I want to know the Sunni point of view on the incident of Ghadir Khumm, and what differnces do shias and sunni have about this incident. I'll be grateful to you. Allah Hafiz

The event of Ghadeer Khum in Quran, Sunnah & History%0D%0A%0D%0AAs you know that the Shi`a say that Ali (rah) is the one who should have%0D%0Abeen the first khalifa and not Abu Bakr (rah) (or Umar (rah) or Uthman%0D%0A(rah)). They bring some evidences from the Sunni books (Bukhari, Muslim,..)%0D%0Aand one of them is the hadeeth of Ghadeer Khumm.%0D%0A%0D%0ABefore we start, we should Say that Ali (rah) is the husband of the daughter%0D%0Aof the prophet (peace be upon him), Fatima (rah, the best woman of the%0D%0Apeople of the Jannah), he is the cousin of the prophet (peace be upon him),%0D%0Aand he is the fourth of the rightly-guided khalifahs and his qualities are%0D%0Aall well known to us.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever, we are not talking about the qualities of Ali (rah), because we all%0D%0Aknow it. We are discussing whether or not the hadeeth of Ghadeer Khumm is%0D%0Aevidence that Ali should have been the first khalifa.%0D%0A%0D%0AWe start by reading the hadeeth from Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5920:%0D%0AYazid b. Hayyan reported, I went along with Husain b. Sabra and 'Umar b.%0D%0AMuslim to Zaid b. Arqam and, as we sat by his side, Husain said to him:%0D%0AZaid. you have been able to acquire a great virtue that you saw Allah's%0D%0AMessenger (may peace be upon him) listened to his talk, fought by his side%0D%0Ain (different) battles, offered prayer behind me. Zaid, you have in fact%0D%0Aearned a great virtue. Zaid, narrate to us what you heard from Allah's%0D%0AMessenger (may peace be upon him). He said: I have grown old and have almost%0D%0Aspent my age and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in%0D%0Aconnection with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), so accept%0D%0Awhatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do%0D%0Athat. He then said: One day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood%0D%0Aup to deliver sermon at a watering place known as Khumm situated between%0D%0AMecca and Medina. He praised Allah, extolled Him and delivered the sermon%0D%0Aand. exhorted (us) and said: Now to our purpose. O people, I am a human%0D%0Abeing. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord%0D%0Aand I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am%0D%0Aleaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in%0D%0Awhich there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah%0D%0Aand adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and%0D%0Athen said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your%0D%0Aduties) to the members of my family. He (Husain) said to Zaid: Who are the%0D%0Amembers of his household? Aren't his wives the members of his family?%0D%0AThereupon he said: His wives are the members of his family (but here) the%0D%0Amembers of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden.%0D%0AAnd he said: Who are they? Thereupon he said: 'Ali and the offspring of%0D%0A'Ali, 'Aqil and the offspring of 'Aqil and the offspring of Ja'far and the%0D%0Aoffspring of 'Abbas. Husain said: These are those for whom the acceptance of%0D%0AZakat is forbidden. Zaid said: Yes.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis hadeeth is also narrated in other books: Tirmithi, Ahmed, an-nasai,%0D%0Aal-hakem and others. Almost all the links are for pages in Arabic. I will%0D%0Atranslate the important points inshaAllah as I go along.%0D%0A%0D%0AMosnad of Ahmed:%0D%0AIbn Namir told us that Abd Al-Malik (Ibn Abi-Sulayman) told us according to%0D%0AAttia Al-`ufi who said: I asked Zayd Ibn Arqam and I told him that some%0D%0Apeople told me a hadeeth according to you about Ali (rah) in the day of%0D%0AGhadeer Khumm and I want to hear it from you. So Zayd said: You people of%0D%0AIraq, you have what you have. I told him: Do not worry about me. He said:%0D%0AYes we were in Al-Juhfa and the prophet(peace be upon him) came to us%0D%0Aholding the hands of Ali (rah) and said: O people don't you know that I am%0D%0Awith the believers from their selves. They said: Yes. He said: kuntu mawlaah fa Ali mawlaah%3E. [Attia] said: Did he say: man waalah wa `ad man `adaah%3E (O Allah: Befriend whosoever befriends him and%0D%0Abe the enemy of whosoever is hostile to him). [Zayd] said: I told you as I%0D%0Aheard it.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe saying "man kuntu mawlah fa Ali mawlah" is correct and strong.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe addition , "O Allah:%0D%0ABefriend whosoever befriends him and be the enemy of whosoever is hostile to%0D%0Ahim" is also correct, albeit weaker.%0D%0AHowever, the scholars of hadeeth classify any extra additions as %0D%0Aand hence we will not talk about. We will only talk about the authentic%0D%0Aversions shown above.