Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (5/321)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

Abu Saʿīd said: The Messenger of Allah addressed the people and declared, “Allah has given a servant the choice between this world and that which is with Him, and the servant chose that which is with Allah.” Abu Bakr wept, and we were amazed at his tears when the Messenger of Allah had merely spoken of a servant (1). Yet that servant was in fact the Messenger of Allah himself, and Abu Bakr understood it better than any of us.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) then said, “The person who has been the most secure for me—through his companionship and his wealth—is Abu Bakr. Were I to take an intimate friend (khalīl) other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr, (2) but our bond is the fellowship and affection of Islam. Let no door opening into the mosque remain, except that it be closed, save the door of Abu Bakr.”

Al-Bukhārī (3) recorded this report through Abū ʿĀmir al-ʿAqadī. Imām Aḥmad (4) likewise transmitted it through Yūnus, from Fulayḥ, from Sālim Abū al-Naḍr, from ʿUbayd ibn Ḥunayn and Busr (5) ibn Saʿīd, from Abu Saʿīd. Al-Bukhārī (6) and Muslim (7) also related it from Fulayḥ and Mālik ibn Anas, from Sālim, from Busr ibn Saʿīd and ʿUbayd ibn Ḥunayn—both from Abu Saʿīd—with similar wording.

Imām Aḥmad (8) further said: Abū al-Walīd related to us; Hishām narrated; Abū ʿAwanah narrated from ʿAbd al-Malik, from Ibn Abī al-Muʿallā, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah once preached, saying, “A man was offered by his Lord the choice to live in this world as long as he wished, consuming of it whatever he wished, or to meet his Lord; and he chose to meet his Lord.” Abu Bakr wept, whereupon the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Are you not amazed at this elder? The Messenger of Allah mentioned a righteous man whom his Lord gave the choice between this world (9) and meeting His Lord, and he chose to meet His Lord—yet Abu Bakr weeps!” But Abu Bakr understood the words of the Messenger of Allah better than any of them.

Abu Bakr then said, “Rather, we would ransom you with our wealth and with our children.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “No one among mankind has conferred upon us greater favor—through his companionship and his property—than Ibn Abī Quḥāfah. Were I to take an intimate friend I would indeed take Ibn Abī Quḥāfah; but it is affection, brotherhood, and faith—indeed, affection, brotherhood, and faith,” repeating it twice. “And your companion is the Friend (khalīl) of Allah.” This version is unique to Aḥmad.

They said: The correct name in the chain is Abū Saʿīd ibn al-Muʿallā; Allah knows best.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (10) also transmitted, through the route of Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm—namely Ibn Rāhwayh—who said: “Zakariyyā ibn ʿAdī narrated to us…”

(1) Later in the Musnad: khuyyir. (2) In the printed edition: khalilan. (3) al-Bukhari (no. 3654). (4) Musnad of Imam Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 18. (5) In the printed edition: bishr; its translation was given above. (6) al-Bukhari (nos. 466, 3904). (7) Muslim (no. 3382). (8) Musnad of Imam Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 478 and vol. 4, pp. 211–212; also reported by al-Tirmidhi (no. 3659), whose isnad is weak—al-Tirmidhi himself found it “strange” (i.e., he weakened it). (9) In the printed edition: bayna al-baqa’ fi al-dunya (between remaining in this world). (10) Dalail al-Nubuwwah by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 7, pp. 176–177.

