The Companions of the Prophet

(shed) of the Banu Sa’dah, where the Ansar were gathered. Abu Bakr addressed them. “There is no doubt that you are indeed endowed with the qualities you have mentioned. But as for leadership of the Arab people, it is to the Quraysh we must look for that. Geographically and ethnically, they occupy a central place in Arab life. Therefore, I will propose to you two names ‘Umar and Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, swear allegiance to whomsoever of them you, please. ‘Umar arose after this and immediately swore allegiance to Abu Bakr as Caliph. The Ansar followed his lead, but some took it so hard that they told the Muhajirs that it was as good as killing Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah. The Ansar had made enormous sacrifices for the cause of Islam. They had given shelter to the stranded ship of Islam when it had been forced to leave its waters. Yet despite their sacrifices, they agreed to make another one. They disowned a share in power and united behind a Qurayshi caliph. There was a good reason for the appointment. The Quraysh, to which clan the Muhajirs belonged, had been considered leaders of Arabia for centuries. A leader from any other tribe would not have commanded the support needed to administrate a burgeoning empire. The Ansar were realistic enough to acknowledge their shortcomings in this respect and accept the Muhajirs’ unilateral decision. It is hard to find a comparable example of such selfless realism in the history of the world.