Ibn Abbas narrated that he used to teach the Quran to Abdur Rahman bin Awf during the caliphate of Umar bin Al-Khattab. Ibn Abbas said, "I did not see anyone who understood the subtleties of the Quran like Abdur Rahman." Ibn Abbas continued, "One day I went to see Abdur Rahman but did not find him. I waited for him in his house until he returned from Umar. When he returned, he said to me, 'If only you had seen a man who came to Umar a while ago and said such and such.' He (Umar) was then in Mina during the last Hajj that Umar bin Al-Khattab performed. Abdur Rahman mentioned to Ibn Abbas that a man came to Umar and told him that another man had said, 'By Allah, if Umar dies, I will surely give my pledge to so-and-so.' When these words reached Umar, he said, 'By Allah, if Allah wills, I will stand before the people this evening and warn them against those who want to usurp the rights of the Ummah (Muslim nation).' Abdur Rahman said, 'O Amir Al-Mu'minin (Leader of the believers), do not do that today. This is the time of Hajj, where there is a gathering of common and foolish people, and they are the ones who will be sitting close to you in your gathering. I fear if you speak about it today, it will spread amongst them, and they will not understand or place it in its proper context. Be patient until we return to Medina, for it is the home of Al-Hijrah (migration for the sake of Allah) and the Sunnah (Prophet's tradition). The scholars and nobles of the people will be there. You can say what you want firmly, and they will understand your words and put them in the right place.' Umar said, 'By Allah, If I reach Medina safely, I will surely speak to the people about it the first time I stand to address them.' Ibn Abbas continued, "When we returned to Medina after Dhul-Hijjah and the day of Jumu'ah (Friday prayer) came, I went to the mosque, remembering what Abdur Rahman had told me. I found Sa'id bin Zaid was there before me. He sat near the right corner of the pulpit, so I sat beside him so that my shoulder was touching his. Umar came out of his house and headed towards the pulpit. I said to Sa'id bin Zaid, as Umar approached, 'By Allah, Amir Al-Mu'minin will say something today on this pulpit that no one has ever said before!' Sa'id bin Zaid disputed this, saying, 'What can he possibly say that no one has said before?' When Umar sat on the pulpit, the Mu'adhdhin (one who calls to prayer) called for prayer. After he finished and there was silence, Umar stood up, praised and thanked Allah as He deserves to be praised and thanked, then said, 'Now then, I am about to say something to you which I have been commanded to say. Perhaps my time (of death) is near. Whoever amongst you understands and remembers it, then let him convey it to others wherever his mount (camel) may take him. As for he who fears he may not be able to remember it, then I do not permit him to lie and attribute things to me. Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, sent Muhammad ﷺ and revealed the Book (Quran) to him. Amongst what was revealed was the verse of Rajm (stoning to death). We read it, understood it, memorized it, and acted upon it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stoned (to death), and we stoned (to death) after him. I fear that as time passes, some people will say, "By Allah, we do not find the verse of Rajm in Allah's Book," and thus they will go astray by abandoning an obligation that Allah has revealed. Indeed, the Rajm is a truth from Allah mentioned in His Book. It is upon the men and women who commit adultery when the evidence is established, or there is pregnancy or confession.' Umar continued, 'We used to recite the verse, "Show not your aversion to your fathers, for it is an act of disbelief on your part to show aversion to your fathers." