In another report in the two Sahīhs, he said:

“There were men in the house, including ‘Umar. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Come, let me write you a document after which you will never go astray.’ Some of them—‘Umar in one version—said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is overcome by pain. You have the Quran; the Book of Allah is sufficient for you.’ Those in the house disagreed and disputed. Some said, ‘Bring it to him so that he may write for you.’ Others repeated what ‘Umar had said, while others said (1) something else. When their clamour grew, he said, ‘Leave me alone.’

“‘Ubayd Allāh, who narrated (2) from al-Zuhrī, said: Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘The calamity—the greatest calamity—was what prevented the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from writing his document.’” (3)

They thus became uncertain: were his words, “Let me write you a document after which you will never go astray (4),” prompted by his illness, or were they the truth that must be followed? Once they became uncertain, the intended purpose would not be achieved through it, so he refrained from writing it. Out of his compassion (5) for the Muslim community, he wished to remove disagreement from among them and would supplicate to Allah for that. Yet Allah had already decreed that disagreement would inevitably occur.

As reported from him in the Sahīh, he said:

“I asked my Lord for three things. He granted me two and withheld one: I asked Him not to give an enemy from outside their ranks power over my community