History of Khulafah Rashideen by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti - translated by Abdassamad Clarke

I lie two Shaykhs narrated that cUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, addressed the people upon his return from the Hajj and said in his khutbah: It has reached me that so-andso of you said, ‘If cUmar were to die I would pledge allegiance to so-and-so.’ Let no man deceive himself by saying, ‘The pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr was made suddenly and unexpectedly.’ It was like that but Allah protected (us) from the evil of it. There is not among you today one behind whom the necks of competitors stop short (an Arabic expression) like Abu Bakr. He was one of the best of us when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died. cAli and az-Zubayr and those with them stayed back in the house of Fatimah. The Ansar all stayed away from us in the roofed gallery of Bani Sacidah. The Muhajirun gathered around Abu Bakr, so I said to him, ‘Abu Bakr, let us be off to our brethren, the Ansar! So we went off until two good men met us and mentioned to us what the people had done. They said, ‘Where do you intend (going) Muhajirun? I said, ‘We want our brethren the Ansar! They said, ‘You must not approach them, but decide your own affair, Muhajirun! I said, ‘By Allah, we will go to them.’ We went on until we came to them in the roofed gallery of Bani Sacidah and there they were all gathered, and right in the middle of them a man all muffled up. I said, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘Sa°d ibn cUbadah.’ I said, What is wrong with him?’ They said, ‘He is in pain.’ When we sat down, their speaker stood, praised Allah as He is worthy and said, ‘And now, we are the Ansar of Allah, and the battalion of Islam and you, Muhajirun, are a handful of us, and a party of you have come at a leisurely pace wishing to uproot us and exclude us from the command.’ When he became silent I wanted to speak. I had prepared a speech that pleased me and which I wanted to deliver in the presence of Abu Bakr. I used to fear in him a lack of incisiveness and he was milder, more forbearing than me and more dignified. Then Abu Bakr said, ‘Gently.’ I disliked to anger him, and he was more knowledgeable than me. By Allah, he did not leave a word that had pleased me in my prepared speech but that he said it in his spontaneous talk, the like of it and better than it until he was silent. He said, ‘Now, as for that good which you have mentioned about yourselves, you are worthy of it, but the Arabs will never recognise this command except among this section of Quraysh. They are the midmost (noblest) of the Arabs by descent and by tribe, and I am contented for you with either of these two men, (so pledge allegiance to) whichever of them you wish.’ He took hold of my hand and the hand of Abu cUbaydah ibn al-Jarrah (and he was seated between us) and I disliked nothing he had said apart from that. It was, by Allah, such that if I were to be put forward and my head struck off, that not approaching me because of any guilt, it would have been more beloved to me than that I should assume command over a people among whom was Abu Bakr. Then a speaker from them said, ‘I am of those by means of whose counsel people seek relief and one having a family that will aid and defend me (literally, ‘I am their much-rubbed little rubbing post and their honoured little palm-tree’). Let there be from us an amir and from you an amir, Quraysh.’ Then the confusion increased and voices were raised until I became afraid of dissension, so I said, 'Stretch out your hand, Abu Bakr,’ and he stretched out his hand Hlid 1 swore allegiance to him, the Muhajirun swore allegiance to him, then the Ansar swore allegiance to him. By Allah, we did not lind in that for which we assembled a matter more fitting than the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr. We feared that if we separated from the people and there was no pledge of allegiance that they would conclude a pledge of allegiance after we had gone, and we would have to pledge allegiance on a basis with which we were not pleased, or we would have to oppose them so that there would be strife over that.

An-Nasa’i, Abu Yacla and al-Hakim, who declared it sahih, narrated that Ibn Mascud said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken, the Ansar said, ‘Let there be from us an amir and from you an amir! cUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, came to them and said, 'Ansar, do you not know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people (in salah)? So which of you would be pleased to give himself precedence O ver Abu Bakr?’ The Ansar said, ‘We seek refuge with Allah that we should give ourselves precedence over Abu Bakr.’ Ibn Sacd, al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi narrated that Abu Sacid al- Khudri said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died and the people assembled in the house of Sacd ibn °Ubadah and among them were Abu Bakr and cUmar, and the public speakers of the Ansar stood up and one of them began to speak, saying, ‘You men of the Muhajirun, whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, appointed one of you to any position of authority, he paired one of us with him; we think therefore that a man from us and a man from you should be appointed to this command.’ The public speakers of the Ansar followed each other on that same theme. Then Zaid ibn ’ lhabit stood up and said, ‘Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was one of the Muhajirun and his khalifah is one of the Muhajirun and we were the Ansar of the Messenger of Allah and we shall be the Ansar of the khalifah of the Messenger of Allah just as we were his Ansar! He took the hand of Abu Bakr and said, ‘This is your man,’ then cUmar swore allegiance to him and then the Muhajirun and the Ansar. Abu Bakr ascended the minbar and looked at people’s faces and did not find az-Zubayr, so he called for az-Zubayr and he came.

