the selection of the six, whereas he refrained from what(1) he feared might leave him liable—namely, designating one of them.

This reflected the perfection of his reason and religion—may Allah be pleased with him. His reluctance to bear this responsibility after death, as he had borne it during his lifetime, did not mean that he considered having borne it while alive blameworthy. He assumed responsibility for the matter during his lifetime by his own choice and because doing so was better for him and for the Muslim community, even though he feared being held to account.

Indeed, “Allah Most High says:

‘And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord’

[Surat al-Mu’minūn: 60].

Aisha said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, is this the man who commits adultery, steals, drinks wine, and fears that he will be punished?’

He replied, ‘No, O daughter(2) of al-Siddīq. Rather, it is the man who fasts, prays, gives charity(3), and fears that it will not be accepted from him.’”(4)

Thus, his fear(5) of falling short in obedience was itself part of the perfection of his obedience. The difference between his bearing this responsibility during his lifetime and after his death was that, during his lifetime, he kept watch over his deputies and scrutinized their actions. He required them to attend the Hajj each year so that he could adjudicate between them and their subjects. Thus, whenever they did something he disapproved of, he was able to stop them and remedy the matter. After his death, however, it would not be possible for him [either](6) to stop them from doing what he disapproved of or to remedy it. For this reason, he disliked bearing responsibility for the matter(7) after his death.