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis hadeeth is used to prove that Ali is the khalifa. The Shia says that%0D%0A"mawla" means "wali" (leader) and hence this incident means that the prophet%0D%0Ais telling the Muslims that Ali is the next khalifa.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is their point regarding this hadeeth. The difference, then, is the%0D%0Ameaning of "man kuntu mawlah, fa Ali mawlah". The shi`ah says that it means%0D%0A"man kuntu waleeh, fa Ali waleeh". The Sunnah says that it means love and%0D%0Aclose relation. Muwalat is the opposite of Mu`adat. The proof comes from the%0D%0Afirst addition: "oh Allah waali man walaah wa `adi man `adaah". (O Allah%0D%0Abefriend whosover befriends him and be the enemy of whosoever is hostile to%0D%0Ahim). So we are talking about muwalah and mu`adat (love and enmity). It is%0D%0Aabout the love of the people to Ali (rah).%0D%0A%0D%0ABefore we talk about that, let us talk about why the prophet said so. The%0D%0AShi`ah claim that the prophet ( peace be upon him ) stopped people in this%0D%0Aplace in the hot weather and they say that their number was more than 100%0D%0Athousand and that this was the place where all the people of Hajj were%0D%0Agathered and the main reason is that the prophet ( peace be upon him )%0D%0Awanted to tell the people "man kuntu mawlah fa Ali mawlah" in addition to%0D%0Atheir additions.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe reason for this hadeeth is as follows:%0D%0ARead this hadeeth from Bukhari volume 5, Book 59 Number 637:%0D%0ANarrated Buraida: The Prophet sent 'Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (of%0D%0Athe booty) and I hated Ali, and 'Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act%0D%0Awith a slave-girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, "Don't you see this%0D%0A(i.e. Ali)?" When we reached the Prophet I mentioned that to him. He said,%0D%0A"O Buraida! Do you hate Ali?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do you hate him, for%0D%0Ahe deserves more than that from the Khumlus."%0D%0AIn other narrations (al-tirmithi and ahmed), in addition to the above, the%0D%0Aprophet said: "O buraida man kuntu mawlah fa Ali mawlah"%0D%0ASo Ali took one of the slaves named Waseefa as his slave and then after%0D%0Ahaving sexual act with her, he was taking a bath. Buraida (rah) became%0D%0Aangry. He thought why would Ali take one of the slaves for himself. So he%0D%0Amentioned this to the prophet(peace be upon him).%0D%0AAl-bayhaqi narrates from Abu sa'eed that Ali prevented them from riding the%0D%0Acamels of the sadaqa that they acquired. He then made a person to be their%0D%0Aleader and went to the prophet(peace be upon him). When Ali came back, he%0D%0Afound that their leader gave them permission to ride the camels. When Ali%0D%0Asaw that, he became angry and he blamed the leader. (In another narration,%0D%0Ait mentions that they were new clothes that Ali prevented them from wearing%0D%0Abut they wear them despite his orders). Abu sa'eed said that when we went%0D%0Aback to madina, we mentioned to the prophet the harshness that we have seen%0D%0Afrom Ali. The prophet said: Stop O saad ibn Malik: O By Allah I have known%0D%0Athat he is done good for the sake of Allah. (Ibn Katheer says that this%0D%0Ahadeeth is on the conditions of Al-Nasaie)%0D%0AIbn Katheer said that the people in the army started to talk about Ali (rah)%0D%0Abecause he prevented them from riding the camels and took back the new%0D%0Aclothes that they acquired. Because of that, after the prophet ( peace be%0D%0Aupon him ) was done with the Hajj and while returning back to Madina, he%0D%0Astopped to explain to the people how some of the qualities of Ali and stress%0D%0Athe closeness of Ali to him and the importance of loving Ali. He did so to%0D%0Aremove what was in many of the hearts of some of the people against Ali.%0D%0AThat's why the prophet ( peace be upon him ) delayed talking about this%0D%0Atopic until they were close to Madina and he didn't talk about it in Makkah%0D%0Aduring the Hajj. On the day of Arafa, the prophet ( peace be upon him )%0D%0Aspoke to the people and and he never mentioned this topic at all. After he%0D%0Afinished his sermon, he said "Did I convey the message" and the people said%0D%0A"Yes" then he said "O Allah be my witness".%0D%0AWhy did he delay the topic till after Hajj? Because this topic is only of%0D%0Aconcern to the people of Madina because those who talked about Ali were from%0D%0AMadina as they were the ones who went with Ali to the battle. He talked%0D%0Aabout it in a place called ghadeer khumm in a place called Ju'fa, which is%0D%0Aabout 250 km from Makkah.%0D%0A(See map:%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AA simple look at the map is enough to refute the shi`ah claim that this is%0D%0Athe gathering place of the the Hajeej. People gather for Hajj at Makkah and%0D%0Aleave the Hajj at Makkah. The Hajeej don't leave from a place 250 km from%0D%0AMakkah. After Hajj, the people of Makkah stay at Makkah. The people of%0D%0AAl-Taif go to Al-Taif. The people of Yemen go to Yemen. The people of%0D%0Aal-kufa go to al-kufa and so on. All the tribes go back to their homes. The%0D%0Apeople that went with the prophet(peace be upon him) were the people of%0D%0AMadinah and those who are using the road of Madina to go to their dwellings.%0D%0AThese are the ones that the prophet( peace be upon him ) talked to when he%0D%0Asaid: "man ..".%0D%0AAlso the speech was not only about Ali despite the fact that Ali deserves%0D%0Athe speech and more (may Allah be pleased with him). But in the speech, the%0D%0Aprophet ( peace be upon him ) reminded the people with the Quran and its%0D%0Aimportance. He also reminded the people of the love of his household (may%0D%0AAllah be pleased with them) and then he mentioned Ali (rah). So there were%0D%0Amore than one topic that the prophet ( peace be upon him ) talked about.%0D%0AThe meaning of ( Mawla )%0D%0AIbn Al-Atheer says that the word (mawal) in the Arabic language could only%0D%0Amean:%0D%0Arabb = Lord%0D%0Amalik = owner%0D%0Amun`im = benefactor%0D%0Amu'tiq = liberator%0D%0Anaser = helper%0D%0Amuheb = lover%0D%0Ahaleef = ally%0D%0Aaabd = slave (for example: Zaid ibn haretha was the mawla of the prophet (%0D%0Apeace be upon him ))%0D%0Asihr = brother-in-law%0D%0Aibn al `am = cousin%0D%0AThe arabs would use the word mawlah to mean all of the above. But what did%0D%0Athe prophet ( peace be upon him ) mean by his word?%0D%0AFirst the hadeeth has no evidences for the imamah (leadership) because if%0D%0Athe prophet ( peace be upon him ) wanted to mean khilafah or imamah, he%0D%0Awouldn't have used a word that can have all these meanings. He would have%0D%0Asaid something like: Ali is your khalifa (or imam) after me, or when I die,%0D%0Alisten and obey to Ali ibn Abi Talib. But the prophet didn't use any of%0D%0Athese clear words. He said: "man kuntu ...".%0D%0AImam Shafi'i says that this is the walaa of Al-islam because Allah(swt) says%0D%0Ain the Quran (Surat Muhammad,verse 11:%0D%0AThat is because Allah is the Protector (mawala) of those who believe, and%0D%0Abecause the unbelievers shall have no protector for them (47:11)%0D%0AIn the Quran (Surat Al-hadid (The Iron), verse 15), Allah (swt) says:%0D%0ASo today ransom shall not be accepted from you nor from those who%0D%0Adisbelieved; your abode is the fire; it is your friend (mawlakum) and evil%0D%0Ais the resort.%0D%0AHe called the hell fire "mawla" for the extreme closeness to it by the%0D%0Akuffar.%0D%0ANote also that the word mawlah is different than the word waly.%0D%0AThe waly comes from walayah which is the leadership. Whereas mawlah comes%0D%0Afrom wilayah which is love and nusrah (help and aid).%0D%0AAllah (swt) says in the Quran (Surat At-tahrim ,verse 4):%0D%0AThen surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian (mawlah), and Jibreel and -the%0D%0Abelievers that do good, and the angels after that are the aiders.%0D%0AIt means love, nusrah and help.%0D%0AThe prophet ( peace be upon him ) used the word mawla not only to describe%0D%0AAli but to others as well. The following hadeeth is narrated in Bukhari%0D%0AVolume 4, Book 56, Number 715 & and others.%0D%0ANarrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The tribes of Quraish, Al-Ansar,%0D%0AJuhaina, Muzaina, Aslam, Ghifar and Ashja' are my helpers (mawaalii),, and%0D%0Athey have no protector (i.e. Master) except Allah and His Apostle."%0D%0AThere are other examples as well but I think that the above is sufficient to%0D%0Amake the point.%0D%0AIt is also important to point out that the prophet ( peace be upon him ) did%0D%0Anot say "after me" (in any authentic narration). He only said "man kuntu%0D%0Amawlah fa Ali mawlah" without giving any time frame. This means that this%0D%0Afact is timeless. If the prophet ( peace be upon him ) had meant "whoever%0D%0Aamong you is under my leadership, he is also under the leadership of Ali",%0D%0Awhich is the meaning that the Shi`a understands, if the prophet had meant it%0D%0Aas such, then there would be a big problem. Two leadership for the Muslim%0D%0Aummah at the time of the prophet ( peace be upon him ) does not make a lot%0D%0Aof sense.%0D%0AOf course, the prophet did not mean it that way and also the companions at%0D%0Athat time did not understand it that way, otherwise there would be a great%0D%0Afitnah. However, it is possible to have more than one mawla at the same%0D%0Atime - to love, help and aid the prophet and to love help and aid Ali (rah).%0D%0AI hope that the above is simple and clear. If, however, you have any%0D%0Aparticular doubts or confusions, please let me know and inshaAllah I can%0D%0Adelve more into it. The Sunni view is that the hadeeth of ghadir khum has%0D%0Anothing to do with who the leader is after the prophet(peace be upon him).%0D%0AIt means, however, that Ali is loved by the prophet (peace be upon him) and%0D%0Athat we should love him and give nusrah to him. May Allah (swt) join us with%0D%0AAli and the rest of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) on%0D%0Athe pool to drink from the honorable hands of the prophet ( peace be upon%0D%0Ahim ).