He (Abu Bakr) said, ‘You said, son of the aunt of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his disciple, that you want to break the staff of the Muslims.’ So he said, ‘There is no blame on you Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah,’ and he stood and pledged allegiance to him. Then he looked at the faces of the people and could not see cAli so he summoned him and he came. He said, ‘You said, son of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his relation through marriage to his daughter, that you want to break the staff of the Muslims.’ So he said, ‘There is no blame on you, Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah,’ and he pledged allegiance to him.

Ibn Ishaq said in as-Sirab. az-Zuhri narrated to me: Anas ibn Malik narrated to me and he said: When Abu Bakr was pledged allegiance in the assembly hall, then, on the morrow, he sat upon the minbar and cUmar stood and spoke before Abu Bakr, praised Allah, and said, Allah has gathered your authority to the best of you, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah and the “second of the two when they two were in the cave” (Qur’an 9: 40), so stand and pledge allegiance to him,’ and the people pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr with a general and public allegiance after the allegiance made in the assembly hall. Then Abu Bakr spoke, praised Allah, and said, ‘And now, people, I have been put in authority over you and I am not the best of you. So if I do right then help me, and if I do wrong then put me straight. Truthfulness is a sacred trust and lying is a betrayal. The weak one among you is strong as far as I am concerned until I restore to him his right, inshaAllah, and the strong one of you is weak until I take what is due from him, insha’Allah.

No people forsake jihad in the way of Allah but that Allah delivers u humiliating blow to them. Nor does indecency ever spread among U people but that Allah envelops them in trials. Obey me as long hs 1 obey Allah and His Messenger, and if I disobey Allah and His Messenger then you do not owe me obedience. Stand up for your prayer, may Allah have mercy upon you.’ Musa ibn cUqbah narrated, in his Maghazi, and al-Hakim, who declared it sahih, that cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf said: Abu Bakr gave an address (khutbah) and said, ‘By Allah, I was never eager for a position of command for even as long as a day or a night, and I never desired it, and I have never asked Allah for it in secret nor openly. However, I was afraid of dissension. I will have no rest in command. I have been invested with a mighty matter for which I have not the energy, nor the power, except it be by Allah’s strengthening.’ cAli and az-Zubayr said, ‘We were not angry except that we were too late for the counsel, and we see Abu Bakr as the person most fitted for it. He was the Companion of the Cave. We know his honour and his excellence. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered him to lead the people in prayer while he was yet alive.’ Ibn Sacd narrated that Ibrahim at-Tamimi said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, died, cUmar came to Abu cUbaydah ibn al-Jarrah and said, ‘Stretch out your hand so that I can pledge allegiance to you.

You are the trusted one of this ummah according to the tongue of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ So Abu "Ubaydah said to cUmar, ‘I never thought you weak in your mind before this, since I became a Muslim. Would you pledge allegiance to me when among you there is as-Siddiq, the “second of the two”?’ Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr said that Abu Bakr said to cUmar, ‘Stretch out your hand so that I can pledge allegiance to you.’ cUmar said to him, You are better than me.’ Abu Bakr said to him, ‘You are stronger than me,’ and he repeated it, but cUmar said, ‘My strength shall be for you along with your merit,’ and he swore allegiance to him.

Ahmad narrated that Humayd ibn cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while Abu Bakr was with some of the people of Madinah, so he came and uncovered his face and kissed him and said, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom, how sweet you are in life and death. Muhammad has died, by the Lord of the Kacbah!’ and he mentioned the rest of the hadith and then he said:

Abu Bakr and cUmar went off in haste until they came to them.

