Hadith 25

(The book) ‘Al-Iddad Al-Qawiyah Fi-Makhawaf Al-Yawmiya’ – From Ibn Abbas who said, ‘While I was walking with Umar one day when he sighed a sigh. I thought that his ribs had been broken. I said, ‘Glory be to Allah-azwj! By Allah-azwj! This has not come out from you except for a great matter’. He said, ‘Woe be unto you, O Ibn Abbas! I don’t know what I should do with the community of Muhammad-saww? ! ’ I said, ‘And why no, and you are able upon doing that in a position of confidence? ’
He said, ‘I view that you would be saying that your companion is foremost of the people with it – meaning Ali-asws? ’ I said, ‘Yes, by Allah-azwj! I am saying that regarding his-asws precedence, and his-asws knowledge, and his-asws kinship, and his-asws in-law relationship’. He said, ‘It is just as you mentioned, but he-asws is with a lot of humour’’. And in a report – ‘There is humour in him-asws’. And in a report – ‘For Allah-azwj would be their turning, if the short-haired one were to be in charge of it, how he-asws carries them upon the truth, and even if the sword was upon his-asws neck? ’ I said, ‘And you know that from him-asws you still won’t make him-asws in charge of it? ! He said, ‘If I don’t choose a caliph and leave them, so I would have left one who is better than me’. I said, ‘So, (what about) Usman? ’ He said, ‘By Allah-azwj! If I were to do so, he would make the clan of Abu Mueet to be upon the necks of the people. He would be working among them with disobedience to Allah-azwj until they kill him. By Allah-azwj! If I were to do it, he would do it, and if he does it, they would do it’. The people did pounce upon him and killed him. And in a report, ‘He would assign his relatives’. I said, ‘Talha Bin Abdullah? ’ He said, ‘The cripple. He is more pompous than that. It would not be for Allah-azwj to See me place the affairs of the community of Muhammad upon one upon whom is the pomp’. And in another report, ‘He said, ‘In him is haughtiness, meaning arrogance’. I said, ‘Al-Zubeyr Bin Al-Awwam? ’ He said, ‘Then he would be slapping the people regarding the Sa’a and the Mudd (units of measurement)’. And in a report, ‘A Kafir when angry, a Momin when happy’. I said, ‘Sa’ad Bin Abi Waqas? ’ He said, ‘He isn’t appropriate of that. That one is owner of a cavalry’. And in a report, ‘He is an owner of the horse riders’. I said, ‘Abdul Rahman Bin Awf? ’ He said, ‘You mentioned a good man, but he is too weak from that’. And in a report, ‘That man is soft or weak’. And in a report, ‘That is a man, if I make him in charge of it, he would make his ring to be in the finger of his wife. By Allah-azwj, O Ibn Abbas! This command is not correct except for the strong in non-violence, and the one soft in non-weakness, and the generous in non-extravagance, the one withholding without being stingy’’. [17]