Hadith of Abdullah ibn Zam'ah (may Allah be pleased with him)

حَدِيثُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ زَمْعَةَ، ١٨٩٠٦ - حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ: وَقَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ الزُّهْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ زَمْعَةَ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ أَسَدٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا اسْتُعِزَّ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَا عِنْدَهُ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، قَالَ: دَعَا بِلَالٌ لِلصَّلَاةِ، فَقَالَ: " مُرُوا مَنْ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ "، قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ، فَإِذَا عُمَرُ فِي النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ غَائِبًا، فَقَالَ: قُمْ يَا عُمَرُ فَصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ. قَالَ: فَقَامَ، فَلَمَّا كَبَّرَ عُمَرُ سَمِعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَوْتَهُ، وَكَانَ عُمَرُ رَجُلًا مُجْهِرًا قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:: " فَأَيْنَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ؟ يَأْبَى اللهُ ذَلِكَ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ، يَأْبَى اللهُ ذَلِكَ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ " قَالَ: فَبَعَثَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَجَاءَ بَعْدَ أَنْ صَلَّى عُمَرُ تِلْكَ الصَّلَاةَ، فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ. قَالَ: وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ: قَالَ لِي عُمَرُ: وَيْحَكَ، مَاذَا صَنَعْتَ بِي يَا ابْنَ زَمْعَةَ، وَاللهِ مَا ظَنَنْتُ حِينَ أَمَرْتَنِي إِلَّا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَكَ بِذَلِكَ، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ مَا صَلَّيْتُ بِالنَّاسِ. قَالَ: قُلْتُ: وَاللهِ مَا أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَكِنْ حِينَ لَمْ أَرَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَأَيْتُكَ أَحَقَّ مَنْ حَضَرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ (١)، ، . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .، ، . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .، ،

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Zam’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was afflicted with his final illness, I was present there with a group of Muslims. Meanwhile, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the call to prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Tell someone to lead the people in prayer.” I went out and found that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was present among the people, but Abu Bakr Siddiq was not present. I said, “Umar! Step forward and lead the prayer.” So Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward. When he said the takbeer and the Prophet (ﷺ) heard his voice, as Umar’s voice was loud, he said, “Where is Abu Bakr? Allah and the Muslims refuse this. Allah and the Muslims refuse this.” Then someone was sent to call Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him). When he came, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had already led the people in that prayer. Then Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) led the people in prayer. Abdullah says that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me, “Alas! O Ibn Zam’ah! What have you done to me? By Allah! When you told me to step forward, I thought the Prophet (ﷺ) had commanded you to do so. If it was not so, I would never have led the people in prayer.” I said to him, “By Allah, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not command me to do so, but I did not see Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him), so among those present, I did not find anyone more deserving of leading the prayer than you.”