This excerpt is taken from the book of Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri Hafizahullah Difa-e-Sahaba Razi Allah Anhum.
Abu Bakr and Umar Razi Allah Anhuma in the view of Ibn Abbas Razi Allah Anhu!
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
شهد عندي رجال مرضيون وأرضاهم عندي عمر .
"Many beloved people (the noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them) narrated hadith to me, among them my most beloved was Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 581, Sahih Muslim: 826)
The words of Sahih Muslim are:
سمعت غير واحد من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، منهم عمر بن الخطاب وكان أحبهم إلى .
"I heard hadith from many companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), among them was Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), you (Umar) are the most beloved to me."
In the explanation of this hadith, Allama Ibn Daqiq al-Eid (may Allah have mercy on him) (702 AH) says:
فيه رد على الروافض فيما يدعونه من المباينة بين أهل البيت وأكابر الصحابة رضي الله عنهم.
"This hadith is a refutation of the Rawafid, who say that the Ahl al-Bayt and the senior companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were opposed to each other."
Reference: (Ihkam al-Ahkam Sharh 'Umdat al-Ahkam: 1/181)
Allama Fakahani (may Allah have mercy on him) (734 AH) says:
صدق رحمه الله.
"Allama Ibn Daqiq al-Eid (may Allah have mercy on him) spoke the truth."
Reference: (Riyadh al-Afham: 593/1)
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) is the cousin of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He is the shining light of the Ahl al-Bayt. Many companions (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated a hadith to him, among them was Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). The scholar of Ahl al-Bayt, Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), considered Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the most beloved and preferred personality among them. This statement of Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly refutes those who create division between the Ahl al-Bayt and other companions, and also refutes those who exaggerate in the status of the Ahl al-Bayt and harbor enmity towards the senior companions.
The scholar of Ahl al-Bayt, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), is expressing love for these companions, while those who merely claim love for the Ahl al-Bayt harbor enmity towards them! Why is this? The Ahl al-Sunnah, including the Ahl al-Bayt, love and revere all the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and respect the rights of each one.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) acknowledged the virtue of Ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and accepted his caliphate as rightful, saying:
دخلت على عمر حين طعن فقلت : أبشر بالجنة يا أمير المؤمنين، أسلمت حين كفر الناس، وجاهدت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حين خذله الناس، وقبض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو عنك راض، ولم يختلف فى خلافتك اثنان، وقتلت شهيدا....
"When Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was wounded, I came to him. I said: Commander of the Faithful! Paradise be yours! When people rejected Islam, you accepted it. You supported the Prophet (peace be upon him) when people abandoned you without any helper. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was pleased with you at the time of his departure from this world. During your caliphate, two people did not differ, and now you are about to attain the rank of martyrdom."
Reference: (Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 92/3, authenticated by Ibn Hibban: 6891 with authentic chain)
Also see:
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3692)
Ibn Abi Milika (may Allah have mercy on him) heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate:
وضع عمر على سريره فتكنفه الناس ، يدعون ويصلون قبل أن يرفع وأنا فيهم، فلم يرعني إلا رجل آخذ منكبي، فإذا على بن أبى طالب فترحم على عمر، وقال : ما خلفت أحدا أحب إلى أن ألقى الله بمثل عمله منك، وأيم الله إن كنت لأظن أن يجعلك الله مع صاحبيك، وحسبت إني كنت كثيرا أسمع النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : ذهبت أنا وأبو بكر، وعمر، ودخلت أنا وأبو بكر، وعمر، وخرجت أنا وأبو بكر، وعمر .
