matters, for every innovation is misguidance.”

He thus commanded that the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs be followed, which includes all four caliphs. He singled out Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, however, as examples to be followed. One whose example is followed both in his actions and in the practices he institutes for Muslims holds a higher standing than one followed only in the practices he institutes.

In Sahīh Muslim, it is reported that the Prophet’s Companions were travelling with him when he said:

“If the people obey Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, they will be rightly guided.”

It is authentically established that Ibn ‘Abbās would issue fatwas according to the Book of Allah. If he found no answer there, he would turn to the sunnah established by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. If he found no answer there either, he would issue a fatwa according to the opinion of Abū Bakr and ‘Umar. He did not do this with the opinions of ‘Uthmān and ‘Alī. Ibn ‘Abbās was the great scholar of this community and, in his time, the most knowledgeable of the Companions and the most learned in religious law. Yet he issued fatwas according to the opinions of Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, giving their opinions precedence over those of the other Companions. It is authentically established that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“O Allah, grant him understanding of the religion and teach him interpretation.”

Furthermore, Abū Bakr and ‘Umar enjoyed greater closeness to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, than anyone else, and Abū Bakr was the closer of the two. He would spend much of the night conversing with him about knowledge, religion, and the interests of the Muslims. As Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah reported: Abū Mu‘āwiyah narrated to us, from al-A‘mash, from Ibrāhīm, from ‘Alqamah, from ‘Umar, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would converse at night at Abū Bakr’s home about matters concerning the Muslims, and I would be with him.”

In the two Sahīh collections, it is reported from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Bakr that the Companions of the Suffa were