The following extract is taken from the book Imamate, written by Marhoom Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi
The majority of Sunnis believe that what happened at saqifah was a manifestation of the “democratic” spirit of Islam. In view of that belief it was reasonable to expect the ‘democratic election’ (whatever it’s meaning in the context of saqifah) to continue as the basis of Islamic caliphate. But this was not to be.
Abu Bakr was indebted to ‘Umar for establishing his caliphate and he knew that if the masses were given freedom of choice, ‘Umar had no chance. (He was known as “rude and of harsh nature.”) Therefore, he decided to nominate his own successor-’Umar.
at-Tabari writes: “Abu Bakr called ‘Uthman — when the former was dying-and told him to write an appointment order, and dictated to him: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. This is the order of ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafah (i.e., Abu Bakr) to the Muslims. Whereas…’ Then he fell unconscious. ‘Uthman added the words: ‘I appoint ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab as my successor among you.’
“Then Abu Bakr regained his consciousness and told ‘Uthman to read the order to him. ‘Uthman read it; Abu Bakr said, Allahu Akbar’, and was pleased and commented, ‘I think you were afraid that people would disagree amongst themselves if I died in that state.’ ‘Uthman replied, ‘Yes.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘ May Allah reward you on behalf of Islam and the Muslims.’
(Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh., vol. 1, pp.163-5.)
Thus, the appointment letter was completed and Abu Bakr ordered it to be read before the Muslims.
Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid al-Mu’tazili writes that when Abu Bakr regained his consciousness and the scribe read what he had written and Abu Bakr heard the name of ‘Umar, he asked him, “How did you write this?” The scribe said, “You could not pass him over.” Abu Bakr replied, “You are right.”
Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh., vol. 1, pp.163-5.
Shortly afterwards Abu Bakr died:
Umar gained the caliphate by this appointment. Here one is reminded of a tragedy which occurred three or five days before the death of the Holy Prophet.
In the Sahih of Muslim there is a tradition narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas that: “Three days before the Prophet’s death ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and other Companions were present at his side. The Apostle said, ‘Now let me write something for you by way of a will so that you are not mislead after me.’
Umar said, ‘The Apostle is talking in delirium; the Book of Allah is sufficient for us.’
Umar’s statement caused a furor among those present there. Some were saying that the Apostle’s command should be obeyed so that he might write whatever he desired for their betterment others sided with ‘Umar. When the tension and uproar increased the Apostle said, ‘Go away from me.’”
(Muslim: as-Sahih, (“Kitabu ‘l-Wasiyyah“, Babu ‘t-tarki ‘lwasiyyah), vol. 5, pp.75-6; al-Bukhari: as-Sahih, (Cairo, 1958), vol. 1, (“Kitabu ‘l-’llm“) pp.38-9; vol.4, p.85; vol.6, pp.ll-2; vol.7, (“Kitabu ‘t-Tib“), pp.155-6; vol. 9, (“Kitabu ’1I’ tisam bi ‘l -Kitab wa ‘s-Sunnah” ), p. 137. It is interesting to note that where Bukhari gives remark of the Prophet speaking in delirium, he omits the name of the speaker; and where he paraphrases that remark in more polite language, he mentions the name of the speaker — Umar — clearly. Ibn Sa’d: at-Tabaqat, vol. 2, pp.242, 324f, 336, 368; Ahmad: al-Musnad, vol. I, pp 232,239, 324f, 336,355.)
A few Qur’anic injunctions should be mentioned here:
Muslims should not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet. . . lest your deeds become null while you perceive not (49:2). The Holy Prophet’s words were “revelation” from Allah: Nor does he speak out of (his) desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed (53: 3-4). And Muslims were expected to follow his command without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’: Whatever the Apostle gives you, take it; and from whatever he forbids you, keep back. (59 :7)
And when such an Apostle, five days before his death wished to write a directive to save Muslims from going astray, he was accused of ‘talking in delirium’.
When Abu Bakr who had no such Divine protection from error, began dictation of the appointment letter in such critical condition that he fell unconscious before naming his successor, ‘Umar did not say that he was talking in delirium!
No one can be sure of what it was the Holy Prophet wanted to write. But the phrase he used gives us an idea. On several occasions the Holy Prophet had declared:
O People! Verily, I am leaving behind among you Two Precious Things, the Book of Allah and My Descendants who are my family members. So long as you keep hold of them sincerely, you will never go astray after me.
When he used the same phrase five days before his death (“…let me write something for you by way of a will so that you are not misled after me”), it was easy enough to understand that the Holy Prophet was going to write what he had been telling them all along about the Qur’an and his Ahlu ‘l-bayt (a.s.).
Perhaps ‘Umar guessed as much; as is apparent from his claim: “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.” He wanted to make it known to the Prophet that he would not follow ‘the Two Precious Things’. One was enough for him.
And he himself admitted it in a talk with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, in which he, inter alia said: “And surely he (the Prophet) intended during his illness to declare his (Ali’s) name, so I prevented it.”
(Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh, vol. 12, p. 21, (quoting from Tari’kh Baghdad of al-Khatib al-Baghdad).
Perhaps the word “delirium” would have served his purpose even if the Prophet had written the directive. Umar and his partisans would have claimed that as it was written “in delirium” it had no validity.
