Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 2051 — Stipends and the ruling on what is left

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that it was the practice of Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he had performed a prayer he would sit with the people to hear their needs, and if no one had any need he would get up and go inside. Once he stopped sitting with the people after several prayers, so Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I went to his door and asked the doorkeeper: "O Yarfa'! Is the Commander of the Believers suffering from some illness or ailment?" He replied that the Commander of the Believers had no ailment. I sat down there, then Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) also came and sat down. Meanwhile Yarfa' came out and said: "O Ibn Affan! Get up; O Ibn Abbas! You come too." When the two of them went in to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), they saw heaps of wealth before him, and on each heap a camel's shoulder blade had been placed (as a marker or tablet). Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I looked over the people of Madinah and found the two of you to have the most numerous clan and relatives, so take this wealth and distribute it, then return whatever is left over." Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: As for Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), he scooped up handfuls, but I knelt down on my knees and said: "And if there is a shortfall, will you make it up to us?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said (as a proverb): "This is a stone from that very mountain (that is, you are as shrewd as your father). Was not all this wealth with Allah at the time when Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were getting by on eating pieces of dried leather?" I said: "Of course, by Allah! All of this was with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, even while Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was alive, and had these conquests come in his time, he would have adopted a different course regarding this wealth from the one you are taking." At that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry and said: "Tell me, what would he have done?" I said: "Then he would have eaten from it himself and fed us too." Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: On hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sobbed so violently that his ribs began to press into one another (from the intensity of his weeping). Then he said: "My wish is that I come out of this (responsibility of the caliphate) even, with nothing in my favour and nothing against me." Imam Ibn Abi Umar also narrated it in the same way by way of Sufyan, and the author says that, if Allah Almighty wills, more incidents of this kind will come later in the section on the virtues of Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).