Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39839 — Reports on the caliphate of Umar bin

It is narrated from Zubayd bin al-Harith that when the time of death came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), he sent a messenger to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). And Sayyiduna Abu Bakr appointed Sayyiduna Umar as caliph. At this the people said: "You are appointing as caliph over us a sour-tempered and harsh man, and if he becomes our ruler he will become even more sour-tempered and harsh. So when you appoint Sayyiduna Umar as caliph over us, what answer will you give your Lord when you meet Him?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr said: "Are you frightening me with my Lord? I will give (Allah Almighty) this answer: 'O Allah! I appointed as caliph over the people the best person among Your creation.'" 2. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr sent a messenger to Sayyiduna Umar (and, having summoned him) said: "If you will keep it in mind, I give you a piece of advice. Indeed, there is a right of Allah Almighty during the day which He does not accept at night, and (likewise) there is a right of Allah Almighty at night which He does not accept during the day. And supererogatory acts are not accepted until the obligatory acts are performed. Those whose deeds will be heavy in the Balance on the Day of Resurrection, their deeds will be heavy only because they followed the truth in the world and the truth remained heavy upon them. And it is the due of the Balance that, (when) only truth is placed in it, it should become heavy. And those whose deeds will be light in the Balance on the Day of Resurrection, the reason will only be that they followed falsehood and falsehood remained light upon them. And it is the due of the Balance that, when only falsehood is placed in it, it should become light. 3. Indeed, Allah Almighty has mentioned the people of Paradise by their best deeds and has pardoned their faults. So one may say: 'I cannot reach them.' And (likewise) Allah Almighty has mentioned the people of Hell with their evil deeds, and has also stated that Allah Almighty rejected their righteous deeds. So one may say: 'I am better than they are.' And Allah Almighty has mentioned (both) the verse of mercy and the verse of punishment so that the believer may both long and fear, may not hold false hopes of Allah Almighty, and may not fall into destruction by his own hand. 4. So if you preserve my advice, nothing absent will be dearer to you than death. And if you neglect my advice, nothing absent will be more hateful to you than death. And you can never escape death."