1202 — Abū Jafar Muhammad ibn Sālih ibn Dharīh al-Ukbarī informed us, saying: Hannād ibn al-Sarī narrated to us, saying: Abdah—that is, ibn Sulaymān—narrated to us from Ismāīl ibn ⦗1740⦘ Abī Khālid, from Zubayd al-Yāmī, who said:

When death drew near to Abū Bakr the Veracious (may Allah be pleased with him), he sent for Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), intending to appoint him as his successor. Among the things he said to him was:

“I am giving you counsel—if you will heed it: You owe Allah, Mighty and Majestic, a duty during the night that He will not accept during the day, and a duty during the day that He will not accept during the night. He does not accept a voluntary act until the obligatory duty has been performed.

“The scales of those whose scales will be heavy on the Day of Resurrection will only be heavy because they followed the truth in this world, though it weighed heavily upon them. A scale in which nothing but truth is placed rightly deserves to be heavy. The scales of those whose scales will be light on the Day of Resurrection will only be light because they followed falsehood, which came easily to them. A scale in which nothing but falsehood is placed rightly deserves to be light.”

Then, at the end of his counsel, he said:

“If you heed these words of mine, then of all that lies ahead, nothing will be dearer to you than death—and you must inevitably meet it. But if you neglect these words of mine, then of all that lies ahead, nothing will be more hateful to you than death—and you must inevitably meet it, nor can you ever elude it.”

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn (may Allah Most High have mercy on him) said: Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) did indeed faithfully observe Allah’s injunction, the injunction of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the injunction of the successor to Allah’s Messenger, both with respect to himself and his subjects, upholding the truth as he had been commanded, until he departed ⦗1741⦘ this world, having renounced it and longed for the Hereafter. No critic’s censure could sway him in the cause of Allah. No believer who has tasted the sweetness of faith doubts this.