Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Aslam narrates that when Hazrat Abu Ubaidah came to Syria, he and his companions were surrounded and faced severe hardship. Hazrat Umar wrote a letter to them, in which, after greetings, he wrote that Allah has placed ease after every hardship. No single hardship can overcome two eases. He also wrote to them this verse of the Holy Qur'an { یَا أَیُّہَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّہَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ }. The narrator says that after this, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah wrote back to them {إِنَّمَا الْحَیَاۃُ الدُّنْیَا لَعِبٌ وَلَہْوٌ وَزِینَۃٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَیْنَکُمْ وَتَکَاثُرٌ فِی الأَمْوَالِ وَالأَوْلاَدِ }. Then Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, read Hazrat Abu Ubaidah's letter to the people and said to them, "O people of Madinah! Hazrat Abu Ubaidah is encouraging you towards jihad." Hazrat Zaid narrates that my father said, "I was standing in the market when some people came down from the valley, among them was Hazrat Hudhaifah, may Allah be pleased with him, and he was giving the glad tidings of victory." I too came out in happiness and went to Hazrat Umar and said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, glad tidings of Allah's help and victory!" Hazrat Umar said, "Allahu Akbar." Someone said, "If only Khalid bin Walid had been there."

Hazrat Uzrah bin Qais Bajali narrates that when Hazrat Umar removed Hazrat Khalid bin Walid and appointed Hazrat Abu Ubaidah as governor in Syria, Hazrat Khalid delivered a sermon. In it, he praised Allah Almighty and said: Indeed, the Commander of the Faithful appointed me as governor over Syria, then when only butter and honey remained, he removed me and preferred someone else over me. Upon this, a man stood up and said: O Amir, be patient, this is a trial. Hazrat Khalid said: As long as Hazrat Umar is alive, there is no trial, but when people are left without a leader, then a man will come to a land and seek in it what is not in his own land, but he will not find it.

Hasan narrates that when Umar came to know about the matter of Khalid bin Walid, he said: "I will remove Khalid and Muthanna so that both of them may know that Allah helps His religion, not because of them."

Hazrat Aslam, the servant of Hazrat Umar, narrates that when we came to Syria with Hazrat Umar, he made his camel sit down and went away to relieve himself. I spread a sheepskin in the saddle. When he returned, he mounted the sheepskin. Then we met the people of Syria; they would ask me about Hazrat Umar, so I would point towards him. Seeing their condition, Hazrat Umar used to say that their eyes are more inclined towards those mounts which are devoid of simplicity, meaning towards the mounts of the non-Arabs.

Hazrat Qais narrates that when Hazrat Umar came to Syria, the people welcomed him while he was riding his camel. The people said, "O Commander of the Faithful! It would be better if you rode a high-bred horse, because the prominent and leading people here will meet you." Hazrat Umar replied, "Matters are decided not here, but there," and he pointed towards the sky.

Hazrat Qais narrates that Hazrat Umar was in Syria when Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him. At that time, the commanders of the armies were sitting around Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Bilal called out, "O Umar!" Hazrat Umar replied, "Umar is here." Hazrat Bilal said to him, "You are between these people and Allah, and there is no one between you and Allah. Look in front of you, behind you, to your right and to your left; those who are sitting around you only eat the flesh of birds." Hazrat Umar said, "You have spoken the truth. I will not rise from this seat until I make every Muslim bound to use two mudd of flour, vinegar, and olive oil." The people said, "O Commander of the Faithful! Will this be for us even though Allah Almighty has expanded sustenance and increased goodness?" Hazrat Umar replied, "Yes."

Hazrat Aslam, the servant of Hazrat Umar, narrates that when Hazrat Umar came to Syria, a man from among the local farmers came to him and said, "I have prepared food and I wish that you come to my house so that the people of my area may realize my status and rank in your eyes." Hazrat Umar replied, "We do not enter such places of worship in which there are pictures."

