Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9080

Muhammad bin Suqah narrates: I came to Nu'aym bin Abi Hind, and he brought out a scroll and showed it to me. In it was written: "This is from Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah and Mu'adh bin Jabal to Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab. Peace be upon you. To proceed: We knew you when only the affair of your own self was your concern. Now you have become the guardian of the affair of every dark-skinned and fair-skinned person of the Ummah. The lowly and the noble, the enemy and the friend (people of every kind) sit before you, and each has his share of justice. So consider, O Umar, how you are in that situation. We urge you to beware of a day on which faces will be humbled, and on which all arguments will be cut off before the argument of an overpowering King, who will overpower people by His might, while creation is lowly before Him, hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment. We used to speak among ourselves that, at the end of time, the affair of this Ummah will come to the point that people will be brothers in public and enemies in private. We seek refuge with Allah that you should take our letter in any sense other than what we intend by it; we have written it only out of sincere concern for you. And peace be upon you." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote back to the two of them: "This is from Umar to Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah and Mu'adh bin Jabal. Peace be upon you both. To proceed: Your letter reached me. You both mentioned that you knew me when only the affair of my own self was my concern, and that I have now become the guardian of the affair of every fair-skinned and dark-skinned person of this Ummah, and that before me sit every lowly and noble person, every enemy and every friend (people of every kind), and each has his share of justice. You both wrote: 'Consider, O Umar, how you are in that situation.' Umar has no ability to do anything in that without the help of Allah Almighty. You both wrote to me urging me to beware of what the nations before us were warned against, which is that the alternation of night and day, with people's appointed terms, brings every distant thing near, brings every new thing and brings every promised thing, until people reach their abodes in Paradise or Hell. You both wrote to me warning me that at the end of time the affair of this Ummah will come to the point that people will be brothers in public and enemies in private. You are not those people, nor is this that time. That is a time in which desire and fear will appear, and some people's desire for others will be for the sake of their worldly benefit. You both wrote that you seek refuge with Allah Almighty that I should take your letter in any sense other than what is in your hearts, and that you both wrote it out of sincere concern for me. You have both spoken the truth. Do not stop writing to me in this way in future, for I cannot do without you both. And peace be upon you both."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators up to this scroll are thiqat (trustworthy). Before this, the advice of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has already been mentioned, in the chapter on the Caliphs after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).