Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 14336

Ali bin Ahmad al-Sadusi narrates from his father: Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) received news that some people were criticising Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) sent for some of them, had a curtain drawn in between, and then, expressing her anger and reproaching them, said: "My father! What a man my father was! You cannot find fault with my father. By Allah, he was a lofty mountain and an extended shade. When you belied, by Allah, he succeeded at that time; when you showed weakness, he took the lead, the lead of a horseman who has a long way to go. In his youth he was the outstanding young man of Quraysh, and in his old age he was a refuge for them. He freed their captives and gave wealth to their poor; he would gather their scattered affairs and remove their distress, until their hearts inclined towards him. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) showed firmness in his religion, and his firmness in the matter of Allah's Being always remained, until he built a mosque in his courtyard in which he would bring to life that (i.e. worship) which the people of falsehood would not do. He was a man whose tears kept flowing and whose heart was soft; out of grief a choked sound would come from him. The women of Makkah and their children would gather around Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and mock him, whereas Allah Almighty will mock them (the disbelievers) and leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly. This weighed heavily on the men of Quraysh. They bent their bows, fitted their arrows and made Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) their target, yet the people of Quraysh did not break a single blade against Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) nor snap a single spear against him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) continued on his way, until the religion prevailed, settled in its place and drove in its pegs, and people began entering the religion in groups, each group sending some of its people, people coming in scattered bands. Then Allah Almighty chose for His Prophet that which is with Him. When Allah Almighty took him in death, Satan pitched his tent, spread his net, pulled tight his tent-ropes and brought his horsemen and foot soldiers. The rope of Islam was shaken, dispute arose regarding its covenant, the people of Islam fell into discord, and their unity turned into disarray. Some people thought that perhaps they would achieve their greedy aims, and that in this situation the Muslims would not succeed. But how could that be, when Sayyiduna al-Siddiq al-Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among them? He stood up with his sleeves rolled up and his lower garment tucked in; he gathered the edge of his garment and drew it together from both sides (that is, he became fully prepared for the struggle). He restored the dominance of Islam, gathered its scattered affairs and straightened the crookedness that had appeared in it. Hypocrisy retreated under his pressure, and through his raising it up the religion was saved from what had been feared. When he had delivered the truth to its rightful people, settled the heads upon the shoulders and preserved the blood in its vessels, his final hour came. He filled the gap left by his own self with the one who was like him in mercy and his equal in conduct and justice: that is the son of al-Khattab (Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)). What a mother was she who carried him, nursed him and gave birth to one so peerless! He conquered the disbelievers and humbled them, and drove polytheism away so that it had no abode left. He split open the earth (that is, conquered it), so it vomited up what it had eaten and cast out what had been hidden in it (that is, through Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the blessings and riches of the earth reached the Muslims). It (the world) showed affection to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) turned away from it; it presented itself before him, but he refused it. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) adopted abstinence regarding the world, and then left it in the same state in which he had lived with it. So now tell me, what do you say? Which of my father's two days do you object to? Do you object to the day of his staying, when he dealt justly among you, or to the day of his departure, when he thought carefully for you?" (Then Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:) "I have said what I had to say, and I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty for myself and for you."
Tabarani recorded it. The narrator Ahmad al-Sadusi did not live in the time of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and I do not know him or his son.