Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 2120 — Explanation of the saying of Umar, "I"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged (the people) to jihad, and the people gathered around him (peace and blessings be upon him) so closely that it became hard for him (peace and blessings be upon him) to breathe. In his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed hand was a palm branch (jaridah) from which the thorns had been removed, but one fine thorn (sulla'ah) had remained which no one had noticed. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Move back from me like this; you have suffocated me." So (while he was pushing the people back, the branch) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck a man's stomach and drew blood from him. The man went out saying: "This is the act of your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so what will be the state of ordinary people?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) heard this and said to him: "Come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If he really did harm you, he will certainly give you your right; and if you have lied, I will deal with you in such a way that you will be terrified, until you spill out the truth." The man said: "Go in peace; I do not want to go with you." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I will never leave you." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) took him to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "This man claims that you (peace and blessings be upon him) wounded him and made his stomach bleed; what is your (peace and blessings be upon him) ruling on this?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Is it true that I wounded you?" The man said: "Yes, O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Did anyone see this?" He said: "A group of Muslims was present here." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said (in the form of a supplication): "O Allah! I adjure every man who saw this, by his testimony, to inform me." So some of the Muslims said: "O Messenger of Allah! You (peace and blessings be upon him) did wound him, but you (peace and blessings be upon him) had no such intention." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take financial compensation for the harm I caused you, and go." He said: "No." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then will you forgive me this right (as a gift)?" He said: "I will not do so." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Then what do you want?" He said: "O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I want to take retaliation, that is, qisas, from you (peace and blessings be upon him)." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Very well." The man said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): "Come out from among these people (so that I may take retaliation)." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) came out of the gathering, handed that same palm branch to the man and offered himself for retaliation; then he (peace and blessings be upon him) uncovered his blessed stomach. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came forward to hold the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from behind and said (in distress): "(Allah forbid) you (peace and blessings be upon him) might stumble on your sandal and your (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed teeth might break." When the man drew near to strike the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he threw away the branch, kissed his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed navel and said: "O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! This alone was my purpose, so that the tyrants who come after you (peace and blessings be upon him) may be suppressed (for when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) can offer himself for justice, what standing does anyone else have)." Seeing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Truly, you have proved firmer than me in deeds."
Musnad Abi Ya'la: 2120.