Learn from me three things, for I fear that the people will not come to me (before I die). As for me, I did not pass any judgement regarding kalalah and I did not appoint any successor to be in charge of the people after me, and every slave of his [Umarʿs] will be free. The people said to him: Appoint a successor. He said: Whatever I do, it was done by someone better than me. If I leave the people to decide their affairs, the Prophet ﷺ of Allah did that, and if I appoint someone, one who is better than me did that, namely Abu Bakr, I said to him: Receive the glad tidings of Paradise; you accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, your companionship with him was long; you were appointed in charge of the believers and you showed strength and fulfilled the trust. He said. As for your glad tidings to me of Paradise - ʿAffan [another narrator] said: No by Allah besides Whom there is no god- if I had the entire world and all that is in it, I would give it as a ransom from the terror of what lies before me, even before knowing the outcome. As for what you say about me being in charge of the believersʿ affairs, by Allah I wish that I could get out of it without gaining or losing anything. As for what you said about me accompanying the Prophet ﷺ of Allah, that is true.  

أَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ أَتَى عُمَرَ حِينَ طُعِنَ فَقَالَ احْفَظْ عَنِّي ثَلاثًا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ لَا يُدْرِكَنِي النَّاسُ أَمَّا أَنَا فَلَمْ أَقْضِ فِي الْكَلالَةِ قَضَاءً وَلَمْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ عَلَى النَّاسِ خَلِيفَةً وَكُلُّ مَمْلُوكٍ لَهُ عَتِيقٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّاسُ اسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَالَ أَيَّ ذَلِكَ أَفْعَلُ فَقَدْ فَعَلَهُ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي إِنْ أَدَعْ إِلَى النَّاسِ أَمْرَهُمْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَهُ نَبِيُّ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلامُ وَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَبْشِرْ بِالْجَنَّةِ صَاحَبْتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَطَلْتَ صُحْبَتَهُ وَوُلِّيتَ أَمْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَوِيتَ وَأَدَّيْتَ الْأَمَانَةَ فَقَالَ أَمَّا تَبْشِيرُكَ إِيَّايَ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَوَاللهِ لَوْ أَنَّ لِي قَالَ عَفَّانُ فَلا وَاللهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِي الدُّنْيَا بِمَا فِيهَا لافْتَدَيْتُ بِهِ مِنْ هَوْلِ مَا أَمَامِي قَبْلَ أَنْ أَعْلَمَ الْخَبَرَ وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكَ فِي أَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَوَاللهِ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَفَافًا لَا لِي وَلا عَلَيَّ وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ صُحْبَةِ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَذَلِكَ