Umar’s situation at the time of Prophet’s death

Umar’s situation about the Prophet’s death when he claimed he did not die. We cannot interpret it as that Umar was confused because of the disaster of the Prophet’s death and lost his reason to claim what he claimed because the conduct of Umar along his life did not show that he was from this kind, especially his situation in the Saqeefa after this matter immediately.

He, who was affected by the disaster to a degree that he lost his reason, would not do what he did after one hour of that. He argued, resisted and struggled.[1]

[1] At-Tabari’s Tareekh vol.2 p.235

We know too that Umar had not that opinion, which he declared in that critical moment some days or some hours before, when the Prophet became seriously ill. The Prophet (s) wanted to write a will to safeguard people from deviation but Umar opposed him and said: “The Book of Allah (the Quran) is enough for us. The Prophet is raving.[2]

[2] Refer to al-Bukhari’s Sahih vol.1 p.37 and vol.8 p.161

Or (he is overcome by pain)” as it was mentioned in the Sunni books (Sihah). He believed that the Prophet would die (like the others) and that his illness might make him die, otherwise he would not oppose him.

It was mentioned in Ibn Katheer’s Tareekh (history) that Omar bin Za’ida had recited the  verse, which Abu Bakr recited to Omar, before Abu Bakr recited it to Umar, but Umar was not satisfied with it yet he accepted Abu Bakr’s speech and was satisfied with it.[1]

So can we interpret that but to say that Umar wanted to make disturbance among people by his word (that the Prophet did not die) and to make people busy confirming or refuting it as long as Abu Bakr was absent lest something would happen concerning the caliphate and something that Abu Bakr must attend-according to Umar’s saying? Thus when Abu Bakr appeared, Umar became tranquil and felt safe that the caliphate had turned away from the Hashimites as long as the oppositionists had a voice in the field. He went to pick up the news expecting what would happen until he got the news that he did not expect.

[1] Al-Bidayeh wen-Nihayeh by ibn Katheer, vol.5 p.213