“By Allah, that was the only thought that ever entered my mind, and Allah will surely resurrect him and sever the hands and feet of certain men.”

Then Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq came, uncovered the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, kissed him and said, “May my father and mother be ransomed for you; you were fragrant in life and in death. By Him in whose hand is my soul, Allah will never make you taste two deaths.”

He went out and called, “O you who is swearing, compose yourself!” The moment Abū Bakr began to speak, ʿUmar sat down. After praising and extolling Allah he declared, “Whoever used to worship Muḥammad—Muḥammad has passed away. But whoever worships Allah—Allah is Living and never dies.” He then recited: “Indeed, you are to die, and indeed they are to die” (al-Zumar 39:30), and: “Muḥammad is but a messenger; messengers passed on before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels?” (Āl ʿImrān 3:144). At this the people broke down, weeping aloud.

The Anṣār gathered around Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah in the Saqīfah of Banū Sāʿidah and said, “A leader from among us and a leader from among you.” Abū Bakr, ʿUmar and Abū ʿUbaydah went to them. ʿUmar began to speak, but Abū Bakr silenced him. ʿUmar later said, “By Allah, my only aim was to deliver words I had prepared and admired, fearing Abū Bakr might not convey them—but he spoke and surpassed them.” In his address Abū Bakr said, “We are the rulers and you are the ministers.”

Al-Hubāb ibn al-Munḏir retorted, “No, by Allah, never! A leader from us and a leader from you.” Abū Bakr replied, “No. We are the rulers and you are the ministers. Quraysh dwell at the very center of Arabia and possess the noblest lineage. So give the pledge to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb or to Abū ʿUbaydah.”

ʿUmar said, “Rather, we pledge allegiance to you—you are the best of us, our chief, and the one most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” He took Abū Bakr’s hand and pledged allegiance, and the people followed suit. Someone then cried out, “You have killed Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah!” ʿUmar replied, “May Allah kill him.”
Sulaymān ibn Bilāl narrated this and its chain is sound.

Mālik narrated from al-Zuhrī, from ʿUbayd Allāh, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that ʿUmar once addressed the people and said in his sermon, “News has reached me that someone claims, ‘If ʿUmar dies I will pledge allegiance to so-and-so.’ Let no man be deluded into saying, ‘The pledge to Abū Bakr was a mere spur-of-the-moment affair,’ for it was not…"