Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 14463

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When Abu Lu'lu'ah attacked Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he stabbed him twice. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) supposed that perhaps some shortcoming had occurred on his part regarding the people of which he was unaware. He sent for Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), whom he loved, kept close to himself and listened to. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I would like to learn the view of some of the people about this situation. So Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) went out and passed by groups of people, and every group he passed by was weeping. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) returned to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O Commander of the Faithful! Every group of people I passed by was weeping, as though they had lost their young children today. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Who tried to kill me? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Abu Lu'lu'ah, the slave of Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him), did it; he is a Magian. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I saw signs of joy on the face of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: All praise belongs to Allah Almighty, who did not put me to trial through someone who recites La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah). I used to forbid you from bringing these non-Arab slaves to us (in Madinah), but you did not obey me. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Call my brothers to me. The people asked: Whom? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Uthman, Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman bin Awf and Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for them, then he placed his head in my lap. When they arrived, I said: These men have come. He said: Very well. I have examined the affairs of the Muslims and found you six to be the chiefs and leaders of the people, and the rule ought to remain among you. As long as you remain upright, the affairs of the people will remain upright, and if disagreement arises among you, disagreement will arise among the people too. The narrator says: When I heard him speak of disagreement among them, I supposed that it would happen, because whatever Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, I saw it come to pass. Then they began whispering among themselves, until I feared that they would pledge allegiance to one of them. So I said: The Commander of the Faithful is still alive, and there cannot be two caliphs at one time, one of them looking at the other. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sit me up. We sat him up, and he said: Consult for three days, and during this time Suhayb will lead the people in prayer. The people asked: O Commander of the Faithful! Whom should we consult? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Consult the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and the commanders of the armies who are here. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) called for a cup of milk and drank it, and white milk came out from between his two wounds, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) realised that death had now drawn near. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is the time when, if I had the whole world, I would give it as ransom to be saved from the terror of the Day of Resurrection; and this despite the fact that I have seen nothing but good, and all praise belongs to Allah Almighty. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: You say this, so may Allah Almighty reward you with good. Is it not the case that the Messenger of Allah prayed that Allah Almighty would grant strength to the religion and the Muslims through you, while the Muslims were living in fear in Makkah? When you accepted Islam, your acceptance of Islam was a source of strength; through you Islam was raised high, and the Messenger of Allah and his Companions were raised high. Then you emigrated to Madinah, and that was a means of victory. You were not absent from any battle in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took part that involved fighting the polytheists, from such-and-such a time to such-and-such a time. Then, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with you. After that you supported the Caliph, who acted according to the way of the Messenger of Allah, and you strove fully in this, until people entered Islam willingly or under compulsion. When the Caliph passed away, he was pleased with you. Then you became the ruler, with goodness, over the people's affairs, and through you Allah Almighty populated the cities, through you He bestowed wealth and subdued the enemy, and through you Allah Almighty gave every household breadth in their religion and breadth in their provision, and then He sealed your end with martyrdom. So congratulations to you. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah! The one deceived is he whom you people deceive. Then he said: O Abdullah! Will you bear this witness in my favour before Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) replied: Yes. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Allah! All praise belongs to You alone. O Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)! Put my cheek against the ground. I moved him from my thighs onto my shin, but he said: Put my cheek against the ground; until he placed his beard and cheek on the ground, and then said: Woe to you, O Umar! Woe to your mother, O Umar, if Allah Almighty does not forgive you. Then he passed away, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him. When he passed away, the people sent a message to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I will not come to you unless you do what Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed you, namely, to consult the Muhajirun, the Ansar and the commanders of the armies. Al-Hasan al-Basri says that the conduct of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) at the time of his death, and the fear of his Lord that he had at the time of his death, were mentioned before him, and he said: This is how the believer is: he combines doing good with fear, while the hypocrite combines doing evil with false security. By Allah! Among those who have passed and those who remain, I have not found any servant whose good deeds increased except that his fear and apprehension increased; and among those who have passed and those who remain, I have not found any servant whose evil deeds increased except that his false security increased.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain is hasan (good).