When ‘Umar b. al-Khattab was informed about the events (at Saqifah), he called for Abu Bakr to come to him immediately. Abu Bakr sent a message saying that he was busy. Again, ‘Umar sent him a message saying, “An incident has occurred for which your presence is a must, therefore hasten immediately.” Hearing this Abu Bakr rose up and came to ‘Umar who said to him, “Don’t you know that the Ansar have gathered at the Saqifah of Bani Sa’idah and are determined to hand over the reins of the affairs to Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah while a good man from among them suggested that, let there be one commander from among us and one from among you!?”
Hearing this, Abu Bakr was terrified and hastened towards the Saqifah along with ‘Umar, while Abu ‘Ubaydah al-Jarrah was also with them. When they entered the Saqifah, they found a large gathering present there.
‘Umar relates the following upon their arrival at the Saqifah, “I thought of standing up and addressing the people when Abu Bakr said, ‘Slow down, let me address them first, thereafter you may say what you wish.’ Then Abu Bakr addressed them, and he spoke exactly as I had intended to speak and stated, ‘Allah, the Almighty, chose Muhammad as a prophet, a messenger and a guide for the people and He made him a witness over the Ummah until they worshipped the One God and abandoned polytheism, while previously people had chosen various deities for themselves and worshipped them. They believed that these deities would intercede for them and give them benefit. However these statues were made of carved stones and wood, and they worshiped other gods besides Allah that which can neither hurt them nor profit them.3
But it was hard for the ‘Arabs to forsake the religion of their forefathers. Allah the Merciful, then granted this distinction upon the Muhajirin to be the first ones to hasten to his call and believe in him. They generously rose up to defend him, and in this way they endured and bore patiently the severities, tortures and belying of the polytheists. The Muhajirin were the foremost to worship Allah upon this earth and they were the first ones to believe in Allah and His Prophet.
The Muhajirin are the friends and relatives of the Prophet and are more liable to hold authority over the masses after his death, while the one who opposes them regarding this matter is an oppressor! O group of Ansar, you are not among those who deny their distinction and superiority in religion and their precedence in (accepting) Islam. Allah chose you to be the companions and friends of the religion and the Messenger, and commanded the Prophet to migrate towards you. Most of his wives and companions were from among you, while none equals you in our eyes after the foremost Muhajirin and thus we are the commanders and you are the ministers. We will not refrain from taking your advice and we will not issue orders without consulting you in the affairs.’”
Discourse of the Friends and Companions
After the address of Abu Bakr, Hubab b. Mandhar b. Jamuh (from amongst the Ansar) stood up and said, “O group of Ansar! Hold fast to your affairs for there are men under your command ready to strike anyone, while no one has the audacity to oppose you regarding it and none has the power to take the reins of affairs in their hands without your order and consent. You are the ones possessed with honour, splendor, manpower, potential and personality. People turn to you for their tasks and for advice so do not dispute among yourselves otherwise the result of your affairs will be ruined! If they (the Muhajirin) do not accept what I said and what you heard, then our opinion is that one man from among us may be chosen as a guide and one man from among them.”
Hearing this ‘Umar b. al-Khattab said, “Far be it! There cannot be two swords in one sheath and the ‘Arabs will never consent to this (two leaders). The Ansar may be their guides for the reason that the Prophet’s clan was different from that of yours, while the ‘Arabs do not differ in the matter that the guide should be from the same clan as that of the Prophet. Then who is it that disputes with us regarding the affairs of the authority that is the right of the Prophet, while we are the friends and relatives of the Prophet.”
Again, Hubab b. Mandhar stood up and said, “O group of Ansar! Take care of your opinion and do not accept the words of this man and his companions as they desire to snatch away the authority from your destiny! If they oppose you, then remove them from your city for you are most worthy of authority! If expelling them from Madinah requires the use of the sword then do so, men are in approval and steadfast with you, while I stand in this way as a solid pillar and an unagreeable flaw (against them). To straighten the affairs, I insist to be similar to the stick that is erected in the sleeping-place of the camels upon which they rub the dirt of their bodies. I am similar to a palm-tree that rests upon a wall or a pillar, and I am like a lion that does not fear anyone. I possess the heart of a lion. By Allah! If you wish I will turn around his (‘Umar’s) limb.” ‘Umar replied, “Then may Allah kill you.” Hubab said, “May He kill you!”
In the commotion, Abu ‘Ubaydah al-Jarrah said, “O group of Ansar! You were one of those who were the foremost to help the Prophet in your city! Do not be the first ones to make changes and alterations (in Islam).”
