1395 — Abu Muhammad Yahyā ibn Muhammad ibn Sā'id narrated to us, saying: Salama ibn Shabīb narrated to us, saying: Abu Dāwud al-Tayālisī narrated to us, saying: Jafar ibn Sulaymān narrated to us, saying: Thābit narrated to us, from Abu Rāfi, who said:

Abu Lu'lu'a was a slave of al-Mughīra ibn Shu'ba. He made millstones and earned a considerable income from them, while al-Mughīra collected four dirhams from him each day. He came to Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—and said, “O Commander of the Believers, al-Mughīra’s levy has become burdensome for me. Speak to him and ask him to reduce it.” Umar replied, “Fear Allah, treat your masters well, and do this and that.” Umar intended, however, to meet al-Mughīra and order him to reduce the levy.

Abu Rāfi continued: ⦗1919⦘ Abu Lu'lu'a became angry and said, “Your justice encompasses everyone except me!” He then made a dagger and sharpened it. I believe he also said that he gave it two points. He then took it to al-Hurmuzān, one of the Persians, and asked, “What do you think of this?” He replied, “I believe that no one struck with this will fail to be killed by it.”

Abu Lu'lu'a then waited for an opportunity to attack Umar—may Allah be pleased with him. He approached him from behind while Umar was straightening the prayer row and stabbed him three times: once in the shoulder, once in the flank, and once elsewhere on his body. Umar fell and was carried to his home.

Abd al-Rahmān ibn Awf—may Allah have mercy on him—called out, “The prayer! The prayer!” He stepped forward, led them in prayer, and recited the two shortest surahs in the Quran. The people then hurried to Umar, asking about him, praying for him, and saying, “No harm has befallen you.” Umar replied, “If being killed counts as harm, then I have indeed been killed.”

He called for something to drink so that the severity of his wounds could be assessed. He drank it, but it came out mixed with blood, leaving the result inconclusive. The people began praising him, whereupon Umar said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, I wish I could emerge from the caliphate even, with nothing credited to me and nothing charged against me, while my deeds with the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—remained intact for me.” Or he said, “While what came before it remained intact for me.”

Ibn Abbās was beside his head and said, “O Commander of the Believers, no, by Allah! You will not emerge from it merely even. You accompanied the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and kept his company in the finest manner any companion could. You carried out his commands and assisted him until he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—passed away pleased with you. Then Abu Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—assumed the caliphate, and you carried out his commands and assisted him until he passed away pleased with you. Then you assumed the caliphate and governed it in the finest manner any ruler could.” He went on to mention Umar’s virtues.

⦗1920⦘ Umar seemed to find comfort in Ibn Abbās’s words amid the throes of death, and he said, “Repeat your words to me.” Ibn Abbās repeated them, whereupon Umar said, “By Allah, if I possessed enough gold to fill the earth, I would ransom myself with it from the terror of what awaits me after death.”

Suhayb then came and cried, “Oh, my brother! Oh, my brother!” Suhayb raised his voice, so Umar said, “Gently, Suhayb! Gently, Suhayb! Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—say, ‘The person over whom people wail is punished’?”

He entrusted the matter of succession to six men: Uthmān, Alī, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sa'd, and Abd al-Rahmān. He also instructed Suhayb to lead the people in prayer.