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a slave of Allah. So, call me the slave of Allah and His Messenger." Then Umar said, 'It has reached me that some of you are saying, "By Allah, if Umar dies, we will surely give our pledge to so-and-so." Let no man be deluded, thinking that Abu Bakr's pledge of allegiance was a hasty affair which was settled. Indeed, it was like that, but Allah protected the people from its evil. There is none amongst you to whom the people would pledge their allegiance as they did to Abu Bakr. He was the best amongst us when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away. Ali, Az-Zubair, and those with them withdrew their support from us. The Ansar (citizens of Medina who helped the Prophet) withdrew their support, taking their brethren along with them and gathered at the Saqifah (shelter) of Bani Sa'idah. The Muhajirin (those who migrated with the Prophet) gathered around Abu Bakr. While we were in the house of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man called from behind the wall, "Come out to me, O son of Al-Khattab!" I said to him, "Let me be excused, we are busy with something important right now." He said, "An important matter has come up, and you need to be a part of it. The Ansar have gathered at the Saqifah of Bani Sa'idah. So, go to them before they do something that will lead to war between you and them." I said to Abu Bakr, "Let's go to our Ansar brothers." We went to them and met Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah. Abu Bakr took my hand, and we walked with him between us. As we approached them, we met two righteous men. They mentioned what the people were planning to do and said, "Where are you going, O Muhajirin?" We said, "To our Ansar brothers." They said, "Do not go to them. O Muhajirin, settle your own matter." I said, "By Allah, we will go to them." We went until we reached them at the Saqifah of Bani Sa'idah. There we saw a man wrapped in his garment amongst them. I said, "Who is this?" They said, "This is Sa'd bin Ubadah." I asked, "What is wrong with him?" They said, "He is sick." When we sat down, the speaker of the Ansar praised and thanked Allah as He deserved to be praised and thanked, and then said, "Now then, we are the Ansar of Allah and the army of Islam. You, O Muhajirin, are a group amongst us. A group from your people has arrived." At this point, Umar said, "They want to exclude us from our origin and bring us down!" When he finished his speech, I intended to speak. I had prepared an eloquent speech, wanting to deliver it before Abu Bakr. I used to hide some of my sharpness from Abu Bakr. As I was about to speak, Abu Bakr said, "Hold on!" I disliked angering him, so I kept quiet. Abu Bakr then spoke; he was more forbearing and calmer than I. By Allah, he did not leave out any eloquent point from my prepared speech, but he expressed it in a better and more spontaneous way. He continued until he finished. Abu Bakr then praised Allah and thanked Him, and then said, "O Ansar! You possess all the good qualities that you attribute to yourselves. The Arabs will not recognize the significance of this matter (leadership) except through this clan of Quraysh. They are the best of Arabs in lineage and position. I am pleased to offer you the leadership of either of these two men (pointing to me and Abu Ubaidah). So pledge your allegiance to whomever you wish." He then took my hand and the hand of Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah. I did not dislike anything from his speech except that I wished I had been chosen as the leader, even if my head were to be struck off. That would have been dearer to me than to be appointed a leader over people amongst whom was Abu Bakr, unless my soul changes at the time of death. When Abu Bakr finished his speech, a man from the Ansar said, "I am the root that is firmly planted and the branch that is strong! A leader from us (Ansar) and a leader from you (Muhajirin), O Quraysh!" Umar said, "Then the people started talking loudly, and their voices rose till I was afraid of discord. I said, "Stretch out your hand, O Abu Bakr!" Abu Bakr stretched his hand, and the Muhajirin and the Ansar pledged allegiance to him. We then went to Sa'd bin Ubadah." Someone from the Ansar said, "You have killed Sa'd!" Umar said, "I said in anger, 'May Allah kill Sa'd. He is a man of dissension and evil!' By Allah, we never saw anything during our time more serious than the issue of Abu Bakr's pledge of allegiance. We feared that if we left the people before the pledge of allegiance was taken, they might choose someone else to be the leader after us. If we were to pledge our allegiance to someone we did not like, it would create chaos. If we opposed them, there would have been corruption. Therefore, let no one be deluded, thinking that Abu Bakr's pledge of allegiance was a hasty affair which was settled. It was indeed a hasty affair, but Allah protected us from its evil. Remember, none amongst you today is like Abu Bakr." Malik said, "Az-Zuhri told me that Urwah bin Az-Zubair informed him that the two Ansar men who met the Muhajirin were Uwaym bin Sa'idah and Ma'n bin Adi. Malik added that Az-Zuhri heard Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab claiming that the one who had said that day, "I am the root that is firmly planted and the branch that is strong!" was a man from the tribe of Bani Salimah whose name was Hubab bin Al-Mundhir."
Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma bayan karte hain ki woh Hazrat Umar bin Khattab Radi Allahu Anhu ki khilafat mein Abdur Rahman bin Auf Radi Allahu Anhu ko Quran Majeed ki taleem diya karte thay. Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma kehte hain ki maine Abdur Rahman Radi Allahu Anhu jaisa Quran ki barikiyon ko samajhne wala koi nahin dekha. Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma ne kaha ki ek din mein Abdur Rahman Radi Allahu Anhu ke paas gaya lekin woh nahin milay. Mein unke ghar par unka intezar karta raha yahan tak ki woh Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ke paas se wapas aaye. Jab woh wapas aaye to unhon ne mujhse kaha ki kash tum us shakhs ko dekhte jo kuch dair pehle Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ke paas aaya aur usne aisa aur aisa kaha. Woh (Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu) us waqt Mina mein thay aur yeh aakhri Hajj tha jo Hazrat Umar bin Khattab Radi Allahu Anhu ne ada kiya tha. Abdur Rahman Radi Allahu Anhu ne Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma ko bataya ki ek shakhs Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ke paas aaya aur unse kaha ki ek dusre shakhs ne kaha hai ki Allah ki qasam! Agar Umar foot ho gaye to mein zaroor falan shakhs ke hath par bai't kar loonga. Jab yeh baat Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ko pahunchi to aap ne farmaya ki Allah ki qasam! Agar Allah ne chaha to mein aaj sham ko logon ke samne khara ho kar unhen un logon se khabardar karunga jo ummat Muslimah ke huqooq ghasab karna chahte hain. Abdur Rahman Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki Amir al-Momineen! Aisa aaj na karen. Yeh Hajj ka zamana hai jahan awaam aur kam fahm logon ka majma hota hai aur yahi woh log hain jo aap ki majlis mein aap ke qareeb baithenge. Mujhe dar hai ki agar aap ne aaj iske baare mein baat ki to yeh un mein phail jayegi aur woh ise nahin samjhenge aur na hi ise iske munasib siyaq o sabaq mein rakhenge. Sabr karen yahan tak ki hum Madinah wapas chale jayen kyunki yeh Hijrat aur Sunnat ka ghar hai. Wahan ulama aur ahl-e-ilm log honge. Aap jo chahenge mazbooti se keh sakenge aur woh aap ki baaton ko samjhenge aur unhen sahi jagah par rakhenge. Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne farmaya ki Allah ki qasam! Agar mein sahi salamat Madinah pahunch gaya to mein pehli baar jab logon se khitab karne ke liye khara hounga to unse is bare mein zaroor baat karunga. Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma ne kaha ki jab hum Zul-Hijjah ke baad Madinah wapas aaye aur Jumma ka din aaya to mein masjid mein gaya aur mujhe woh baat yaad aayi jo Abdur Rahman Radi Allahu Anhu ne mujhse kahi thi. Maine dekha ki Sayyiduna Saeed bin Zaid Radi Allahu Anhu mujhse pehle wahan mojood hain. Woh mimbar ke daayen kone ke qareeb baithe thay to mein unke paas baith gaya yahan tak ki mera kandha unke kandhe se chhoone laga. Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu apne ghar se bahar nikle aur mimbar ki taraf chal paray. Maine Sayyiduna Saeed bin Zaid Radi Allahu Anhu se kaha, jaise hi Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu qareeb aaye ki Allah ki qasam! Aaj Amir al-Momineen is mimbar par aisi baat kahenge jo pehle kabhi kisi ne nahin kahi! Sayyiduna Saeed bin Zaid Radi Allahu Anhu ne is baat ki tardid karte huye kaha ki woh aisi kya baat keh sakte hain jo pehle kisi ne nahin kahi hogi? Jab Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu mimbar par baithe to Moazzin ne Azan di. Jab usne Azan khatm kar li aur khamoshi chha gayi to Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu