Sahih Muslim: Book 33, Hadith 13
It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar who said: I was present with my father when he was wounded. People praised him and said: May God give you a noble recompense! He said: I am hopeful (of God’s mercy) as well as afraid (of His wrath) People said: Appoint anyone as your successor. He said: Should I carry the burden of conducting your affairs in my life as well as in my death? (So far as Caliphate is concerned) I wish I could acquit myself (before the Almighty) in a way that there is neither anything to my credit nor anything to my discredit. If I would appoint my successor, (I would because) one better than me did so. (He meant Abu Bakr.) If I would leave You alone, (I would do so because) one better than me, i. e. the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), did so. ‘Abdullah says: When he mentioned the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I understood that he would not appoint anyone as Caliph.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ حَضَرْتُ أَبِي حِينَ أُصِيبَ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ وَقَالُوا جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا . فَقَالَ رَاغِبٌ وَرَاهِبٌ قَالُوا اسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَالَ أَتَحَمَّلُ أَمْرَكُمْ حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ حَظِّي مِنْهَا الْكَفَافُ لاَ عَلَىَّ وَلاَ لِي فَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي – يَعْنِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ – وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْكُمْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَكُمْ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ حِينَ ذَكَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ .
Sahih Muslim: Book 33, Hadith 13
The above hadith is from the Sahih Muslim collection of hadiths. Within Sunni Islam, the Sahih Muslim holds a position of immense reverence and trust. This significant body of work was collected and verified by the illustrious Imam Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, with its completion dating back to approximately 875 CE. It is rightly considered one of the two most authentic collections, known as the Sahihayn, alongside Sahih al-Bukhari. As a pillar of the Kutub al-Sittah, the six canonical books, it provides indispensable guidance. The collection’s structure is defined by its 56 books, which contain a combined total of about 7,459 individual hadith narrations.
Use the tags to drill down deeper and find connections and new streams of information to help you fill gaps in knowledge and better connect the dots. Eman and Life is a growing database of knowledge with the mission to help further us in our pursuit of the best lifestyle through the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.
For more Hadith in Book 33: The Book on Government