"A man among the people of Egypt performed Hajj to the House, and saw a group sitting, so he said: 'Who are these?' They said: 'The Quraish.' He said: 'So who is this old man?' They said: 'Ibn 'Umar.' So he went to him and said: 'I will ask you about something, so inform me. I ask you by Allah! By the sanctity of this House! Do you know that 'Uthman fled on the Day of (the battle of) Uhud?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Do you know that he was absent from the Pledge of Ar-Ridwan, that he did not witness it?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Do you know that he was absent on the Day of (the battle of) Badr and did not participate in it?' He said: 'Yes.' So he said: 'Allah is Great' So Ibn 'Umar said to him: 'Come, so I can clarify to you what you have asked about. As for his fleeing on the Day of (the battle of) Uhud, then I bear witness that Allah has pardoned him and forgiven him. As for his being absent on the Day of (the battle of) Badr, then he was married to the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: "You have the reward of a man who participated in (the battle of) Badr, and his share (spoils of war)." , and the Pledge of Ar-Ridwan was after 'Uthman had departed for Makkah." He said: "So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said with his right hand: "This is the hand of 'Uthman," and he put it upon his own hand, and said: "This is for 'Uthman."' He said to him: "Go now, and take this (clarification) with you."
Jami` at-Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 102
"I come to the Prophet while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'bah. When he saw me coming he said: 'They are the losers, by the Lord of the Ka'bah!' I said: 'what's happening? Perhaps something has been revealed concerning me.' I said: 'Who are they, may my father said mother be ransomed for you?' He said: "those who have a lot of wealth, except one who does like this, and like this, and like this,' (motioning) in front of him, and to his right, and to his left. Then he said: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, no man dies leaving camels, or cattle, or sheep on which he did not pay the Zakah, but they will come on the Day of Resurrection as big and fat as they ever were, trampling him with their hooves and goring him with their horns. Every time the last of them runs over him, the first of them will come back, until judgment is passed among the people."'
Sunan an-Nasa'i Book 23, Hadith 6
That Al-Miqdad bin `Amr Al-Kindi, who was an ally of Bani Zuhra and one of those who fought the
battle of Badr together with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told him that he said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "Suppose I met
one of the infidels and we fought, and he struck one of my hands with his sword and cut it off and
then took refuge in a tree and said, "I surrender to Allah (i.e. I have become a Muslim),' could I kill
him, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), after he had said this?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You should not kill him." Al-
Miqdad said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! But he had cut off one of my two hands, and then he had uttered
those words?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "You should not kill him, for if you kill him, he would be in
your position where you had been before killing him, and you would be in his position where he had
been before uttering those words."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 64, Hadith 68
The Prophet (ﷺ) decided regarding one who was treated as a member of a family after the death of his father, to whom he was attributed when the heirs said he was one of them, that if he was the child of a slave-woman whom the father owned when he had intercourse with her, he was included among those who sought his inclusion, but received none of the inheritance which was previously divided; he, however, received his portion of the inheritance which had not already been divided; but if the father to whom he was attributed had disowned him, he was not joined to the heirs.
If he was a child of a slave-woman whom the father did not possess or of a free woman with whom he had illicit intercourse, he was not joined to the heirs and did not inherit even if the one to whom he was attributed is the one who claimed paternity, since he was a child of fornication whether his mother was free or a slave.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 91
I had been eager to ask `Umar about the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding
whom Allah said (in the Qur'an saying): If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) namely Aisha and Hafsa)
turn in repentance to Allah your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)
(66.4), till performed the Hajj along with `Umar (and on our way back from Hajj) he went aside (to
answer the call of nature) and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler of water. When he
had answered the call of nature and returned. I poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he
performed ablution. I said, "O Chief of the believers! ' Who were the two ladies from among the wives
of the Prophet (ﷺ) to whom Allah said:
'If you two return in repentance (66.4)? He said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn `Abbas.
They were Aisha and Hafsa."
