Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 14464

Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Abu Lu'lu'ah was the slave of Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him). He used to make hand-mills, and Sayyiduna al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to collect four dirhams from him every day. Once Abu Lu'lu'ah met Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O Commander of the Faithful! Sayyiduna al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) has placed a burden on me; he collects too much from me. Speak to him so that he reduces my levy. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Fear Allah Almighty and treat your master well. Sayyiduna Umar's (may Allah be pleased with him) intention was to meet Sayyiduna al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) and speak to him so that he would reduce his levy. But the slave became angry and said: His justice extends to all people except me. He plotted to martyr Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He made a dagger with two heads and dipped it in poison, then brought it to al-Hurmuzan and asked: What is your opinion of this dagger? He replied: I think that whomever you strike with it, you will kill. The narrator says: Then Abu Lu'lu'ah made his plan. He came to the dawn prayer and stood behind Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). When the prayer was about to begin, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Straighten your rows. When Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said the takbir, Abu Lu'lu'ah struck Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) on his shoulder, then struck Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in his side, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fell. That man wounded thirteen people with that dagger, of whom seven died and six survived. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was brought to his house. The people began to weep, and the sun was about to rise. Meanwhile, Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) called out loudly: O people, the prayer, the prayer, the prayer! So the people hurried anxiously to the prayer. Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward and led the prayer, reciting two short surahs of the Qur'an. When the prayer was completed, the people came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He called for a drink in order to assess how deep his wound was. Nabidh was brought; he drank it and it came out of his wound, but it could not be told whether it was nabidh or blood. So he called for milk, drank it, and it came out of his wound. The people said: Commander of the Faithful! Nothing will happen to you. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If being killed is a cause for concern, then I have been killed. The people began to praise him, saying: Commander of the Faithful! May Allah Almighty reward you with good; you were this and you were that. Then those people would leave and others would come and praise Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Despite what you people are saying, by Allah, I wish that I could come out of this matter even, with nothing against me and nothing for me, and that my companionship of the Messenger of Allah remains secure for me. Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who was at Sayyiduna Umar's (may Allah be pleased with him) head, began to speak. He was as close to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as if he were a member of his household, and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was a scholar of the Qur'an. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) began speaking and said: By Allah! You will not come out of this matter even, for you accompanied the Messenger of Allah, and accompanied him in the best way in which any Companion of his (peace and blessings be upon him) ever accompanied him (peace and blessings be upon him). You were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this way and that way, until, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with you. Then you were with the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah. Then you, O Commander of the Faithful, were made the guardian (of the affairs), and by Allah, you carried out your duties in the best way in which anyone could carry them out; you did this and you did that. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) found some comfort in the words of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he said: O Ibn Abbas! Repeat your words to me. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) repeated them to him. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Despite whatever the people are saying, by Allah, I wish that if I had gold to fill the face of the earth, I would give it today as ransom to be saved from the terror of the Day of Resurrection. I place the matter of rule in a council (shura) of six persons: Uthman, Ali, Talhah bin Ubaydullah, al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam, Abd al-Rahman bin Awf and Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) as an adviser along with them, but he was not one of them. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave them a respite of three days and ordered Sayyiduna Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the people in prayer during this time.
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.