kharay huye aur Allah Ta'ala ki aisi tareef o takbeer bayan ki jaisi uski shan ke layeq hai, phir farmaya ki ab mein tumse ek aisi baat kehne wala hun jiske kehne ka mujhe hukm diya gaya hai. Ho sakta hai ki mera waqt (maut ka) qareeb ho. Tum mein se jo bhi ise samajh le aur ise yaad rakhe to woh ise dusron tak pahunchaye jahan bhi iski sawari (ont) ise le jaye. Raha woh shakhs jise dar ho ki woh ise yaad na rakh sake to mein ise ijazat nahin deta ki woh jhoot bolay aur meri taraf mansoob kare. Be shak Allah Ta'ala ne Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ko bheja aur aap par kitab (Quran) nazil farmayi. Jo kuch nazil kiya gaya us mein Rajm ki ayat bhi thi. Hum ise parhte thay, ise samajhte thay, ise hifz karte thay aur is par amal karte thay. Allah ke Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ne Rajm kiya aur humne aap Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ke baad Rajm kiya. Mujhe dar hai ki jaise jaise waqt guzrega kuch log kahenge ki Allah ki qasam! Humein Allah ki kitab mein Rajm ki ayat nahin milti aur is tarah woh Allah ke nazil kardah ek farz ko chhor kar gumrah ho jayenge. Be shak Rajm Allah ki taraf se ek haq hai jo uski kitab mein mazkoor hai. Yeh un mardon aur auraton par hai jo zina ka irtikab karen jab ki shahadat qaim ho jaye ya hamal ho jaye ya iqrar kar len. Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki hum yeh ayat parrha karte thay ki "apne baap dada se izhar napasandidagi na karo kyunki yeh tumhari taraf se kufr hai ki tum apne baap dada se izhar napasandidagi karo". Phir Allah ke Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ne farmaya ki "meri tareef mein ziyadati na karo jaise Isaaiyon ne Maryam ke bete ki tareef ki kyunki mein to Allah ka ek bandah hun. Lihaza mujhe Allah ka bandah aur uska Rasul kaho". Phir Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki mujhe khabar pahunchi hai ki tum mein se kuch log keh rahe hain ki Allah ki qasam! Agar Umar foot ho gaye to hum zaroor falan shakhs ke hath par bai't kar lenge. Kisi ko yeh veham na ho ki Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ki bai't jald bazi ka mamla tha jo tay pa gaya. Be shak yeh aisa hi tha lekin Allah ne logon ko iske shar se bacha liya. Tum mein se koi bhi aisa nahin hai jiski log aisi bai't karen jaisi unhon ne Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ki ki thi. Jab Allah ke Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ka inteqal hua to woh hum mein sabse behtar thay. Hazrat Ali Radi Allahu Anhu, Hazrat Zubair Radi Allahu Anhu aur unke saath wale humse alag ho gaye. Ansar apne bhaiyon ko saath lekar peeche hat gaye aur Bani Sa'idah ke Saqeefah par jama ho gaye. Muhajireen Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ke gird jama ho gaye. Jab hum Allah ke Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ke ghar mein thay to ek shakhs ne deewar ke peeche se aawaz di ki bahar aao aye Khattab ke bete! Maine usse kaha ki mujhe maaf kar do, hum abhi ek ahem kaam mein masroof hain. Usne kaha ki ek ahem mamla pesh aaya hai aur tumhen is mein shamil hona zaroori hai. Ansar Bani Sa'idah ke Saqeefah par jama ho gaye hain. Lihaza unke paas jao isse pehle ki woh aisa koi kaam kar baithein jisse tum mein aur un mein jung ho jaye. Maine Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu se kaha ki chalen apne Ansaari bhaiyon ke paas chalte hain. Hum unke paas gaye aur Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah Radi Allahu Anhu se milay. Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ne mera haath pakar liya aur hum unke saath humare darmiyaan chalte huye aage barhe. Jaise hi hum unke qareeb pahunche to hum do nek logon se milay. Unhon ne zikar kiya ki log kya karne ka irada kar rahe hain aur kaha ki kahan ja rahe ho aye Muhajireen? Humne kaha ki apne Ansaari bhaiyon ke paas. Unhon ne kaha ki unke paas na jao. Aye Muhajireen! Apna mamla khud tay kar lo. Maine kaha ki Allah ki qasam! Hum unke paas zaroor jayenge. Hum chalte gaye yahan tak ki hum unke paas Bani Sa'idah ke Saqeefah par pahunche. Wahan humne ek shakhs ko dekha jo un mein apne kapre mein lipta hua tha. Maine kaha ki yeh kaun hai? Unhon ne kaha ki yeh Sa'd bin Ubadah hain. Maine poocha ki unhen kya hua hai? Unhon ne kaha ki woh beemar hain. Jab hum baith gaye