"The body of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was placed on a stretcher, people surrounded him from all sides, they were praying and seeking forgiveness for him. I was among them. Suddenly, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) grabbed my shoulder and turned me towards himself. He prayed for mercy for Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: After you, who is so beloved that I would model my deeds for attendance before Allah's court? I was certain that Allah would grant you a place with your companions (the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)). I often heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: I, Abu Bakr, and Umar went, I, Abu Bakr, and Umar entered, I, Abu Bakr, and Umar exited."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3685, Sahih Muslim: 2389)
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) is reporting that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was pleased with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), prayed for mercy for him, and considered Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) as companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Ancestors of the Ummah
Salim bin Abi Hafsa, may Allah have mercy on him (140 AH), narrates:
سألت أبا جعفر محمد بن على وجعفر بن محمد، عن أبى بكر، وعمر، فقالا لي : يا سالم تولاهما وابرأ من عدوهما فإنهما كانا إمامي هدى، قال سالم : وقال لي جعفر بن محمد : يا سالم أيسب الرجل جده؟ أبو بكر جدي لا نالتني شفاعة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم القيامة إن لم أكن أتولاهما وأبرأ من عدوهما .
"I asked Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali (Al-Baqir, may Allah have mercy on him) and Ja'far bin Muhammad (As-Sadiq, may Allah have mercy on him) about Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and they said: Salim! Love them and express disassociation from their enemies, because both of them were leaders of guidance. Salim says: Ja'far bin Muhammad As-Sadiq, may Allah have mercy on him, also said to me: Salim! Can a man speak ill of his grandfather? Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, is my grandfather. I will not attain the intercession of Muhammad, peace be upon him, on the Day of Judgment if I do not love them (Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them) and do not express disassociation from their enemies."
Reference: (Al-I'tiqad by Al-Bayhaqi: 506, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Masruq, may Allah have mercy on him (62 AH), says:
حب أبى بكر وعمر ومعرفة فضلهما من السنة.
"Love for Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and recognition of their virtues is religion."
Reference: (Al-Ma'rifah wa At-Tarikh by Al-Fasawi: 813/2, and its chain is Sahih)
Imam Abu Ja'far Al-Baqir, may Allah have mercy on him (approximately 100 AH), says:
من جهل فضل أبى بكر وعمر فقد جهل السنة .
"Whoever remains ignorant of the virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, remains ignorant of the religion."
Reference: (Fada'il As-Sahabah by Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 108, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Sufyan bin Sa'id Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him (161 AH), says:
من زعم أن عليا عليه السلام كان أحق بالولاية منهما فقد خطأ أبا بكر، وعمر، والمهاجرين، والأنصار، وما أراه يرتفع له مع هذا عمل إلى السماء .
"Whoever claims that Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, had more right to the caliphate than Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, has declared Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, the Muhajirin and Ansar, the companions, all to be wrong. I do not think that with this belief any of his deeds will be raised to the heavens."
Reference: (Sunan Abi Dawood: 4630, and its chain is Sahih)
Imam Muhammad bin Abdullah Mukharrimi, may Allah have mercy on him (242 AH), narrates:
رأيت شعيب بن حرب أوما إلى ابنه فقبله، ثم قال : أتدرون لم قبلت محمدا؟ لأنه قد وهب نفسه فى نصرة أبى بكر وعمر .
"I saw Shu'ayb bin Harb, may Allah have mercy on him, he bent towards his son (Muhammad) and kissed him, saying: Do you know why I kissed Muhammad? Because he has dedicated himself to defending Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them."
Reference: (Fada'il As-Sahabah by Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 115, and its chain is Sahih)
Imam Abdul Razzaq bin Hammam San'ani, may Allah have mercy on him (211 AH), says:
والله ما انشرح صدري قط أن أفضل عليا على أبى بكر وعمر، ورحمة الله على أبى بكر وعمر، ورحمة الله على عثمان، رحمة الله على علي، ومن لم يحبهم فما هو بمؤمن، وإن أوثق أعمالنا حبنا إياهم أجمعين، رضي الله عنهم أجمعين، ولا جعل لأحد منهم فى أعناقنا تبعة، وحشرنا فى زمرتهم ومعهم آمين رب العالمين .
"By Allah! I have never felt relief in my heart to prefer Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, over Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them. May Allah's mercy be upon Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah's mercy be upon Uthman, may Allah's mercy be upon Ali, may Allah not make anyone who does not love them a believer. Our greatest deed is that we love all the noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. May Allah be pleased with them all, may He not make us guilty of any one of them, and may Allah gather us in their company and companionship on the Day of Resurrection. Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds!"
Reference: (Fada'il As-Sahabah by Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 126, and its chain is Sahih)
