Musnad Ahmad 2:309

Ishaq ibn Isa al-Tabba’ narrated to us, Malik ibn Anas narrated to us, Ibn Shihab narrated to me, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah ibn Mas’ud, that Ibn Abbas informed him that Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf returned to his camp. Ibn Abbas said: "I used to read to Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and he found me while I was waiting for him. This was in Mina, during the last Hajj that Umar ibn al-Khattab performed." Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf said: "A man came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and said: 'Indeed, so-and-so says: If Umar were to die, I would pledge allegiance to so-and-so.' Umar said: 'I will stand this evening before the people and warn them against these individuals who wish to usurp their affairs from them.'" Abd al-Rahman said: "I said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, do not do that, for the season gathers the rabble and the riffraff of the people, and they are the ones who will dominate your gathering when you stand before the people. I fear that you might say a statement that those people will fly away with, without comprehending it or placing it in its proper context. Rather, wait until you reach Medina, for it is the abode of the Hijrah and the Sunnah, and you will be alone with the scholars of the people and their nobles, so you will say what you have said while in a position of stability, and they will comprehend your statement and place it in its proper context.' Umar said: 'If I reach Medina safely, I will certainly speak to the people about it in the first station I stand at.'" "When we reached Medina at the end of Dhu al-Hijjah, and it was a Friday, I hurried to go early at the time of the blind man's departure." I (the narrator) said to Malik: "What is the 'blind man's departure'?" He said: "It means he does not care what time he goes out; he does not know the heat or the cold, and things like that." "I found Sa’id ibn Zayd at the corner of the pulpit on the right, for he had preceded me, so I sat beside him, my knee touching his knee. It was not long before Umar appeared. When I saw him, I said: 'He will surely say this evening on this pulpit a statement that no one before him has said on it.' Sa’id ibn Zayd denied that and said: 'What could he possibly say that no one else has said?'" "Umar sat on the pulpit, and when the caller to prayer fell silent, he stood, praised Allah as He deserves, and then said: 'To proceed: O people, I am saying a statement that it has been destined for me to say. I do not know, perhaps it is near the end of my life. So whoever comprehends it and understands it, let him relate it wherever his mount takes him, and whoever does not comprehend it, I do not permit him to lie about me. Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the truth, and revealed the Book to him. Among what was revealed to him was the verse of stoning. We read it and understood it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stoned, and we stoned after him. I fear that if time passes for the people, a speaker might say: "We do not find the verse of stoning in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic," and they will go astray by abandoning an obligation that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has revealed. Stoning in the Book of Allah is a truth against those who commit adultery if they are married, from among men and women, when evidence is established, or pregnancy, or confession. Beware, and we used to read: "Do not turn away from your fathers, for it is disbelief in you to turn away from your fathers."'" "'Beware, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Do not exaggerate in praising me as Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, was praised, for I am only a servant of Allah, so say: The servant of Allah and His Messenger."'" "'It has reached me that a speaker among you says: "If Umar were to die, I would pledge allegiance to so-and-so." Let no man be deceived into saying: "The pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was a sudden occurrence (faltah)." Beware, it was indeed like that, except that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, averted its evil. There is no one among you today to whom necks are stretched out like Abu Bakr. Beware, it was part of our story when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died: that Ali, al-Zubayr, and those who were with them stayed behind in the house of Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Ansar stayed behind from us, all of them, in the Saqifah of Banu Sa’idah, and the Muhajirun gathered with Abu Bakr. I said to him: "O Abu Bakr, take us to our brothers from the Ansar." So we set off, heading toward them, until we met two righteous men who told us what the people had done. They said: "Where are you going, O company of the Muhajirun?" I said: "We are going to our brothers, these Ansar." They said: "It is not upon you to approach them; decide your own affair, O company of the Muhajirun." I said: "By Allah, we will certainly go to them."'" "'We set off until we came to them in the Saqifah of Banu Sa’idah, and they were gathered, and among them was a man wrapped in a garment. I said: "Who is this?" They said: "Sa’d ibn Ubadah." I said: "What is wrong with him?" They said: "He is ill." When we sat down, their speaker stood, praised Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, as He deserves, and said: "To proceed: We are the helpers of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the battalion of Islam, and you, O company of the Muhajirun, are a group from among us. A group of you has come, wanting to cut us off from our origin and exclude us from the affair." When he fell silent, I wanted to speak, and I had prepared a statement that pleased me, which I wanted to say in the presence of Abu Bakr, and I used to manage some of his harshness, for he was more forbearing and dignified than me. Abu Bakr said: "Be calm." I disliked angering him, and he was more knowledgeable and dignified than me. By Allah, he did not leave out a single word that pleased me in my preparation except that he said it in his improvisation, and even better, until he fell silent. He said: "To proceed: As for the good you have mentioned, you are worthy of it. The Arabs did not recognize this affair except for this clan of Quraysh; they are the most central of the Arabs in lineage and home. I am pleased for you with one of these two men, whichever you wish." And he took my hand and the hand of Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah. I did not dislike anything he said except that. By Allah, that I be brought forward and my neck struck—without that bringing me closer to sin—is more beloved to me than that I should rule over a people among whom is Abu Bakr, unless my soul changes at the time of death.'" "'A speaker from the Ansar said: "I am the rubbed trunk (that camels rub against to soothe their mange), and the fertile palm tree (that is supported). From us is an amir, and from you is an amir, O company of Quraysh."'" I (the narrator) said to Malik: "What is the meaning of 'I am the rubbed trunk, and the fertile palm tree'?" He said: "It is as if he is saying: 'I am its expert/cunning one.'" "He said: 'The clamor increased, and voices were raised, until I feared division. I said: "Extend your hand, O Abu Bakr." He extended his hand, and I pledged allegiance to him, and the Muhajirun pledged allegiance to him, then the Ansar pledged allegiance to him. We jumped upon Sa’d ibn Ubadah, and a speaker among them said: "You have killed Sa’d." I said: "May Allah kill Sa’d."'" "Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'By Allah, we did not find in what we witnessed an affair stronger than the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. We feared that if we left the people and there was no pledge of allegiance, they would initiate a pledge of allegiance after us. So either we would follow them in what we do not approve of, or we would oppose them, and there would be corruption in that. Whoever pledges allegiance to an amir without the consultation of the Muslims, there is no pledge of allegiance for him, nor for the one to whom he pledged allegiance, lest they both be killed.'" Malik said: "Ibn Shihab informed me, from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, that the two men they met were Uwaym ibn Sa’idah and Ma’n ibn Adi." Ibn Shihab said: "Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib informed me that the one who said: 'I am the rubbed trunk, and the fertile palm tree' was al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir."