Saqifah Bani Sa'idah Meeting and the Legitimacy of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate, with an Emphasis on the Opinions of Western Thinkers

What happened in Saqifah Bani Sa'idah during the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), according to the content of the debates of the audience, was driven from the differences in the various aspects of the of the Arabs lives and the diversity of the lives of the various ethnic groups, with a mix of the political and religious thinking influenced by ethnic and racial prejudices of the Jahiliyyah (ignorance) era that ultimately led to a separation between Muslims throughout their history and the emergence of various creeds of thought, religion and culture. Considering the importance of the question of succession of Prophet Muhammad and its reflection on the thoughts of Muslims and subsequently the thoughts of Islamologists and Orientalists, while summarizing and reviewing the events that led to the acceptance of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the present study intends to use the library facilities and the reference to ancient historical sources to examine the way of allegiance, as well as the reasons for the absence of a large number of Muhajirun (The Emigrants) and Bani Hashem elders in the decision-making meeting to appoint a successor to the Prophet, and the arguments of orientalists influenced by Sunni viewpoint on the legitimacy of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, and this examination is done With a socio-political approach and using the legitimate views posed by Western thinkers, especially Max Weber. Hence, the research question is that how the mentioned reasons for the legitimacy of the caliphate of Abu Bakr could be compatible with the components of legitimacy provided by Western theorists.