Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 2, Hadith 240

It was narrated that Ibn al Musayyab said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died and some people apostatised, ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said: O Abu Bakr, how can you fight the people, when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they say La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), and whoever says La ilaha illallah, his wealth and his life are protected from me, and his reckoning will be with Allah`? Abu Bakr said: I will most certainly fight those who separate prayer and zakah, for zakah is what is due on wealth. By Allah, if they withhold from me a small she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I will certainly fight them for withholding it. ʻUmar said: By Allah, as soon as I saw that Allah had opened Abu Bakr`s heart to the idea of fighting I knew that he was right.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، قَالَ لَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بُكِيَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ يُعَذَّبُ بِبُكَاءِ الْحَيِّ‏.‏

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 2, Hadith 240

 
The above hadith is from the Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal collection of hadiths. Compiled by the renowned Islamic scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the Musnad is a monumental hadith collection distinguished by its unique organizational structure. Unlike other major collections arranged by topic, the Musnad is organized according to the names of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions. This means each section is dedicated to a specific companion, grouping all the narrations they transmitted together. This method offers valuable insights into the Prophet’s teachings as passed down through his closest followers. While the collection is highly respected for its overall authenticity and vast scope, scholars note that it includes narrations of varying strength, and some feature weaker chains of transmission that require expert analysis.

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For more Hadith in Book 2: Musnad `Umar b. al-Khattab (ra)
 

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