حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ أَنْبَأَنَا الْجُرَيْرِيُّ سَعِيدٌ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي فِرَاسٍ قَالَ خَطَبَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلَا إِنَّا إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَعْرِفُكُمْ إِذْ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَإِذْ يَنْزِلُ الْوَحْيُ وَإِذْ يُنْبِئُنَا اللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ أَلَا وَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ انْطَلَقَ وَقَدْ انْقَطَعَ الْوَحْيُ وَإِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُكُمْ بِمَا نَقُولُ لَكُمْ مَنْ أَظْهَرَ مِنْكُمْ خَيْرًا ظَنَنَّا بِهِ خَيْرًا وَأَحْبَبْنَاهُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ أَظْهَرَ مِنْكُمْ لَنَا شَرًّا ظَنَنَّا بِهِ شَرًّا وَأَبْغَضْنَاهُ عَلَيْهِ سَرَائِرُكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّكُمْ أَلَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَتَى عَلَيَّ حِينٌ وَأَنَا أَحْسِبُ أَنَّ مَنْ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهَ وَمَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَدْ خُيِّلَ إِلَيَّ بِآخِرَةٍ أَلَا إِنَّ رِجَالًا قَدْ قَرَءُوهُ يُرِيدُونَ بِهِ مَا عِنْدَ النَّاسِ فَأَرِيدُوا اللَّهَ بِقِرَاءَتِكُمْ وَأَرِيدُوهُ بِأَعْمَالِكُمْ أَلَا إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا أُرْسِلُ عُمَّالِي إِلَيْكُمْ لِيَضْرِبُوا أَبْشَارَكُمْ وَلَا لِيَأْخُذُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ وَلَكِنْ أُرْسِلُهُمْ إِلَيْكُمْ لِيُعَلِّمُوكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَسُنَّتَكُمْ فَمَنْ فُعِلَ بِهِ شَيْءٌ سِوَى ذَلِكَ فَلْيَرْفَعْهُ إِلَيَّ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِذَنْ لَأُقِصَّنَّهُ مِنْهُ فَوَثَبَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى رَعِيَّةٍ فَأَدَّبَ بَعْضَ رَعِيَّتِهِ أَئِنَّكَ لَمُقْتَصُّهُ مِنْهُ قَالَ إِي وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ عُمَرَ بِيَدِهِ إِذَنْ لَأُقِصَّنَّهُ مِنْهُ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقِصُّ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ أَلَا لَا تَضْرِبُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَتُذِلُّوهُمْ وَلَا تُجَمِّرُوهُمْ فَتَفْتِنُوهُمْ وَلَا تَمْنَعُوهُمْ حُقُوقَهُمْ فَتُكَفِّرُوهُمْ وَلَا تُنْزِلُوهُمْ الْغِيَاضَ فَتُضَيِّعُوهُمْ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 286
It was narrated that Abu Firas said: 'Umar bin al-Khattab (RA) gave a speech and said: O people, we used to know you when the Prophet (PBUH) was among us and revelation was coming down to him; Allah would tell us about you. But now the Prophet te) has passed away and revelation has ceased, and now the way to judge you is this: whoever among you shows us good conduct, we will think well of him and love him; whoever among you shows us bad conduct, we will think badly of him and hate him for that, and whatever is in your hearts is between you and your Lord. There was a time when I used to think that whoever learned the Qur'an, seeking thereby Allah and (the reward that) is with Him, would be rewarded in the Hereafter, but some men learned Quran seeking that which is with people. So seek Allah by learning Qur'an and by your good deeds. By Allah, I do not send my workers to strike you or seize your wealth; rather I send them to you to teach you your religion and Su ninth; whoever has done to him some- thing other than that, let him refer it to me, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, I shall surely grant him retaliation. 'Amr bin al-'As stood up and said: O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, do you think if one of the Muslims was in charge of some people and he disciplined one of them, would you allow that one to settle the score with him? He said: Ves, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of 'Umar, I would most certainly allow him to settle the score with him. I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) do that with regard to himself. But do not strike the Muslims and thus humiliate them, and do not keep them away from their wives on campaign for too long and thus expose them to temptation. Do not withhold from them their due rights and cause them to rebel; and do not make them camp in an area with a lot of trees, because that will cause them to be scattered.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020