Hazrat Tariq bin Shihab narrates that when Hazrat Umar came to Syria, many armies came to him. Hazrat Umar was wearing an izar, socks, and a turban. He was holding his camel and giving it water. The people said, "O Commander of the Faithful! Many people and the rulers of Syria are coming to you, and you are in this condition." Hazrat Umar replied, "We are the people whom Allah Almighty has honored through Islam; we will not seek honor in anything other than Islam."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Syria, I saw him resting in his tent during the day. I waited for him in the shade of the tent. When he woke up, I heard his voice saying, "O Allah! Forgive my return from the expedition of Sargh." That is, when he returned from there due to the epidemic.

Hazrat Asir bin Amr narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Syria, a horse of foreign breed was brought to him for riding. When he mounted it, the horse began to tremble. He dismounted and said, "May Allah do bad to you and to the one who trained you."

Hazrat Tariq bin Shihab narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Syria, he delivered a sermon to the people in which he instructed that no one should loosen the reins of his horse among the people. Then the next day, a slave was brought to him whose horse had kicked him. Hazrat Umar asked him, "Did you not hear what I said yesterday?" He replied, "O Commander of the Faithful! I did hear your words." Hazrat Umar asked, "Then why did you act in such a way?" He said, "I saw the path was empty, so I loosened the animal's rope." Then Hazrat Umar turned to the people and said, "Who will take him outside the mosque and punish him?" Upon hearing this, no one responded. Hazrat Umar repeated his statement, so Hazrat Abu Ubaidah said, "O Commander of the Faithful! People do not like that their companion be disgraced in this way." Then Hazrat Umar said to the slave's relatives, "Take him and get him treated. If anyone does this again, I will punish him." Then the boy recovered and Allah Almighty granted him well-being.

Someone narrated from Muhammad that when Hazrat Umar heard that there was a plague in Syria, he returned from there. Upon this, he expressed ignorance about the matter and said that he had returned because he was told that the warriors would not go out in the heat that year, so he came back.

Hazrat Urwah bin Ruwaym narrates that Hazrat Umar wrote a letter to Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah, which Hazrat Abu Ubaidah read out to the people in Jabiyah. It was written in it: From the servant of Allah, Umar, Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen, to Abu Ubaidah, peace be upon you. Only that person can enforce Allah's command among the people whose intellect is bright and whose strength is great, whose secrets people cannot discover, who does not become anxious in enforcing the truth, and who does not care about the blame of any blamer in the matter of Allah. Peace be upon you.

Hazrat Urwah narrates that when Hazrat Umar came to Shaam, his shirt was torn from the back; it was a thick, coarse shirt made of sunbulani cloth. He sent that shirt to a tailor, who washed and mended it, and stitched a Qubtari shirt for him as well, bringing both shirts to him. The Qubtari shirt was presented to Hazrat Umar. He touched it and said, "This is soft." Then he threw that shirt back to him and said, "Give me my shirt; it absorbs sweat better."

Hazrat Abu Maryam narrates that when Hazrat Umar came to Shaam, he performed prayer at the prayer place of Hazrat Dawood (peace be upon him) and recited Surah Saad. When he reached the verse of prostration, he performed sajdah (prostration).

Hazrat Abu Juwayriyah Jarami says that I was among those who went towards Syria on the day of Khazir. When we confronted the enemy, a cold wind blew and they all became distressed from the cold. We fought them from evening until morning. Ibrahim bin Ashtar reported that I killed a man last night and I smelled a pleasant fragrance from him. I think he was Ibn Marjanah. He was split into two pieces, his feet towards the east and his head towards the west, or his head towards the east and his feet towards the west. So I went and saw, and it was indeed Ubaydullah bin Ziyad.

Hazrat Ibn Wa'il or Wa'il bin Alqamah narrates that I was with Hazrat Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) in Karbala. Meanwhile, a man came and said, "Is Hussain among you?" Hazrat Hussain asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "I bring you news of Hell." Hazrat Hussain said, "The Lord is Forgiving and the intercessor's word is accepted. Who are you?" He said, "I am Ibn Huwaiyza." Hazrat Hussain cursed him and said, "O Allah, drag him towards Hell." After that, when he mounted his horse, the horse panicked and started running wildly. The horse dragged him in such a way that nothing was left in the saddle except his feet.