While Muhammad's family prepared his body, a meeting in a Medina courtyard chose Abu Bakr as successor over the people of Medina's own candidate

Al-Bukhari records Aisha's account. Muhammad died while Abu Bakr was at al-Sunh outside Medina. Umar stood up and insisted Muhammad was not dead. Abu Bakr came, uncovered Muhammad's face, kissed him and told the people: whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is dead; whoever worshipped God, God is alive. Meanwhile the Ansar, the people of Medina, gathered with their chief Sa'd ibn Ubada in the shed of the Banu Sa'ida. Their speaker proposed "one ruler from us and one from you." Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubayda went there. Abu Bakr said the Quraysh would be the rulers and the Ansar the ministers, and offered Umar or Abu Ubayda. Umar took Abu Bakr's hand and pledged to him, and the others followed. Someone said they had killed Sa'd. Umar answered, "Allah has killed him." Umar later said Ali and al-Zubayr opposed them, and that the pledge was hasty, but God protected the community from its harm. Ali and the family were preparing the body for burial during the meeting^†. Sunni teaching holds that Muhammad left the choice to the community. Shia teaching holds he had named Ali at Ghadir Khumm. Sa'd ibn Ubada never pledged and, in the tradition, was killed by a jinn^†. The disagreement over who should succeed Muhammad still divides Sunni and Shia Muslims.