مسند أحمد

It was narrated from Humaid bin Abdur-Rahman al-Himyari that Ibn `Abbas said in Basrah; I was the first one to come to ‘Umar when he was stabbed. He said: Learn from me three things, for I fear that the people will not come to me (before I die). As for me, I did not pass any judgement regarding kalalah and I did not appoint any successor to be in charge of the people after me, and every slave of his [Umar`s] will be free. The people said to him: Appoint a successor. He said: Whatever I do, it was done by someone better than me. If I leave the people to decide their affairs, the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah did that, and if I appoint someone, one who is better than me did that, namely Abu Bakr, I said to him: Receive the glad tidings of Paradise; you accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), your companionship with him was long; you were appointed in charge of the believers and you showed strength and fulfilled the trust. He said. As for your glad tidings to me of Paradise - `Affan [another narrator] said: No by Allah besides Whom there is no god- if I had the entire world and all that is in it, I would give it as a ransom from the terror of what lies before me, even before knowing the outcome. As for what you say about me being in charge of the believers` affairs, by Allah I wish that I could get out of it without gaining or losing anything. As for what you said about me accompanying the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, that is true.