2437 – ʿAbd Allah b. Muslim b. Yahya narrated to us; he said: al-Husayn b. Ismaʿil narrated to us; he said: Ahmad b. al-Walid al-Salimi narrated to us; he said: Ismaʿil b. Abi Uways narrated—

2438 – Likewise, ʿAbd al-Rahman b. ʿUmar related to us; he said: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Yaʿqub related to us; he said: my grandfather Yaʿqub told me; he said: Ismaʿil b. Abi Uways narrated to me; he said: Sulayman b. Bilal, from Hisham b. ʿUrwah, who said: ʿUrwah informed me, from ʿAʾishah ⦗1364⦘:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away while Abu Bakr was at al-Sunḥ. ʿUmar stood up and declared, “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah has not died!” ʿUmar later said, “Nothing occurred to my mind except that thought; Allah will certainly raise him up, and he will surely cut off the hands and feet of certain men.”

Abu Bakr then arrived, uncovered the Prophet’s face, kissed him and said, “May my father and mother be your ransom. You were wholesome in life and wholesome in death. No—by the One in whose hand is my soul—Allah will never make you taste death twice.”

He then went out and said, “You who are swearing, take it easy.” When Abu Bakr spoke, ʿUmar sat down.

Abu Bakr praised Allah and extolled Him, then said, “Whoever was worshipping Muhammad—Muhammad is dead; but whoever was worshipping Allah—Allah is Living and never dies. Allah says: ‘Indeed you are to die, and indeed they are to die’ [Q 39:30]; and He says: ‘Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels? Whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful.’ [Q 3:144].”

The people burst into tears. The Ansar assembled around Saʿd b. ʿUbādah in the roofed hall of Banū Sāʿidah and said, “A leader from us and a leader from you.” Abu Bakr, ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb and Abu ʿUbaydah went to them. ʿUmar began to speak, but Abu Bakr silenced him. ʿUmar would later say, “By Allah, I only wanted to deliver some words I had prepared and admired, fearing that Abu Bakr might not convey them.”

Then Abu Bakr spoke—more eloquently than anyone—and during his address said, “We are the rulers and you are the advisers.” Ḥubbāb b. al-Mundhir objected, “By Allah, we shall never accept that! From us a leader and from you a leader.” Abu Bakr replied, “No; rather, we are the rulers and you are the advisers. Quraysh are the central tribe of the Arabs in dwelling and the strongest in pedigree. Give your pledge to ʿUmar or to Abu ʿUbaydah.”

ʿUmar said, “Instead, we pledge allegiance to you. You are our master, the best of us, and the most beloved of us to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” ʿUmar took his hand and pledged allegiance to him, and the people followed suit. Someone exclaimed, “You have killed Saʿd b. ʿUbādah!” ʿUmar replied, “Allah has killed him.” (This wording is that of Yaʿqub.) It is recorded by al-Bukhari through the narration of Ismaʿil.