3. Bukhari in the section of Manaqib in his Sahih,1 has in the chapter of
excellence of Abu Bakr after the Prophet, has narrated from Abdullah bin Umar
that:
“During the time of the Prophet, we were asked to select the best person of
the Ummah; so we chose Abu Bakr, then Umar bin Khattab and then Uthman bin
Affan.”
Ibne Dawood and Tibrani have narrated from Ibne Umar2 that: “We used to
say when the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) was alive: the most excellent of the
Ummah after him, is Abu Bakr, then Umar and then Uthman; and Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.a.) heard this and did not deny.”3
According to the quotation of Bukhari, it is mentioned in his Tarikh that:4
During the lifetime of Prophet, we used to say: Who would be the Caliph after
the Prophet? It was said: Abu Bakr, then Umar and then Uthman; then we fell
silent.
Allamah Amini says: This traditional report, is the best of the traditional
reports on which Ahle Sunnat have relied regarding the selection, which occurred
in Islam
Theologians, during discussion regarding Imamate have regarded it as proof,
and tradition scholars have stepped in different places and have gone up and
down with it, and boasted and become pleased and a large number of people have
come and have issued statements about it and have made it the foundation stone
and extolled the Rashida Caliphate through it.
They claimed correctness of the allegiance, whose evil has surrounded
Islam, and was concealed through negative and evil things and created discord in the unity of Muslims, and made the arm of religion weak and cut off its support
and brought down calamities on the Ummah of Muhammad till this day.
So, it is upon us to speak about this in detail and make the reader aware of
facts.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“That he who would perish might perish by clear proof, and he
who would live might live by clear proof; and most surely Allah
is Hearing, Knowing;”5
And Almighty Allah is the giver of good sense.
Abdullah bin Umar, during the time of the Prophet as he claimed that he was
at the beginning of youth, so much so that in some years he had not reached
maturity, and that is why the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) forbid him from Jihad
during the Battle of Badr and Uhad and regarded him as young
And as mentioned in authentic traditional reports on the day of Battle of
Khandaq, when he was aged fifteen years, he allowed him to fight.6 And on the
basis of all statements, he was not more twenty years of age at the time of passing
away of Prophet.
In presence of senior companions and honorable personalities of Ummah
how a boy of that age was given discretion of choosing the best of companions?
Because the final decision in such important matter is in the hands of those who
have awareness through continuous experience accompanied with stable thinking
and identification of what is the judgment of excellence, identification of nature
of people, and stability of self, so that he may not be inclined to base desires.
Whereas the son of Umar was lacking all these qualities, because we said
that that day he was young and such a person is lacking these qualities and this
traditional report is itself the strongest testimony that he was lacking these things.
Abu Ghassan Dauri says: I was in the company of Ali bin Jaud when
discussion ensued about the tradition of Ibne Umar: “We compared the people
against each other. We used to say that when Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) was
alive: the most excellent one of the Ummah after him, is Abu Bakr, then Umar
and then Uthman. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) heard this and did not
deny.” Ali bin Jaud said: Look at this child, who is not mature, but he divorces
the wife and says: “We compared the people against each other.”7