Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 3898 — The virtues of Umar bin al-Khattab

It is narrated from Amr bin Maymun (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: I was present on the morning when Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was stabbed. I was standing in the second row, and nothing kept me from standing in the first row except the awe and majesty of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him); for when the prayer was established he would face the row, and if he saw anyone ahead of or behind the row, he would put him right with his whip. It was only this that kept me from standing in the first row, and so I was in the second row. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came intending to pray, and Abu Lu'lu'ah, the slave of al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah, confronted him. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke with him privately, close by, then left him; spoke with him privately again, then left him; spoke with him privately a third time, and then left him. Then that (wretch) stabbed him with a dagger. I saw Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gesturing with his hand like this, saying: "Seize the dog, for he has killed me." The people were thrown into turmoil. Then someone called out: "O servants of Allah, the prayer! The sun has risen." So Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) led the people in prayer with the two shortest surahs of the Noble Qur'an: "When the help of Allah and the victory comes" [Surah al-Nasr: 1] and "Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar" [Surah al-Kawthar: 1]. The narrator said: Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was carried away, and he said: "O Abdullah (bin Umar), hand me that shoulder blade (on which something was written), for had Allah Almighty wished to put into effect what is written on it, He would have put it into effect." Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I will spare you that; I will erase it." He said: "No, by Allah, no one but I shall erase it." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) erased it with his own hand, and on it was written the ruling on the grandfather's share of inheritance. Then he said: "Call Ali, Uthman, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman bin Awf and Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with them) to me." The narrator said: They were called, and he spoke to none of them except Sayyiduna Ali and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them both). He said: "O Ali, perhaps these people will recognise your right because of your kinship with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the understanding (fiqh) and knowledge that Allah Almighty has granted you; so if they make you the guardian of this matter (the caliphate), fear Allah in it." Then he said: "O Uthman, perhaps these people will recognise your being the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and your nobility and eminence; so if they make you the guardian of this matter, fear Allah, and never set Banu Abi Mu'ayt (your relatives) upon the necks of the people." Then he said: "O Suhayb, lead the people in prayer for three days, and put these (members of the council) into a house; then, when they agree upon one man, whoever opposes them, strike his neck." When they went out, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If they make the one whose hair has receded from his forehead (Sayyiduna Ali) their guardian, he will lead them on the straight path." At this Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Then what prevents you (from nominating him as caliph)?" He said: "I dislike bearing its (the caliphate's) responsibility both in my life and after my death."
This hadith is sahih (authentic); Imam al-Bukhari narrated it with a more complete wording than this, and I (Ibn Hajar) have aimed here at the additional points that are not found there.