Then `Umar went on relating the narration and said. "I and an Ansari neighbor of mine from Bani
Umaiya bin Zaid who used to live in `Awali Al-Medina, used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) in turns. He used to
go one day, and I another day. When I went I would bring him the news of what had happened that
day regarding the instructions and orders and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the
people of Quraish, used to have authority over women, but when we came to live with the Ansar, we
noticed that the Ansari women had the upper hand over their men, so our women started acquiring the
habits of the Ansari women. Once I shouted at my wife and she paid me back in my coin and I
disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By
Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) retort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the
whole day till night.' What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will
be a great loser.' Then I dressed myself and went to Hafsa and asked her, 'Does any of you keep
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) angry all the day long till night?' She replied in the affirmative. I said, 'She is a ruined
losing person (and will never have success)! Doesn't she fear that Allah may get angry for the anger of
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and thus she will be ruined? Don't ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) too many things, and don't
retort upon him in any case, and don't desert him. Demand from me whatever you like, and don't be
tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e. `Aisha) in her behavior towards the Prophet), for she (i.e. Aisha)
is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
In those days it was rumored that Ghassan, (a tribe living in Sham) was getting prepared their horses
to invade us. My companion went (to the Prophet (ﷺ) on the day of his turn, went and returned to us at
night and knocked at my door violently, asking whether I was sleeping. I was scared (by the hard
knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. I asked him: What is it?
Have Ghassan come? He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allah's
Apostle had divorced all his wives. I said, Hafsa is a ruined loser! I expected that would happen some
day.' So I dressed myself and offered the Fajr prayer with the Prophet. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) entered an
upper room and stayed there alone. I went to Hafsa and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you
weeping? Didn't I warn you? Have Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) divorced you all?' She replied, 'I don't know. He is
there in the upper room.' I then went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it
and some of them were weeping.
Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation. So I went to the upper room
where the Prophet (ﷺ) was and requested to a black slave of his: "Will you get the permission of (Allah's
Apostle) for `Umar (to enter)? The slave went in, talked to the Prophet (ﷺ) about it and came out saying, 'I
mentioned you to him but he did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the
pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: "Will you get he
permission for `Umar? He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, behold,
the slave called me saying, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has granted you permission." So, I entered upon the
Prophet and saw him lying on a mat without wedding on it, and the mat had left its mark on the body
of the Prophet, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fires. I greeted him and while
still standing, I said: "Have you divorced your wives?' He raised his eyes to me and replied in the
negative.
And then while still standing, I said chatting: "Will you heed what I say, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We, the
people of Quraish used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the
people whose women had the upper hand over them..."
`Umar told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet (ﷺ) smiled." `Umar further said, "I then
said, 'I went to Hafsa and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (`Aisha) for she is
more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet.' The Prophet (ﷺ) smiled again. When I saw him
smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allah, I couldn't see anything of importance
but three hides. I said (to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)) "Invoke Allah to make your followers prosperous for the
Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do
not worship Allah?' The Prophet (ﷺ) was leaning then (and on hearing my speech he sat straight) and said,
'O Ibn Al-Khattab! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this world)? These people
have been given rewards of their good deeds in this world only.' I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) . 'Please ask
Allah's forgiveness for me.
The Prophet (ﷺ) did not go to his wives because of the secret which Hafsa had disclosed to `Aisha, and he
said that he would not go to his wives for one month as he was angry with them when Allah
admonished him (for his oath that he would not approach Maria). When twenty-nine days had passed,
the Prophet (ﷺ) went to Aisha first of all. She said to him, 'You took an oath that you would not come to
us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by
day.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The month is also of twenty-nine days.' That month consisted of twenty-nine
days. `Aisha said, 'When the Divine revelation of Choice was revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) started with me,
saying to me, 'I am telling you something, but you need not hurry to give the reply till you can consult
your parents." `Aisha knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet (ﷺ) .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Allah had said: 'O Prophet! Say To your wives; If you desire The life of this
world And its glitter, ... then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free In a handsome
manner. But if you seek Allah And His Apostle, and The Home of the Hereafter, then Verily, Allah
has prepared For the good-doers amongst you A great reward.' (33.28) `Aisha said, 'Am I to consult
my parents about this? I indeed prefer Allah, His Apostle, and the Home of the Hereafter.' After that
the Prophet (ﷺ) gave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as `Aisha did."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 46, Hadith 29
"There were kings after 'Isa bin Mariam who altered the Tawrah and the Injil, but there were among them believers who read the Tawrah. It was said to their kings: 'We have never heard of any slander worse than that of those (believers) who slander us and recite: "And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers." In these Verses, they are criticizing us for our deeds when they recite them.' So he called them together and gave them the choice between being put to death, or giving up reading the Tawrah and Injil, except for what had been altered. They said: 'Why do you want us to change? Leave us alone.' Some of them said: 'Build us a tower and let us go up there, and give us something to lift up our food and drink so we do not have to mix with you.' Others said: 'Let us go and wander throughout the land, and we will drink as the wild animals drink, and if you capture us in your land, you may kill us.' Others said: 'Build houses for us in the wilderness, and we will dig wells and grow vegetables, and we will not mix with you or pass by you, for there is no one of the tribes among whom we do not have close relatives.' So they did that, and Allah revealed the words: 'But the monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (they sought it) only to please Allah therewith, but that they did not observe it with the right observance.' Then others said: 'We will worship as so-and-so worshipped, and we will wander as so-and-so wandered, and we will adopt houses (in the wilderness) as so-and-so did.' But they were still following their Shirk with no knowledge of the faith of those whom they claimed to be following. When Allah sent the Prophet ; and He said: 'So that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may know that they have no power whatsoever over the Grace of Allah.'"
