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What Were the Three Regrets that Abu Bakr Had When He Was on His Deathbed?

SHAFAQNA – With WikiShia : Today, the 22th of the month Jumâdâ ath-Thânîya, is the anniversary of the death of Abū Bakr b. Abī Quḥāfa, who after the decease of the prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.), with the help of some other companions in Saqifa Bani Sa’ida made himself the caliph of the Muslims.

According to Sunnite historical sources, in the last moments of Abu Bakr’s life, ‘Abd al-Rahman told him: “…you have always been righteous and a reformer, [so] do not be upset for anything in this world.” And Abu Bakr answered,

“Yes, I am not upset for anything in this world, except three things I have done and I wish I had not done them and three things I have not done and I wish I had done them and three things I wish I had asked the Prophet (s). But what I wish I had not done, first is that I wish I had not invaded the house of Fatima (a) even if they closed it to me for war, second is that I wish I had not burned Fuja’a Sullami and instead I either had killed or released him. The third is that I wish on the Day of Saqifa, I had left the caliphate on either of these two men ‘Umar or Abu ‘Ubayda that one of them would become the caliph and I would become his minister.

But the three things I did not do and wish I had: the first is that when Ash’as ibn Qays was brought to me in captivity, I wish I had struck his neck, because I suspect he will enforce evil wherever he finds it; and the other one is that I wish when I sent Khalid Bin Waleed to the battle of the apostates I had remained at Zil Qissah so that I could help the army if they were defeated; and the third one, I wish that when I delegated Khalid to Sham I had sent Omar to Iraq so that I had opened my two hands in the cause of God.

Then he opened his hands and added:

I wish I had asked the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) that to whom the caliphate belonged, so that nobody would go to war on it; and I wish I had asked him did Ansar have any right in this matter; and I wish I had asked him if the the brother’s daughter and the father’s sister would inherit anything [from the deceased], because I’m not sure about it.

 

Source: Târîkh Tabarî, v 3 p 429 ; Târîkh Ya’qûbî, v 2 p 137

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1 comment

Ali January 16, 2021 | 8:46 AM at 8:46 AM

I wonder if this tradition can be authenticated as sahi through Sunni science of hadith. Anybody know?

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