al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 2570
✧ The ruler appointing a governor who is knowledgeable in war over one who is better than him
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أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ:
إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَمَّرَ بَعْدَ غَزْوَةِ ذَاتِ السَّلَاسِلِ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ ؓ وَهُوَ غُلَامٌ. فَأُسِرَ فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ نَاسٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ وَسُبُوا، فَانْتَدَبَ فِي بَعْثِ أُسَامَةَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ، وَالزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ ؓ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْضِيَ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ، فَأَنْفَذَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ. فَقَالَ أُسَامَةُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ حِينَ بُويِعَ لَهُ - وَلَمْ يَرُحْ أُسَامَةُ ؓ حَتَّى بُويِعَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ - فَقَالَ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَجَّهَنِي لِمَا وَجَّهَنِي لَهُ، وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ تَرْتَدَّ الْعَرَبُ، فَإِنْ شِئْتَ كُنْتُ قَرِيبًا حَتَّى تَنْظُرَ، قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ: لَا أَرُدُّ أَمْرًا أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ، وَلَكِنْ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَأْذَنَ لِعُمَرَ ؓ فَافْعَلْ، فَأَذِنَ لَهُ، فَانْطَلَقَ أُسَامَةُ ؓ حَتَّى أَتَى الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي أَمَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الضَّبَابَةُ حَتَّى جَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ لَا يَكَادُ يُبْصِرُ صَاحِبَهُ قَالَ: فَوَجَدُوا رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ تِلْكَ الْبِلَادِ فَأَخَذُوهُ فَدَلَّهُمْ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ حَيْثُ أَرَادُوا، فَأَغَارُوا عَلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي أُمِرُوا فَسَمِعَ بِذَلِكَ النَّاسُ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَقُولُ لِبَعْضٍ: أَيَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الْعَرَبَ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَتْ، وَخُيُولُهُمْ بِمَكَانِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَرَدَّ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِذَلِكَ عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَكَانَ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ؓ يُدْعَى بِالْإِمَارَةِ حَتَّى مَاتَ. يَقُولُونَ: بَعَثَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَنْزِعْهُ حَتَّى مَاتَ. قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: وَلَمَّا بَعَثَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ لِقِتَالِ أَهْلِ الرِّدَّةِ قَالَ: تَثَبَّتُوا فَأَيُّ مَحِلَّةٍ سَمِعْتُمْ فِيهَا الْأَذَانَ فَكُفُّوا فَإِنَّ الْأَذَانَ شِعَارُ الْإِيمَانِ.
Translation
Chain of narrators
- ʿAbd al-Razzāq
- Maʿmar
- al-Zuhrī
✧ After the expedition of Dhat al-Salasil, the Messenger of God ﷺ appointed Usama b. Zayd ؓ as commander, while he was a young boy. Many people from the Arabs were taken captive and enslaved in that expedition. Umar b. al-Khattab and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam ؓ enlisted in the army of Usama. The Messenger of God ﷺ died before that army set out, and Abu Bakr ؓ dispatched it after the death of the Messenger of God ﷺ. Usama said to Abu Bakr ؓ when the oath of allegiance was given to him—and Usama ؓ did not depart until allegiance was given to Abu Bakr ؓ—: "The Prophet ﷺ sent me for what he sent me for, and I fear that the Arabs may apostatize. If you wish, I will stay nearby until you consider." Abu Bakr ؓ said: "I will not revoke an order that the Messenger of God ﷺ commanded. But if you wish to permit Umar ؓ [to stay], then do so." So he permitted him. Usama ؓ departed until he reached the place the Messenger of God ﷺ ordered him to. They were caught by thick fog until a man could hardly see his companion. They found a man from the people of that land, seized him, and he guided them to the road where they wanted to go. They raided the place they were commanded to, and people heard about that. Some of them said to others: "Do they claim that the Arabs have become divided, while their horses are at such and such a place?" Thus God, Exalted be He, repelled [harm] from the Muslims by that. Usama b. Zayd ؓ was called commander until he died. They say: "The Messenger of God ﷺ sent him and did not remove him until he died." Al-Zuhri said: "When Abu Bakr ؓ sent [troops] to fight the apostates, he said: 'Be cautious. In whichever place you hear the call to prayer, refrain, for the call to prayer is the mark of faith.'"
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