Sunan an-Nasa'i Book 49, Hadith 22
"We went out with the Messenger of Allah on the Farewell pilgrimage, and they said : 'O Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ) celibacy has become too difficult for us'. He said : 'Then make temporary marriages with these women'. So we went to them, but they insisted on setting a fixed time between us and them. They mentioned that to the Prophet and he said : 'Set a fixed time between you and them.' So I went out with a cousin of mine. He had a cloak and I had a cloak, but his cloak was finer than mine, and I was younger than him. We came to a women and she said: 'One cloak is like another.' So I married her and stayed with her that night. Then the next day I saw the Messenger of Allah standing between the Rukn (corner) and the door (of the Ka'bah), saying : 'O people, I had permitted temporary marriage for you, but Allah has forbidden it until the Day of Resurrection. however had any temporary wives, he should let them go, and do not take back anything that you had given to them.' "
Sunan Ibn Majah Book 9, Hadith 118
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A woman called her son while he was in his
hermitage and said, 'O Juraij' He said, 'O Allah, my mother (is
calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer (what shall I do)?' She
again said, 'O Juraij!' He said again, 'O Allah ! My mother (is
calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer (what shall I do)?' She
again said, 'O Juraij' He again said, 'O Allah! My mother (is calling
me) and (I am offering) my prayer. (What shall I do?)' She said, 'O
Allah! Do not let Juraij die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.' A
shepherdess used to come by his hermitage for grazing her sheep and
she gave birth to a child. She was asked whose child that was, and she
replied that it was from Juraij and that he had come out from his
hermitage. Juraij said, 'Where is that woman who claims that her child
is from me?' (When she was brought to him along with the child),
Juraij asked the child, 'O Babus, who is your father?' The child
replied, 'The shepherd.' " (See Hadith No 662. Vol 3).
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 21, Hadith 10
Ibn Juraij said to me: O Hasan! Ubaidullah bin Abi Yazid informed me that Ibn Abbas said: "A man came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I had a dream at night while I was sleeping in which I was praying behind a tree, when I prostrated the tree prostrated along with me. Then I heard it saying: (Allahummaktuh li biha indaka ajran, wad a anni biha wizran, waj'alha li biha indaka dhukhran, wa taqabbalha minni kama taqabbaltaha min abdiki Dawud.)" (O Allah! Record for me, a reward with You for it, remove a sin for me by it, and store it away for me with You, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your worshipper Dawud). Al-Hasan said: "Ibn Juraij said to me: 'Your grandfather said to me: 'Ibn Abbas said: 'So the Prophet recited (an Ayah of) prostration then prostrated.'" (He said) "So Ibn Abbas said: 'I listened to him, and he was saying the same as the man informed that the tree had said.'"
Jami` at-Tirmidhi Book 6, Hadith 36
Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: What did you do with that? He said: We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that. We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull. Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it.
Sahih Muslim Book 34, Hadith 27
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent some cavalry towards Najd and they brought a man from the tribe of Banu Hanifa
who was called Thumama bin Uthal. They fastened him to one of the pillars of the Mosque. The
Prophet went to him and said, "What have you got, O Thumama?" He replied," I have got a good
thought, O Muhammad! If you should kill me, you would kill a person who has already killed
somebody, and if you should set me free, you would do a favor to one who is grateful, and if you want
property, then ask me whatever wealth you want." He was left till the next day when the Prophet (ﷺ) said
to him, "What have you got, Thumama? He said, "What I told you, i.e. if you set me free, you would
do a favor to one who is grateful." The Prophet (ﷺ) left him till the day after, when he said, "What have
you got, O Thumama?" He said, "I have got what I told you. "On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Release
Thumama." So he (i.e. Thumama) went to a garden of date-palm trees near to the Mosque, took a bath
and then entered the Mosque and said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped except
Allah, and also testify that Muhammad is His Apostle! By Allah, O Muhammad! There was no face
on the surface of the earth most disliked by me than yours, but now your face has become the most
beloved face to me. By Allah, there was no religion most disliked by me than yours, but now it is the
most beloved religion to me. By Allah, there was no town most disliked by me than your town, but
now it is the most beloved town to me. Your cavalry arrested me (at the time) when I was intending to
perform the `Umra. And now what do you think?" The Prophet (ﷺ) gave him good tidings (congratulated
him) and ordered him to perform the `Umra. So when he came to Mecca, someone said to him, "You
have become a Sabian?" Thumama replied, "No! By Allah, I have embraced Islam with Muhammad,
Apostle of Allah. No, by Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the
Prophet gives his permission."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 64, Hadith 398
Anas said, 'When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there (early in the
morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet (ﷺ) rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind
Abu Talha. The Prophet (ﷺ) passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the
thigh of the Prophet (ﷺ) . He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet.
When he entered the town, he said, 'Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a
(hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.' He repeated
this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, 'Muhammad (has come).' (Some
of our companions added, "With his army.") We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty
was collected. Dihya came and said, 'O Allah's Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.' The
Prophet said, 'Go and take any slave girl.' He took Safiya bint Huyai. A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and
said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the
tribes of Quraidha and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.' So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Bring him along
with her.' So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw her, he said to Dihya, 'Take any slave
girl other than her from the captives.' Anas added: The Prophet (ﷺ) then manumitted her and married her."
Thabit asked Anas, "O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet (ﷺ) pay her (as Mahr)?" He said, "Her self was
her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her." Anas added, "While on the way, Um Sulaim
dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet (ﷺ) . So the
Prophet was a bridegroom and he said, 'Whoever has anything (food) should bring it.' He spread out a
leather sheet (for the food) and some brought dates and others cooking butter. (I think he (Anas)
mentioned As-Sawaq). So they prepared a dish of Hais (a kind of meal). And that was Walima (the
marriage banquet) of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 8, Hadith 23
Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, "The precedent of the sunna in
the intentional murder is that when the relatives of the murdered
person relinquish retaliation, the blood-money is owed by the murderer
from his own property unless the tribe helps him with it willingly."
Malik said, "What is done in our community is that the blood-
money is not obliged against the tribe until it has reached a third of
the full amount and upwards. Whatever reaches a third is against the
tribe, and whatever is below a third, is against the property of the
one who did the injury."
Malik said, "The way of doing things
about which there is no dispute among us, in the case of someone who
has the blood-money accepted from him in intentional murder or in any
injury in which there is retaliation, is that that blood-money is not
due from the tribe unless they wish it. The blood-money for that is
from the property of the murderer or the injurer if he has property.
If he does not have any property, it is a debt against him, and none
of it is owed by the tribe unless they wish."
Malik said,
"The tribe does not pay blood-money to anyone who injures himself,
intentionally or accidentally. This is the opinion of the people of
fiqh in our community. I have not heard that anyone has made the tribe
liable for any blood-money incurred by intentional acts. Part of what
is well-known of that is that Allah, the Blessed, and the Exalted,
said in His Book, 'Whoever has something pardoned him by his brother,
should follow it with what is accepted and pay it with good will'
(Sura 2 ayat 178) The commentary on that - in our view - and Allah
knows best, is that whoever gives his brother something of the blood-
money, should follow it with what is accepted and pay him with good
will."