The majority of Sunnis believe that what happened at saqifah was a manifestation of the “democratic” spirit of Islam. In view of that belief it was reasonable to expect the ‘democratic election’ (whatever it’s meaning in the context of saqifah) to continue as the basis of Islamic caliphate. But this was not to be.
Abu Bakr was indebted to ‘Umar for establishing his caliphate and he knew that if the masses were given freedom of choice, ‘Umar had no chance. (He was known as “rude and of harsh nature.”) Therefore, he decided to nominate his own successor-’Umar.
at-Tabari writes: “Abu Bakr called ‘Uthman — when the former was dying-and told him to write an appointment order, and dictated to him: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. This is the order of ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafah (i.e., Abu Bakr) to the Muslims. Whereas…’ Then he fell unconscious. ‘Uthman added the words: ‘I appoint ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab as my successor among you.’
“Then Abu Bakr regained his consciousness and told ‘Uthman to read the order to him. ‘Uthman read it; Abu Bakr said, Allahu Akbar’, and was pleased and commented, ‘I think you were afraid that people would disagree amongst themselves if I died in that state.’ ‘Uthman replied, ‘Yes.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘ May Allah reward you on behalf of Islam and the Muslims.’
(Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh., vol. 1, pp.163-5.)
Thus, the appointment letter was completed and Abu Bakr ordered it to be read before the Muslims.
Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid al-Mu’tazili writes that when Abu Bakr regained his consciousness and the scribe read what he had written and Abu Bakr heard the name of ‘Umar, he asked him, “How did you write this?” The scribe said, “You could not pass him over.” Abu Bakr replied, “You are right.”
Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh., vol. 1, pp.163-5.
Shortly afterwards Abu Bakr died:
Umar gained the caliphate by this appointment. Here one is reminded of a tragedy which occurred three or five days before the death of the Holy Prophet.
In the Sahih of Muslim there is a tradition narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas that: “Three days before the Prophet’s death ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and other Companions were present at his side. The Apostle said, ‘Now let me write something for you by way of a will so that you are not mislead after me.’
Umar said, ‘The Apostle is talking in delirium; the Book of Allah is sufficient for us.’
Umar’s statement caused a furor among those present there. Some were saying that the Apostle’s command should be obeyed so that he might write whatever he desired for their betterment others sided with ‘Umar. When the tension and uproar increased the Apostle said, ‘Go away from me.’”
(Muslim: as-Sahih, (“Kitabu ‘l-Wasiyyah“, Babu ‘t-tarki ‘lwasiyyah), vol. 5, pp.75-6; al-Bukhari: as-Sahih, (Cairo, 1958), vol. 1, (“Kitabu ‘l-’llm“) pp.38-9; vol.4, p.85; vol.6, pp.ll-2; vol.7, (“Kitabu ‘t-Tib“), pp.155-6; vol. 9, (“Kitabu ’1I’ tisam bi ‘l -Kitab wa ‘s-Sunnah” ), p. 137. It is interesting to note that where Bukhari gives remark of the Prophet speaking in delirium, he omits the name of the speaker; and where he paraphrases that remark in more polite language, he mentions the name of the speaker — Umar — clearly. Ibn Sa’d: at-Tabaqat, vol. 2, pp.242, 324f, 336, 368; Ahmad: al-Musnad, vol. I, pp 232,239, 324f, 336,355.)
A few Qur’anic injunctions should be mentioned here:
Muslims should not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet. . . lest your deeds become null while you perceive not (49:2). The Holy Prophet’s words were “revelation” from Allah: Nor does he speak out of (his) desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed (53: 3-4). And Muslims were expected to follow his command without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’: Whatever the Apostle gives you, take it; and from whatever he forbids you, keep back. (59 :7)
And when such an Apostle, five days before his death wished to write a directive to save Muslims from going astray, he was accused of ‘talking in delirium’.
When Abu Bakr who had no such Divine protection from error, began dictation of the appointment letter in such critical condition that he fell unconscious before naming his successor, ‘Umar did not say that he was talking in delirium!
No one can be sure of what it was the Holy Prophet wanted to write. But the phrase he used gives us an idea. On several occasions the Holy Prophet had declared:
O People! Verily, I am leaving behind among you Two Precious Things, the Book of Allah and My Descendants who are my family members. So long as you keep hold of them sincerely, you will never go astray after me.
When he used the same phrase five days before his death (“…let me write something for you by way of a will so that you are not misled after me”), it was easy enough to understand that the Holy Prophet was going to write what he had been telling them all along about the Qur’an and his Ahlu ‘l-bayt (a.s.).
Perhaps ‘Umar guessed as much; as is apparent from his claim: “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.” He wanted to make it known to the Prophet that he would not follow ‘the Two Precious Things’. One was enough for him.
And he himself admitted it in a talk with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, in which he, inter alia said: “And surely he (the Prophet) intended during his illness to declare his (Ali’s) name, so I prevented it.”
(Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid: Sharh, vol. 12, p. 21, (quoting from Tari’kh Baghdad of al-Khatib al-Baghdad).
Perhaps the word “delirium” would have served his purpose even if the Prophet had written the directive. Umar and his partisans would have claimed that as it was written “in delirium” it had no validity.
