Imam al-Ghazali : Umar was defeated by his desire and love of power in becoming Caliph.

لكن أسفرت الحجة وجهها وأجمع الجماهير على متن الحديث من خطبته في يوم غدير خم باتفاق الجميع وهو يقول : من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه . فقال عمر : بخ بخ يا ابا الحسن لقد أصبحت مولاي ومولى كل مولى ، فهذا تسليم ورضىً وتحكيم ، ثم بعد هذا غلب الهوى لحب الرياسة ، وحمل عمود الخلافة ، وعقود النبوة ، وخفقان الهوى في قعقعة الرايات ، واشتباك ازدحام الخيول ، وفتح الامصار ، وسقاهم كأس الهوى ، فعادوا إلى الخلاف الأول : فنبذوه وراء ظهورهم ، واشتروا به ثمنا قليلا ، ولما مات رسول الله (ص) قال قبل وفاته: ائتوا بدواة وبيضاء لأزيل لكم إشكال الأمر ، وأذكر لكم من المستحق بعدي. قال عمر رضي الله عنه : دعوا الرجل فإنه ليهجر ، وقيل : يهد

Imam al-Ghazali states:

The People and Scholars agree upon the context of the narration of the sermon on the day of Ghadir Khum in which the Prophet (pbuh) said; "Whoever I am the master then Ali is the master."

Then Umar said: 'Congratulations! Congratulations! O Abul Hasan (Title of Imam Ali), you have become my master and the master of every master.'

(al-Ghazali continues): This speech shows complete acceptance, submission and confirmation (of Ali's leadership) by Umar. However after that, he (i.e. Umar) was defeated by his desire and love of power in becoming Caliph, and he was dominated by desire, and the desire to hold the flag of leadership, and the joy to open and conquer states, and by that they (i.e. Umar, Abu Bakr and their cohorts in Saqifa) reverted to the early phase, they dispensed with the agreement (of Ghadir Khum) and sold it at a low price.

And also the Prophet (pbuh) in his last illness before his death said: “Bring me a tablet and ink-pot, so that I may write for whom is the successor after me and solve all the problems and mention to you, "Who is worthy of successorship after me." Whereupon Umar said: "Don’t bring it, the man is talking nonsense."



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Sunni - Salafi References:
Source: Sirr al-Alamayn by Imam al-Ghazali, page 23,

 

Categories: Arabic - العربية , English