my appointed time while Abū ʿUbaydah is still alive, I shall appoint him as my successor. Then, if Allah asks me, “Why did you place him in authority over the community of Muhammad?” I will answer, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Every community has its trustee, and the trustee of this community is Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ.’ ”
The people objected and said, “What of the nobles of Quraysh?”—meaning the clan of Banū Fihr.
He continued, “If my appointed time comes while Abū ʿUbaydah has already died, I will appoint Muʿādh ibn Jabal. And if my Lord then asks me, I will say: I heard Your Prophet say: ‘On the Day of Resurrection he will be raised a ratwah (1) ahead of the scholars.’ ”
Ḥammād ibn Salamah narrated—from al-Jurayrī, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Shaqīq, from ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ—that someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is dearest to you?” He replied, “ʿĀʾishah.” It was asked, “And among the men?” He said, “Abū Bakr.” It was asked, “Then who?” He answered, “Then Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ.” This is the version related by Ḥammād.
A number of other transmitters, however, differ with him. They report it from al-Jurayrī, from ʿAbdullāh, who said: “I asked ʿĀʾishah, ‘Which of the Messenger of Allah’s companions was dearest to him?’ She replied, ‘Abū Bakr, then ʿUmar, then Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ.’ ” (2)
(1) Reported by Ahmad, 1/18, with the variant reading “nubdha” in place of “ratwa”; all its transmitters are reliable, except that Shurayh b. Ubayd and Rashid b. Saad did not live to meet Umar.
Ibn Saʿd (3/1/300) and al-Hakim (3/268) also recorded it, in abridged form, through the chain: Kathir b. Hisham – Jaʿfar b. Burqan – Thabit b. Hajjaj, who related that Umar b. al-Khattab said: “Had I found Abu ʿUbayda b. al-Jarrah alive I would have nominated him as caliph without consulting anyone; and if asked about my choice I would answer: ‘I appointed the trustee of Allah and the trustee of His Messenger.’”
The term ratwa (with fatḥa on the ra, sukun on the ta, and fatḥa on the waw) denotes the distance of an arrow’s flight, and is also defined as the range of one’s sight.
(2) Reported by al-Tirmidhi (no. 3657) in the section on merits, and by Ibn Majah (no. 102) in the introduction, chapter on the virtues of Umar; all the transmitters are trustworthy.
Al-Hakim (3/73) and Abu Yaʿla al-Mawsili likewise transmitted it in their Musnads—as cited in al-Isaba, 5/287—through the chain: Kahmas, from ʿAbd Allah b. Shuqayq, who said: “I asked ʿAisha …”; al-Hakim declared it authentic and al-Dhahabi agreed.
Al-Bukhari also recorded it (no. 3662) in the chapter on the virtues of the Companions, under “The Prophet’s saying: ‘If I were to take a close friend…,’” and (no. 4358) in the expeditions section, “The campaign of Dhat al-Salasil,” from the narration of ʿAmr b. al-ʿAs: The Prophet sent him in command of the army of Dhat al-Salasil. ʿAmr said: “I came to him and asked, ‘Who is the most beloved of people to you?’ He answered, ‘Aisha.’ I said, ‘And among the men?’ He replied, ‘Her father.’ I asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then Umar b. al-Khattab,’ and he went on to list other men.”