Then Abu Bakr spoke and he didn’t leave out anything that Allah had revealed about the Ansar nor anything that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had mentioned about them but that he mentioned it, and he said, ‘You know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “If mankind were to travel in one valley and the Ansar were to travel in another valley, I would travel in the valley of th & Ansar” You know, Sacd, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said while you were seated, “Quraysh are the authorities of this matter, and the best of mankind will follow the best of them and the worst of them will follow the worst of them.’” So Sacd said to him, ‘You have told the truth. We are the deputies and you are the commanders.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Abu Sacid al-Khudri said: When Abu Bakr was pledged allegiance, he saw some dejection among people and so he said, ‘What is holding you back? Am I not the one with the most right to this command? Am I not the first to accept Islam?

Am I not ...? Am I not ...?’ and he mentioned various qualities.

Ahmad narrated that ar-Rafic at-Ta’i said: Abu Bakr told me about his pledge of allegiance and what the Ansar had said, and what cUmar had said, and he said, ‘So they pledged allegiance to me and I accepted it from them. I was afraid that there would be dissension and, after it, reneging (from Islam).’ Ibn Ishaq and Ibn cAbid, in his Maghazi, from him that he (ar-Rafic) said to Abu Bakr, ‘What made you take upon yourself the governance of the people and you forbade me taking command of (even) two people?’ He said, ‘I could not find any escape from that. I was afraid of division in the ummah of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ Ahmad narrated that Qais ibn Abi Hazim said, ‘I sat with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq a month after the death of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,’ and he mentioned his story. ‘Then the cry went up among people, “The prayer is summoned.” People gathered and he ascended the minbar then said, “I would love that someone other than me would take care of this authority for me. If you take me to task by the Sunnah of your Prophet I am not up to it. He was protected from the shaytan, and revelation used to descend upon him from heaven.’” Ibn Sacd narrated that al-Hasan al-Basri said: When Abu Bakr was pledged allegiance he stood addressing the people and said, ‘Now, I have been put in charge of this authority and I dislike it.

By Allah, I would love that one of you would take care of it for me. If you charge me with acting among you with the like of the action of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, I cannot undertake that. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a slave whom Allah honoured with revelation and protected him by it (from error). I am only human. I am no better than any of you. Take care of me, and if you see me going straight then follow me and if you see me deviating then set me straight.

Know that I have a shaytan who seizes upon me; when you see me becoming angry then avoid me, so that I do not leave traces and marks on your hairs and your-skins.’ Ibn Sacd narrated, and al-Khateeb, in the narration of Malik, that cUrwah said: When Abu Bakr was appointed, he addressed people with a khutbah. He praised Allah and said, ‘Now, I have been appointed in command over you and I am not the best of you.

However, the Qur’an was revealed, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laid down as customary different sunnahs and we were taught, so we learnt. So, know, people, that the most acute of sharp intellect is (he who has) the most fearful obedience (,tuqa); that the most incapable (form) of incapacity is wickedness; that the strongest of you, as far as I am concerned, is the weak one until I take his right for him; and that the weakest of you, as far as I am concerned, is the strong one until I take from him what he is due (to give). People, I am only a follower, I am not an innovator, so that if I do well, help me and if I deviate then put me straight. I say these words of mine and I seek the forgiveness of Allah for me and for you.’ Malik said, ‘No-one will ever be an imam (i.e. amir)

unless on this condition.’ Al-Hakim narrated in his Mustadrak that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, Makkah was shaken with an earthquake and Abu Quhafah heard that and said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has died.’ He said, ‘A momentous thing. Who has undertaken the command after him?’ They said, ‘Your son.’ He said, ‘Are Banu cAbd Manaf and Banu al-Mughirah contented with that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘No-one may put down what they raise up and no-one may raise up what they put down.’ Al-Waqidi narrated in a variety of ways that cA’ishah, Ibn cUmar, Sacid ibn al-Musayyab and others relate that Abu Bakr was pledged allegiance on the day that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, on Monday the 12th night of Rabic al-Awwal in the eleventh year of the Hijrah.

At-Tabarani narrated in al-Awsat that Ibn cUmar said: Abu Bakr never sat on that place upon which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat upon the minbar until he met Allah. cUmar did not sit on the place Abu Bakr sat until he met Allah and cUthman did not sit in cUmar’s place until he met Allah.