example, in the story mentioned\nearlier, Joshua was at \u201cMount Sinai\u201d (16) with Prophet Moses (PBUH), and had\nnot corrupted himself by worshipping the calf. It was then that Allah (SWT)\nordered Prophet Moses (PBUH) to make Joshua his successor and the leader after\nhim. As the Old Testament states, Joshua was to be the shepherd of lambs\n(people), and prevent them from going astray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Ali (PBUH) was with Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) in the \u201cCave of Haraa\u201d and had never worshiped idols. In\nthe same manner that Prophet Moses (PBUH) was commanded to appoint his\nsuccessor in front of the people, Allah (SWT) ordered Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) to announce Imam Ali (PBUH) as his successor in the presence of\nthe Muslim community. In the final pilgrimage (Hajjah al-Wida\u2019), when the\nMuslims had completed their Hajj, the holy Prophet was commanded to introduce\nhis successor and leader after him. Allah (SWT) had most certainly ordered\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) not to leave the Islamic society without a\nleader after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP)\ncompleted his order in Ghadir Khumm, and chose Imam Ali (PBUH) as his\nsuccessor. Hence, what the Prophet had said about the similarities of Islamic\ncommunity and the sons of Israel (\u201cWhatever that happened to the sons of Israel\nwill happen to my community\u2026\u201d) (17) came to be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Reference:\n\u201cMa\u2019alim Al-Madrasatain\u201d by Allamah Sayyed Murtada \u2018Askari, with minor changes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What did actually happen in Ghadir?\nHow does each Islamic sect view the event of Ghadir? Does the event of Ghadir\nbelong to only one specific sect of Islam, and meaningless for others? In such\na great occasion, let\u2019s review the important events that took place in the\nGhadir, so that we too can comprehend the philosophy of Ghadir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this purpose, we invite you to\nstudy the strong and authentic Islamic texts of different sects about the\nimportance of this event in the following article (Please Click Here).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We congratulate all on behalf of the\nRoshd Website, on the Eid of Ghadir al-Khumm, the festival of the completion of\nReligion and the announcement of Amir Al-Mu\u2019minin, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib\n(PBUH) as the true Successor of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) to all of the Muslims\naround the world, and especially to you dear friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. History of\nYa\u2019qubi, vol. 1, p.11<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The author of\nTarikh al-Rosol wa al-Moluk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. History of\nTabari, Published in Europe, vol.1, p. 153-165 and 166<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. History of\nibn Athir, vol 1, p. 19, 20, 40 and 48, History of ibn Kathir, vol. 1, p.98<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. You may visit\nthe following link to refer to the main\ntext:<\/p>\n\n\n\n