Malik spoke about a child who had no property and a
woman who had no property. He said, "When one of them causes an injury
below a third of the blood-money, it is taken on behalf of the child
and woman from their personal property, if they have property from
which it may be taken. If not, the injury which each of them has
caused is a debt against them. The tribe does not have to pay any of
it and the father of a child is not liable for the blood-money of an
injury caused by the child and he is not responsible for it."
Malik said, "The way of doing things in our community about which
there is no dispute, is that when a slave is killed, the value for him
is that of the day on which he was killed. The tribe of the murderer
is not liable for any of the value of the slave, great or small. That
is the responsibility of the one who struck him from his own personal
property as far as it covers. If the value of the slave is the blood-
money or more, that is against him in his property. That is because
the slave is a certain type of goods."
Muwatta Malik Book 43, Hadith 33
I used to teach (the Qur'an to) some people of the Muhajirln (emigrants), among whom there was
`Abdur Rahman bin `Auf. While I was in his house at Mina, and he was with `Umar bin Al-Khattab
during `Umar's last Hajj, `Abdur-Rahman came to me and said, "Would that you had seen the man
who came today to the Chief of the Believers (`Umar), saying, 'O Chief of the Believers! What do you
think about so-and-so who says, 'If `Umar should die, I will give the pledge of allegiance to such-andsuch
person, as by Allah, the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr was nothing but a prompt sudden
action which got established afterwards.' `Umar became angry and then said, 'Allah willing, I will
stand before the people tonight and warn them against those people who want to deprive the others of
their rights (the question of rulership).
`Abdur-Rahman said, "I said, 'O Chief of the believers! Do not do that, for the season of Hajj gathers
the riff-raff and the rubble, and it will be they who will gather around you when you stand to address
the people. And I am afraid that you will get up and say something, and some people will spread your
statement and may not say what you have actually said and may not understand its meaning, and may
interpret it incorrectly, so you should wait till you reach Medina, as it is the place of emigration and
the place of Prophet's Traditions, and there you can come in touch with the learned and noble people,
and tell them your ideas with confidence; and the learned people will understand your statement and
put it in its proper place.' On that, `Umar said, 'By Allah! Allah willing, I will do this in the first
speech I will deliver before the people in Medina."
Ibn `Abbas added: We reached Medina by the end of the month of Dhul-Hijja, and when it was
Friday, we went quickly (to the mosque) as soon as the sun had declined, and I saw Sa`id bin Zaid bin
`Amr bin Nufail sitting at the corner of the pulpit, and I too sat close to him so that my knee was
touching his knee, and after a short while `Umar bin Al-Khattab came out, and when I saw him
coming towards us, I said to Sa`id bin Zaid bin `Amr bin Nufail "Today `Umar will say such a thing
as he has never said since he was chosen as Caliph." Sa`id denied my statement with astonishment and
said, "What thing do you expect `Umar to say the like of which he has never said before?"
In the meantime, `Umar sat on the pulpit and when the callmakers for the prayer had finished their
call, `Umar stood up, and having glorified and praised Allah as He deserved, he said, "Now then, I am
going to tell you something which (Allah) has written for me to say. I do not know; perhaps it
portends my death, so whoever understands and remembers it, must narrate it to the others wherever
his mount takes him, but if somebody is afraid that he does not understand it, then it is unlawful for
him to tell lies about me. Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth and revealed the Holy Book to him,
and among what Allah revealed, was the Verse of the Rajam (the stoning of married person (male &
female) who commits illegal sexual intercourse, and we did recite this Verse and understood and
memorized it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did carry out the punishment of stoning and so did we after him.