أبي سَعيد، قال: خَطبَ رسولُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ، فقال: إنَّ اللَّهَ خَيَّر عَبْدًا بين الدنيا وبينَ ما عندَه، فاخْتار ذلك العبدُ ما عندَ اللَّه. قال: فبكى أبو بكر. قال: فَعَجِبْنا لبُكائِه أن يُخْبر رسولُ اللَّهِ عن عَبْدٍ (١) ، فكان رسولُ اللَّه هو المُخَيَّرَ، وكان أبو بكر أعْلَمَنا به. فقال رسول اللَّه ﷺ : إن أمَنَّ الناسِ عَلَيَّ في صُحْبَتِهِ ومالِه أبو بكر، لو كُنْتُ مُتَّخذًا خَليلًا غيرَ ربي لاتَّخَذْتُ أبا بكرٍ (٢) ، ولكنْ خُلَّةُ الإسلام ومودَّتُه، لا يَبْقَى في المسجدِ بابٌ إِلَّا سُدَّ، إِلَّا بابَ أبي بكر. وهكذا رواه البخاري (٣) من حديث أبي عامر العَقَدي به. ثُمَّ رواه الإمامُ أحمد (٤) عن يونس، عن فُلَيْحٍ، عن سالم أبي النَّضْر، عن عُبَيْد بن حُنَيْن وبُسْر (٥) بن سعيد عن أبي سعيد به. وهكذا رواه البخاريّ (٦) ومسلم (٧) من حديث فُلَيْحٍ ومالك بن أنس، عن سالمٍ عن بُسْر بن سَعيد، وعُبَيْد بن حُنَين كلاهما عن أبي سعيد بنحوه. وقال الإمام أحمد (٨) : حدَّثنا أبو الوليد، ثنا هشام، ثنا أبو عَوانة، عن عبد الملك، عن ابن أبي المُعَلَّى، عن أبيه: أنَّ رسولَ اللَّه خَطبَ يَوْمًا فقال: إنَّ رجُلًا خَيَّرهُ رَبُّه بينَ أن يعيشَ في الدُّنْيا ما شاء أنْ يَعيشَ فيها، يأكلُ من الدنيا ما شاءَ أنْ يأكلَ منها، وبينَ لقاءَ ربِّه، فاخْتارَ لِقاءَ ربِّه، فبكى أبو بكر، فقال أصحاب رسول اللَّه ﷺ : ألا تَعْجبون من هذا الشيخ أنْ ذَكَرَ رسولُ اللَّه رَجُلًا صالحًا خَيَّرَهُ ربُّه بين الدنيا (٩) وبين لقاء ربِّه فاختار لقاءَ ربّه؟! فكان أبو بكر أعْلَمَهُمْ بما قال رسول اللَّه ﷺ . فقال أبو بكر: بَلْ نَفْديكَ بأمْوالنا وأبْنائنا. فقال رسول اللَّه ﷺ : ما مِنَ النّاسِ أحدٌ أمَنَّ علينا في صُحْبَتِهِ وذاتِ يَدِهِ من ابن أبي قُحافة، ولوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخذًا خَليلًا لاتَّخَذْتُ ابن أبي قُحافة، ولكن وُدٌّ وإخاءٌ وإيمانٌ، ولكن وُدٌّ وإخاءٌ وإيمانٌ، مرتين، وإنَّ صاحبَكُمْ خَليلُ اللَّهِ – Exalté soit-Il – . تَفَرَّدَ به أحمد. قالوا: وصوابه أبو سعيد بن المُعَلَّى. فاللَّه أعلم. وقد روى الحافظ البيهقي (١٠) من طريق إسحاق بن إبراهيم -هو ابن راهَوَيْه- ثنا زَكَريا بن عَديّ، ثنا

(١) بعدها في المسند: (خُيّر). (٢) بعدها في ط: (خليلًا). (٣) البخاري (٣٦٥٤). (٤) مسند الإمام أحمد (٣/ ١٨). (٥) ط: (بشر) وقد تقدمت الترجمة له. (٦) البخاري (٤٦٦، ٣٩٠٤). (٧) مسلم (٣٣٨٢). (٨) مسند الإمام أحمد (٣/ ٤٧٨) و (٤/ ٢١١ - ٢١٢) ورواه الترمذي رقم (٣٦٥٩) وفي إسناده ضعف، وقد استغربه الترمذي (أي: ضعّفه). (٩) ط: (بين البقاء في الدنيا). (١٠) دلائل النبوة للبيهقي (٧/ ١٧٦ - ١٧٧).