and were wiser regarding the benefit that arrangement contained.

[Hadith: “I am the Messenger of Allah … and I will not disobey Him.”]

ʿUmar was among those who were displeased, and he said to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace),

“O Messenger of Allah, are we not upon the truth, and is not our enemy upon falsehood?”

He replied, “Yes.”

ʿUmar continued, “Are not those of us who are killed in Paradise and those of them who are killed in Hellfire?”

He said, “Yes.”

ʿUmar said, “Then why should we submit to humiliation in our religion?”

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered, “I am the Messenger of Allah; He is my Helper, and I will not disobey Him.”

ʿUmar then asked, “Did you not use to tell us that we would reach the House and circumambulate it?”

He replied, “Yes.”

ʿUmar said, “But did you tell us that we would go there this very year?”

He answered, “No.”

He added, “You will indeed go there and you will circumambulate it.”

ʿUmar went to Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with them both—and posed the same questions he had asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Abū Bakr gave him the very same replies, even though he had not heard the Prophet’s answers.

On that occasion Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—was more perfectly in accord with Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) than ʿUmar was; later ʿUmar retracted his position and said, “I performed deeds to make up for that.”

Similarly, when the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away, ʿUmar at first denied his death. But when Abū Bakr said, “He has died,” ʿUmar withdrew his objection.