I am afraid that after a long time has passed, somebody will say, 'By Allah, we do not find the Verse
of the Rajam in Allah's Book,' and thus they will go astray by leaving an obligation which Allah has
revealed. And the punishment of the Rajam is to be inflicted to any married person (male & female),
who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if the required evidence is available or there is conception or
confession. And then we used to recite among the Verses in Allah's Book: 'O people! Do not claim to
be the offspring of other than your fathers, as it is disbelief (unthankfulness) on your part that you
claim to be the offspring of other than your real father.' Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Do not praise me
excessively as Jesus, son of Marry was praised, but call me Allah's Slave and His Apostles.' (O
people!) I have been informed that a speaker amongst you says, 'By Allah, if `Umar should die, I will
give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such person.' One should not deceive oneself by saying that
the pledge of allegiance given to Abu Bakr was given suddenly and it was successful. No doubt, it was
like that, but Allah saved (the people) from its evil, and there is none among you who has the qualities
of Abu Bakr. Remember that whoever gives the pledge of allegiance to anybody among you without
consulting the other Muslims, neither that person, nor the person to whom the pledge of allegiance
was given, are to be supported, lest they both should be killed.
And no doubt after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ) we were informed that the Ansar disagreed with us and
gathered in the shed of Bani Sa`da. `Ali and Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while
the emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr. I said to Abu Bakr, 'Let's go to these Ansari brothers of ours.'
So we set out seeking them, and when we approached them, two pious men of theirs met us and
informed us of the final decision of the Ansar, and said, 'O group of Muhajirin (emigrants) ! Where
are you going?' We replied, 'We are going to these Ansari brothers of ours.' They said to us, 'You
shouldn't go near them. Carry out whatever we have already decided.' I said, 'By Allah, we will go to
them.' And so we proceeded until we reached them at the shed of Bani Sa`da. Behold! There was a
man sitting amongst them and wrapped in something. I asked, 'Who is that man?' They said, 'He is
Sa`d bin 'Ubada.' I asked, 'What is wrong with him?' They said, 'He is sick.' After we sat for a while,
the Ansar's speaker said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and praising Allah as He
deserved, he added, 'To proceed, we are Allah's Ansar (helpers) and the majority of the Muslim army,
while you, the emigrants, are a small group and some people among you came with the intention of
preventing us from practicing this matter (of caliphate) and depriving us of it.'
When the speaker had finished, I intended to speak as I had prepared a speech which I liked and which
I wanted to deliver in the presence of Abu Bakr, and I used to avoid provoking him. So, when I
wanted to speak, Abu Bakr said, 'Wait a while.' I disliked to make him angry. So Abu Bakr himself
gave a speech, and he was wiser and more patient than I. By Allah, he never missed a sentence that I
liked in my own prepared speech, but he said the like of it or better than it spontaneously. After a
pause he said, 'O Ansar! You deserve all (the qualities that you have attributed to yourselves, but this
question (of Caliphate) is only for the Quraish as they are the best of the Arabs as regards descent and
home, and I am pleased to suggest that you choose either of these two men, so take the oath of
allegiance to either of them as you wish. And then Abu Bakr held my hand and Abu Ubaida bin
al-Jarrah's hand who was sitting amongst us. I hated nothing of what he had said except that
proposal, for by Allah, I would rather have my neck chopped off as expiator for a sin than become the
ruler of a nation, one of whose members is Abu Bakr, unless at the time of my death my own-self
suggests something I don't feel at present.'
And then one of the Ansar said, 'I am the pillar on which the camel with a skin disease (eczema) rubs
itself to satisfy the itching (i.e., I am a noble), and I am as a high class palm tree! O Quraish. There
should be one ruler from us and one from you.'
Then there was a hue and cry among the gathering and their voices rose so that I was afraid there
might be great disagreement, so I said, 'O Abu Bakr! Hold your hand out.' He held his hand out and I
pledged allegiance to him, and then all the emigrants gave the Pledge of allegiance and so did the
Ansar afterwards. And so we became victorious over Sa`d bin Ubada (whom Al-Ansar wanted to
make a ruler). One of the Ansar said, 'You have killed Sa`d bin Ubada.' I replied, 'Allah has killed
Sa`d bin Ubada.' `Umar added, "By Allah, apart from the great tragedy that had happened to us (i.e.
the death of the Prophet), there was no greater problem than the allegiance pledged to Abu Bakr
because we were afraid that if we left the people, they might give the Pledge of allegiance after us to
one of their men, in which case we would have given them our consent for something against our real
wish, or would have opposed them and caused great trouble. So if any person gives the Pledge of
allegiance to somebody (to become a Caliph) without consulting the other Muslims, then the one he
has selected should not be granted allegiance, lest both of them should be killed."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 86, Hadith 56