337 - Muhammad informed us, saying: Waki' reported from Ibn Abi Khalid, from Zubayd, that when death approached Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him), he sent for 'Umar (may Allah have mercy on him) to appoint him as his successor. The people said, "You are appointing 'Umar over us, who is harsh and severe. If he takes charge of us, he will be even harsher and more severe. What will you say to your Lord when you meet Him, having appointed 'Umar over us?" Abu Bakr replied, "Do you try to frighten me with my Lord? I will say: O Allah, I have appointed over them the best of Your people." Then he sent for 'Umar and said: "I am giving you a piece of advice. If you preserve it, know that Allah has a right during the day that He does not accept at night, and He has a right at night that He does not accept during the day. And He does not accept a supererogatory act (nafilah) until the obligatory act (fard) is performed. The scales of those whose scales are heavy on the Day of Resurrection will only be heavy because they followed the truth in this world and found it easy to bear. It is only fitting for a scale in which only the truth is placed to be heavy. The scales of those whose scales are light on the Day of Resurrection will only be light because they followed falsehood in this world and found it easy to bear. It is only fitting for a scale in which only falsehood is placed to be light. Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He) mentioned the people of Paradise by the best of what they did, and that He overlooks their evil deeds, so a person might say, 'I will not reach them.' And He mentioned the people of the Fire by the worst of what they did, and that He rejected the good deeds they performed, so a person might say, 'I am better than them.' He mentioned the verse of mercy and the verse of punishment so that the believer might be eager yet fearful, not hoping from Allah for anything other than His mercy, and not casting himself into destruction. If you preserve my testament, there will be no absent thing more beloved to you than death, and it is inevitable for you. And if you squander my testament, there will be no absent thing more hateful to you than death, and you will never be able to escape Him."
٣٣٧ - أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ: أَنْبَأَ وَكِيعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى عُمَرَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: " تَسْتَخْلِفُ عَلَيْنَا عُمَرَ فَظًّا غَلِيظًا، فَلَوْ قَدْ وَلِيَنَا كَانَ أَفَظَّ وَأَغْلَظَ، فَمَاذَا تَقُولُ لِرَبِّكَ إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ، وَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَيْنَا عُمَرَ؟ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: " أَبِرَبِّي تُخَوِّفُونِي؟ أَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اسْتَخْلَفْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ خَيْرَ أَهْلِكَ "، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي مُوصِيكَ بِوَصِيَّةٍ، إِنْ أَنْتَ حَفِظْتَهَا، إِنَّ لِلَّهِ حَقًّا بِالنَّهَارِ لَا يَقْبَلُهُ بِاللَّيْلِ، وَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ حَقًّا بِاللَّيْلِ لَا يَقْبَلُهُ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقْبَلُ نَافِلَةً حَتَّى تُؤَدَّى الْفَرِيضَةُ، وَإِنَّمَا ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُ مَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِاتِّبَاعِهِمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا الْحَقَّ، وَثِقَلِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَحَقٌّ لِمِيزَانٍ لَا يُوضَعُ فِيهِ إِلَّا الْحَقُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَقِيلًا، وَإِنَّمَا خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُ مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِاتِّبَاعِهِمُ الْبَاطِلَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَخِفَّتِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَحَقٌّ لِمِيزَانٍ أَنْ لَا يُوضَعَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الْبَاطِلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَفِيفًا، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ذَكَرَ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ بِأَصْلَحَ مَا عَمِلُوا، وَأَنَّهُ يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ فَيَقُولُ قَائِلٌ: لَا أَبْلَغُ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَذَكَرَ أَهْلَ النَّارِ بِأَسْوَأِ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا، وَأَنَّهُ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ صَالِحَ مَا عَمِلُوا، فَيَقُولُ الْقَائِلُ: أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَذَكَرَ آيَةَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَآيَةَ ⦗٢٧٦⦘ الْعَذَابِ، لِيَكُونَ الْمُؤْمِنُ رَاغِبًا زَاهِدًا، وَلَا يَتَمَنَّى عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَهُ، وَلَا يُلْقِي بِيَدِهِ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ، فَإِنْ أَنْتَ حَفِظْتَ وَصِيَّتِي لَمْ يَكُنْ غَائِبٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، وَلَا بُدَّ لَكَ مِنْهُ، وَإِنْ أَنْتَ ضَيَّعْتَ وَصِيَّتِي لَمْ يَكُنْ غَائِبٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، وَلَنْ تُعْجِزَهُ "
