39834 - Muhammad said: And when the people came to Abu Bakr at the time of the pledge of allegiance, they came to Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and said: "Do you come to me while among you is the third of three?"—meaning Abu Bakr. Ibn ‘Awn said: I said to Muhammad: "Who is the third of three?" He said: The saying of Allah: "The second of the two when they were in the cave" [التوبة: ٤٠] .

It is narrated from Ibn Abi Mulaykah that I heard from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and she was asked: O Mother of the Believers! If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had appointed a successor, whom would he have appointed as his successor? She replied: Abu Bakr. The narrator says: Then she was asked, after Abu Bakr, whom? Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: Then Umar. She was asked, after Umar, whom? Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah. Then Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) stopped at this point.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abd Khair that I heard Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away in the best state, the very best state in which the prophets pass away. Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) described the virtues of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (Then) Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: After that, Hazrat Abu Bakr was made the caliph, so he acted according to the deeds and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then Hazrat Abu Bakr also died in the best state in which any person can have the best death. And Hazrat Abu Bakr was the best person in this Ummah after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then Hazrat Umar was made the caliph, so he also acted according to the deeds and Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr. Then he too died in the best state in which any person can have the best death. And Hazrat Umar was the best person in this Ummah after the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Hazrat Abu Bakr.

It is narrated from Hazrat Ubaidullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah that when people apostatized during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Abu Bakr intended to fight them. Hazrat Umar said to Hazrat Abu Bakr, "Will you fight them even though I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then his wealth and his blood become inviolable except by right, and his (inner) account is with Allah'?" Hazrat Abu Bakr replied, "How can I not fight the one who differentiates between prayer and zakat? By Allah! I will certainly fight the one who makes a distinction between the two until he unites them both." Hazrat Umar says, "Then we fought along with Hazrat Abu Bakr. By Allah! Hazrat Abu Bakr was firmly established on the truth." Then, when Hazrat Abu Bakr gained control over some of the apostates, he said, "Choose one of two courses of action: either open war, or a humiliating course." They asked, "We know what open war is, but what is the humiliating course?" He replied, "You must testify regarding our slain that they are in Paradise, and regarding your slain that they are in Hell." So they did as he said.

It is narrated from Hazrat Qasim bin Muhammad that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to say: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, such calamities befell Hazrat Abu Bakr that if those calamities had descended upon a mountain, they would have shattered that mountain into pieces. Hypocrisy spread in Madinah and (many) Arabs became apostates. By Allah! People did not differ in any command of Islam except that Hazrat Abu Bakr rushed to protect and defend it. And Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also used to say along with this: Whoever saw Umar bin Khattab would know that he was created to remove harm from Islam. And by Allah! Hazrat Umar was extremely alert and unparalleled in all matters. And he prepared suitable people for the affairs.