to Ansar ke khateeb ne Allah Ta'ala ki aisi tareef o takbeer bayan ki jaisi uski shan ke layeq hai, phir kaha ki ab hum Allah ke Ansar aur Islam ki fauj hain. Tum aye Muhajireen! Humare darmiyaan ek jamaat ho. Tumhari qaum mein se ek giroh abhi aaya hai. Is mauqe par Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki yeh humein apne asal se kharej karna chahte hain aur humein neecha dikhana chahte hain! Jab unhon ne apni taqreer khatm kar li to mera irada tha ki mein bolun. Maine ek faseeh o baliigh taqreer taiyar ki thi, mein chahta tha ki ise Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu se pehle pesh karun. Mein apni kuch tezi Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu se chhipata tha. Jaise hi mein bolne laga to Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki thahro! Mujhe inhen naraz karna pasand nahin tha is liye mein khamosh ho gaya. Phir Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu bolay. Woh mujhse ziyada bardbaar aur pur sukoon thay. Allah ki qasam! Unhon ne meri taiyar kardah taqreer mein se koi bhi faseeh nuqta nahin chhora balki ise behtar aur ziyada fitri andaz mein bayan kiya. Woh musalsal bolte rahe yahan tak ki unhon ne apni taqreer khatm kar li. Phir Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ne Allah ki tareef o takbeer bayan ki aur kaha ki aye Ansar! Tum mein woh tamam khubiyan mojood hain jo tum apne liye bayan karte ho. Arab is mamle (qiadat) ki ahmiyat ko is Quraysh ke khandan ke siwa kisi aur ke zariye nahin pehchanenge. Yeh nasab aur martabe mein Arab ke behtarin log hain. Mujhe khushi hai ki mein aap ko in donon aadmiyon mein se kisi ek ki qiadat pesh karta hun (mujhe aur Hazrat Abu Ubaidah Radi Allahu Anhu ki taraf ishara karte huye). Lihaza tum jiske chaho bai't kar lo. Phir unhon ne mera haath aur Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah Radi Allahu Anhu ka haath pakar liya. Mujhe un ki taqreer mein se kisi baat par koi aetraaz nahin tha siwaye iske ki mein chahta tha ki kash mujhe hi ameer banaya jata chahe mera sir hi kyun na qalam kar diya jata. Yeh mere liye isse ziyada piyara hota ki mujhe aise logon par ameer muqarrar kiya jaye jin mein Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu jaise log mojood hon. Jab Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ne apni taqreer khatm kar li to Ansar mein se ek shakhs ne kaha ki mein woh jar hun jo mazbooti se lagai gayi hai aur mazboot shaakh hun! Ek ameer hum mein se (Ansar) aur ek ameer tum mein se (Muhajireen) aye Quraysh! Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki phir logon ne oonchi oonchi baaten shuru kar din aur unki aawazen buland hoti gayin yahan tak ki mujhe intishar ka dar lagne laga. Maine kaha ki apna haath barhao aye Abu Bakr! Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ne apna haath barhaya aur Muhajireen aur Ansar ne unki bai't kar li. Phir hum Sa'd bin Ubadah Radi Allahu Anhu ke paas gaye. Ansar mein se kisi ne kaha ki tumne Sa'd ko maar dala! Hazrat Umar Radi Allahu Anhu ne kaha ki maine ghusse mein kaha ki Allah Sa'd ko maar dale. Woh ek fitna parwar aur badbakht insan hai. Allah ki qasam! Humne apne zamane mein Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ki bai't ke mamle se ziyada sangin mamla kabhi nahin dekha. Humein dar tha ki agar hum bai't hone se pehle logon ko chhor dete hain to woh humare baad kisi aur ko ameer bana sakte hain. Agar hum kisi aise shakhs ki bai't karte jo humein pasand nahin tha to isse intishar phelta. Agar hum unki mukhalfat karte to fasad hota. Lihaza kisi ko yeh veham na ho ki Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu ki bai't jald bazi ka mamla tha jo tay pa gaya. Yeh be shak jald bazi ka mamla tha lekin Allah ne humein iske shar se bacha liya. Yaad rakho ki aaj tum mein se koi bhi Hazrat Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu jaisa nahin hai. Imam Malik Rahimahullah kehte hain ki Zuhri ne mujhe bataya ki Urwah bin Zubair ne unhen bataya ki woh do Ansaari aadmi jo Muhajireen se milay thay woh Uwaim bin Sa'idah aur Mu'adh bin Adi thay. Imam Malik Rahimahullah ne mazeed kaha ki Zuhri ne Sa'eed bin Musayyab se suna hai ki us din jisne kaha tha ki "mein woh jar hun jo mazbooti se lagai gayi hai aur mazboot shaakh hun!" Woh Bani Salmah ka ek shakhs tha jiska naam Hubab bin Munzir tha.