383 – ‘Abdullāh narrated to us: My father narrated to me: Wahb ibn Jarīr narrated to us: My father narrated to us, from Ya‘lā—that is, Ibn Hakīm—from Nāfi‘. He also said, “I heard it from Nāfi‘,” and subsequently omitted Ya‘lā from the chain.

Nāfi‘ related that al-Zibriqān ibn Badr and al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis asked Abū Bakr to make them a grant. He granted their request and issued them a deed. ‘Uthmān told them: “Have ‘Umar witness it, for he will be the caliph after him, and that will better ensure the approval of your grant.”

They brought the deed to ‘Umar. When he examined it, he spat on it, struck their faces with it, and said: “No! You shall have no satisfaction! By Allah, would you split the Muslims’ faces with swords and stones, and then have us issue you grants from their communal wealth?”

They returned to Abū Bakr and said: “By Allah, we do not know whether you are the caliph or ‘Umar!”

He asked: “Why do you say that?”

They told him what ‘Umar had done, and he replied: “We approve only what ‘Umar approves.”