Then Bushr (or Bashir) b. Sa’ad, the father of Nu’man b. Bashir rose up and said, “O group of Ansar! Beware that Muhammad is related to the Quraysh, he was their kinsman and their near one. By Allah! You shall not find me differing with them in regards to the matters of authority.”
The Command of Abu Bakr and Allegiance to Him
Then Abu Bakr stood up and said, “Here are ‘Umar and Abu ‘Ubaydah, you may pledge allegiance at the hand of the one whom you desire.”
‘Umar and Abu ‘Ubaydah said, “By Allah! We will not precede you in taking the affairs of the caliphate in our hands. You are the best of the Emigrants (Muhajirin), while you were the vicegerent of the Prophet in offering the prayers, which is the best command of religion. Now extend your hand so that we may pledge allegiance at your hands.”
Abu Bakr extended his hand so that ‘Umar and Abu ‘Ubaydah may pledge allegiance to him, but Bashir b. Sa’ad preceded them and pledged allegiance at his hands.4
Seeing this, Hubab b. Mandhar al-Ansari called out, “O Bashir! May dust be upon your head! You have acted stingy in the matter that your cousin (Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah) may become the commander!”
Then, Usayd b. Hudhair, the chief of the clan of ‘Aws, called out to his companions saying, “By Allah! If you do not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, the people of the clan of al-Khazraj will always show pride over you (in regards to this).”
The companions of Usayd stood up and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah was badly defeated since the people of the clan of al-Khazraj did not side with him. At that moment, people came from all sides and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, and Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah, who was sick and sitting on his bed, was almost crushed due to the crowd, at which point he called out, “You will kill me!” ‘Umar said, “Kill Sa’ad, may Allah kill him!”
Stern Words of Sa’ad with ‘Umar and His Refusal to Swear Allegiance
At that moment, the son of Sa’ad (Qays b. Sa’ad) jumped up, and grabbing ‘Umar by the beard said, “By Allah, O son of Sahhak5! You are the one who runs away from battle in fear, but among (ordinary) people and at times of peace you behave like a lion! If you move even a single hair of the head of Sa’ad (my father), then you shall not return back but that I will fill your face with wounds such that the bones thereof will be visible!”
Abu Bakr told ‘Umar, “Remain calm and act cautiously, for caution is better and profitable.”
Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah then told ‘Umar, “O son of Sahhak! By Allah! If I had the strength to stand up and if I had not been sick, indeed you and Abu Bakr would have heard my roaring, similar to a lion, in the streets of Madinah, and you would have fled from Madinah in fear! I would have joined ranks with a group of men through whom you would be degraded and subjugated (not like the present circumstances in which) others will be under your command (and you in charge of the people). O children of Khazraj! Take me away from this place of commotion.”
They lifted Sa’ad up from his bed and took him to his house.6
Thereafter Abu Bakr sent a message to Sa’ad saying, “People have taken the oath of allegiance to me, and you too may do so.” Sa’ad replied, “By Allah! I will not swear the allegiance to you until I exhaust all the arrows in my quiver against you and until I dye the point of my lance with your blood and fight with you until the sword remains in my hands. Remember that my hands have not become shortened to fight against you. My relatives, those under my command and I myself shall fight you. By Allah! Even if all the men and Jinn unite together to make me swear allegiance at the hands of you two evil men, I will never do so until I meet my Lord, and I will place my accountability to Him.”
When the message of Sa’ad was sent to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar said, “There is no way (out for him) except that he must pledge allegiance.”
Bashir b. Sa’ad told ‘Umar, “O ‘Umar! Sa’ad will never pledge allegiance at any cost until he is killed, and if he is killed, the two clans of Aws and Khazraj will also be killed along with him. Leave him alone, for he will not harm you while living in seclusion.”
‘Umar and his associates consented to the suggestion of Bashir and left Sa’ad alone.
After that, Sa’ad b. ‘Ubadah neither prayed along with them, nor referred to them in any of the legal matters, and if he had sufficient manpower, he would have fought against them. He remained in this (aloof) state during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and after him, when ‘Umar b. al-Khattab took the reins of caliphate in his hands, his attitude remained the same. Sa’ad went to Syria in fear of confronting ‘Umar (if he remained in Madinah) and he stayed there in the city of Hawran until he died – some time during the caliphate of ‘Umar, and during this entire period, he never swore allegiance to either Abu Bakr or ‘Umar. As for how he died, it has been stated that one night he was shot by an arrow that killed him, and a rumour was spread that a group of the Jinn had killed him.
House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi