Abū Bakr therefore dispatched Usāma’s army—may Allah be pleased with him—after the people had advised him to recall it out of fear of the enemy. He said:

“By Allah, I will not untie a banner tied by the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him.”

Nevertheless, he had the authority to dismiss him, just as the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—had possessed that authority, for he had taken his place and was therefore to do whatever best served the Muslims.

As for the claim he mentioned that Usāma became angry when Abū Bakr assumed office, it is among the crudest of lies. Usāma’s love for Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—and his obedience to him are too well known and established to be denied (1). Usāma was also among those furthest removed from division and discord: he fought neither alongside Alī nor alongside Muāwiya, but withdrew from the civil strife. Usāma was not from Quraysh, nor was he among those eligible for the caliphate, and it never occurred to him that he might assume it. What benefit [could he gain] (2) by saying such (3) a thing to anyone who assumed authority, when he knew that whoever assumed authority would become his caliph? Even supposing that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—had appointed him commander over Abū Bakr and then died, upon his death authority would have passed to the caliph after him. The decision whether to dispatch or hold back the army, and whether to appoint Usāma as commander or dismiss him (4), would then belong to the caliph. In all the other manuscripts: “and dismiss him.”

If he were to say:

[“He appointed me over you”] (5), then who (6)—in all the other manuscripts: “Who”—appointed you as successor over me?

He would reply:

“The One who appointed me as successor over all the Muslims, including those who are better than you.”

And if he were to say:

“As for me, he appointed me over you” (7).

He would reply:

“He appointed you over me before I became caliph; but after I became caliph,”