Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abu Zar’ah bin Amr bin Jarir narrates that among the companions of Hazrat Abu Musa, there was a man who was very brave and courageous. When the Muslims obtained spoils of war, Hazrat Abu Musa did not give him his full share. He refused to accept the lesser share. Hazrat Abu Musa had him given twenty lashes and his head shaved. He gathered his hair and presented himself before Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), struck his hair on Umar’s chest, and said, “By God! If it were not for that!” Hazrat Umar said, “He speaks the truth, if it were not for Hell.” Then Hazrat Umar asked him the reason, so he told the whole story and said that Hazrat Abu Musa thinks that he will not be held accountable for this. Hazrat Umar said, “To me, establishing equality among people is better than obtaining spoils of war.” Then Hazrat Umar wrote a letter to Hazrat Abu Musa, in which, after greetings, he said, “So-and-so son of so-and-so has informed me of this, and I swear to you that if you committed this injustice to him in front of people, then sit among the people and let him take retribution, and if you did it in private, then let him take retribution in private.” People requested Hazrat Umar to forgive him. Hazrat Umar said, “I cannot set aside justice for anyone.” When the letter reached him, he sat for retribution and raised his head towards the sky, but the man said, “I have forgiven you.”