পৃষ্ঠা 10: ভূমিকা: গ্রন্থের উদ্দেশ্য, নির্ভরযোগ্য উৎস ও কিয়ামতের আলামত জানার গুরুত্ব

Mention of the details of what transpired shortly before the demise of our master 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and his conversation with our master 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both).

So he drank it, but it came out of his wound. Some of them said, "It is date-water (nabidh)." Others said, "Nay, it is blood." Then he called for milk, and it came out of his wound as well.

When he realized that he was dying, he made the matter of succession a council of consultation (Shura) among six individuals: 'Uthman, 'Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with them).

And he appointed 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) to be with them as a consultant, without having any claim to the leadership himself. He granted them a period of three days, and instructed Suhayb to lead the people in prayer. Then he said, "Call for me 'Ali, 'Uthman, Talhah, al-Zubayr, 'Abd al-Rahman, and Sa'd." He gave them his final counsel, and when they departed from his presence, he said, "If they entrust the matter to the receding-haired one (meaning 'Ali), he will surely guide them upon the most upright path." Thereupon Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked him, "Then what prevents you from appointing him, O Commander of the Faithful?" He replied, "I dislike bearing its responsibility both in life and in death." It was narrated by Ibn Sa'd, al-Harith, Abu Nu'aym in "al-Hilyah", and al-Lalika'i in "al-Sunnah".

On the authority of Abu Matar, who said: I heard 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "I entered upon 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) after Abu Lu'lu'ah had stabbed him, and he was weeping. I said, 'What makes you weep, O Commander of the Faithful?' He replied, 'The tidings from heaven make me weep: will I be taken to Paradise or to Hellfire?' So I said to him, 'Rejoice with glad tidings, O Commander of the Faithful, for indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say innumerably, "The two masters of the mature men of the people of Paradise are Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and how blessed they are!"' He said, 'Do you testify for me, O 'Ali, to Paradise?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'And you, O Hasan, testify on the authority of your grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), that 'Umar is among the people of Paradise.'" Narrated by Ibn 'Asakir.

And on the authority of Abu Awfa ibn Hakim, who said: When the day came on which 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, I said, "By Allah, I shall surely go to the door of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." So I came to 'Ali's door, and found the people awaiting him. Before long, he came out to us, lowered his head in silence for a while, and then raised his head and said: "May Allah reward the woman weeping for 'Umar, who said: 'Alas for 'Umar! He straightened the crooked, reinforced the pillars. Alas for 'Umar! He passed away with pristine garments, innocent of any fault. Alas for 'Umar! He departed having established the Sunnah, and left behind the tribulation.'"

"She spoke the truth; by Allah, the son of al-Khattab attained the best of this world and was delivered from its evil."

And in "Sahih al-Bukhari", on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: "Indeed, I was standing among a group of people..."