396 - ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us: My father narrated to me: Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Husayn, from Ibn Abī Laylā, who said:

They disputed over Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. A man from ʿUtārid said, “ʿUmar is superior to Abū Bakr.” Al-Jārūd replied, “Rather, Abū Bakr—Abū Bakr is superior to him.”

He said: This reached ʿUmar, who began striking him with his whip until he raised his legs. Then he turned to al-Jārūd and said, “Keep away from me!” ʿUmar then said, “Abū Bakr was the best of all people after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in such-and-such respects.”

He said: Then ʿUmar said, “Whoever says otherwise, we shall inflict on him the punishment we inflict on a slanderer.”